Results of research

Gay tourism might also coincide with special gay events such as annual gay pride parades, gay neighborhood festivals and such gay community gatherings as gay chorus festivals and concerts, gay square dance conventions, gay sports meets such as Gay Games, World Outgames or EuroGames and conferences of national and international gay organizations. Gay tourism blossoms during these peak periods.

Prague and the Czech Republic have earned a (generally accurate) reputation of being more liberal than its neighbours to the east like Poland or the Baltic States, and Czechs’ attitudes towards issues like gay rights or drugs are far more tolerant. The biggest example of the Czech Republic’s progressive policies towards the homosexual community would be its passing of historic legislation legalizing registered partnerships for same-sex couples in July 2006. [12]

This means that Prague has far more gay and gay-friendly clubs than most Eastern European cities, and is quickly becoming a popular travel destination for gay tourists. By some estimates, nearly 600,000 visitors to Prague per year have used services aimed at the homosexual community - though those numbers might be overblown, as most gay clubs don’t deny entrance to heterosexual guests. Either way, gay tourism has definitely been on the rise since the 1990s, and with gay clubs and hotels opening up on a regular basis.

6: „Which of the listed forms of tourism would you like to participate?“

41 % of respondents do not want to participate in any new forms (for preference for traditional forms – 40,37 %, for fear of the unknown – 26,71 %).

3.2 Survey – Travel agencies and new trends

Survey was also carried out on the website server vyplnto.cz between January 30 - February 11, 2012, and whose purpose was to determine awareness and affection Czech travel agencies to the new trends in tourism. The entire survey was anonymous.

Answered a total of 68 respondents-travel agencies, of whom more than 80 % were outgoing travel agencies, small agencies predominated (50 %).

Complete results of the survey questionnaire are publicly available at:

http://www.vyplnto.cz/realizovane-pruzkumy/nove-trendy-v-turismu/.

The main results of the survey are as follows:

● The answer to the question 1: „Do you know any of new trends in tourism?“ coresponds with the response of the Czech citizens. Most of the travel agencies know geocaching (41,18 %). CouchSurfing (33,82

%) and Gay tourism (29,41 %) are also well known. 27,94 % of respondents do not know any of new trends, which is not negligible.

● To question 2: „Does your travel agency provide tourist product aimed at any of the new trends in tourism?“ majority answered (85,29 %) that does not provide any tourist product. If they offer some of them, than they are related to Dark tourism, Voluntourism and Responsible Tourism. 87,5 % are provided in foreign countries.

4. Conclusion

The paper is focused on new trends in tourism. These trends do not have mass character and characterize narrower marketing segments.

According to autor´s survey the hypothesis was confirmed: “Czech tourists are conservative and therefore do not subject to current fads and trends.“ Geocaching is very popular in the Czech Republic and the country has good conditions for all the new forms of tourism. As regards Responsible tourism we can state that residents and travel agencies have awareness of this tourism but insufficient. Travel agencies have provided tourist products related with Dark tourism, Voluntourism and Responsible Tourism. But the supply of new trends is inadequate and small interest is also recognized.

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Ing. Iveta Hamarnehová, PhD University of Business in Prague Tourism Department

Spálená 14 110 00 Prague 1 Czech Republic

http://www.vsopraha.eu hamarnehova@vso-praha.eu

Iveta Hamarnehová has been engaged at the Tourism Department of University of Business in Prague since 2002. Iveta Hamarnehová has been concerned with the geography of tourism and as well as with international tourism.

Impacts of joining the Schengen Treaty on