Responsibility for tourism rests with the Ministry of Transport and Construction. The Tourism Section of the Ministry is divided into three departments covering International Relations and Marketing, State Tourism Policy, and Destination Management. Responsibilities include the preparation of legislation and regulations, strategy formulation, implementation of the Tourism Support Act, gathering statistical data, and the administration of the register of tourism organisations. The Tourism Section is also responsible for marketing and promotion, and has six overseas offices located in the key markets of Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary and the Russian Federation.
The Ministry co-operates with other ministries through participation in various committees dealing with issues affecting tourism, including the Working Group to Co-ordinate the Presentation of Slovakia Abroad, the Interdepartmental Commission of the Geo-parks Network, the Impact and Adaptation Steering group, and the Working Group of the Government Council for Vocational Education and Training.
Tourism responsibilities are delegated to self-governing bodies in eight regions, while municipalities also play an important role in the development of tourism. Local and regional destination management organisations (DMOs) are responsible for the development of tourism products and promotion. Local DMOs are created by municipalities, tourism business entities, non-profit organisations, foundations and associations with activities in the field of tourism. Regional DMOs are formed by the regional self-governing authorities and at least one local DMO. Currently there are 37 local and 7 regional DMOs operating in Slovakia, funded by subsidies provided by the Ministry, membership fees and other sources.
Representatives of the main nationwide tourism organisations are members of the Slovak Tourism Association, which promotes co-operation in the sector and advises on any legislative changes deemed necessary. Tourism associations contribute at local and regional levels, primarily in the field of quality improvement, professional training and the sharing of best practice.
The Ministerial budget for tourism was EUR 11.6 million in 2018, of which EUR 3.9 million was for marketing and promotional activities, with a further EUR 2.2 million for implementation of sectoral policies. Almost EUR 5.5 million was distributed in the form of subsidies to local and regional DMOs, mainly for product development, tourist infrastructure and marketing.
