Zoo Tourism in the Visegrad Four Countries

Abstract

Attendance is one of the indicators of tourist attractions' success. Zoological gardens are among the most visited tourist attractions. However, there is practically no research on this topic, less so in the post-socialist countries. It is the aim of this article, therefore, to identify, using the example of the Visegrad Four countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia), how zoo attendance generally develops and to discuss why it is so. For this purpose, a database of EAZA member zoos in these countries was created. Attendance data was obtained from multiple sources, e.g. from annual reports, the International Zoo Yearbook (IZY) and email communication. It was found that the total attendance has been on the rise since it plummeted at the beginning of the 1990s; Czech zoos went up first and now they are the absolutely most visited, even per capita. The current attendance (2019) to Czech zoos more than doubled compared to the mid-1960s; in Slovakia and Poland it does not reach even 150%. There was an increase of almost 43 % in 2010–2019; the highest one was in Poland. The most visited zoo since 2015 has been the Wrocław Zoo (PL), where an iconic Afrykarium was opened.

Taxa Richness Differences in European Zoos between 1959 and 2016: Establishment Period and the Iron Curtain Matter

“…Within the former Eastern Bloc zoos, there are only a few zoos established before 1900. Compared to the "traditional" Western Bloc zoos, most Eastern Bloc "traditional" zoos started to develop after the Second World War [15] and were relatively new in 1959. Consequently, in some cases, they did not have many animals to exhibit at that time.…”

“…In contrast, many other countries of the Eastern Bloc waited for larger industrialization until the 1950s and 1960s, and the first Slovakian zoological gardens did not come into existence until the 1950s. Similarly, in Hungary, there was no zoological garden outside the capital city of Budapest until 1958 [15].…”