UDRŽATEĽNÝ ROZVOJ V UNIVERZITNÝCH ŠTUDIJNÝCH PROGRAMOCH CESTOVNÉHO RUCHU NA SLOVENSKU.

The tourism industry is a major driver of the world economy and influences many economies that are currently undergoing radical change. Sustainable tourism has the potential to contribute to regional development while protecting the natural environment and preserving cultural and historical heritage. The implementation of its principles requires human resources that can manage the necessary processes. The aim of the present paper is to investigate to what extent the issue of sustainable tourism development is implemented in tourism study programmes at Slovak universities. Higher education in tourism is currently possible in study programmes offered by seven universities in Slovakia. Most of the evaluated study programmes offer subjects that are prerequisites for the performance of managerial functions, promoting logical thinking and the ability for strategic management and decision-making. Theoretical subjects are in most cases complemented by compulsory work experience in the field. The issue of sustainable tourism development is in most cases embedded in the content of several courses, and three of the universities evaluated also offer separate courses focusing on this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]