One of the objectives of the currently solved project KEGA 005PU-4/2022 at the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Management, Economics and Business is to increase the degree of connection between theoretical teaching and practical subjects. This objectives was continuously fulfilled during the summer and especially the winter semester of the 2022/2023 academic year through several activities.

The first of them was the implementation of a professional excursion for students of the Tourism, Hotel Management and Spa program and members of the research team of the project from the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management to Bachledova Dolina on October 6, 2022. The excursion included a tour of the Grand Hotel Bachledka Strachan****, which is also included in the network of Centers for student practice, practical training and research transfer of the faculty. The excursion was combined with a tour of the individual sections of the hotel and a presentation by Ing. Dávid Groman, the hotel manager, about the hotel's product, as well as other operations of this Strachan family business. The students also received information about the concept and company policy of acquiring and managing human resources and the possibilities of student internships and employment of FMEO graduates in this company.

Other realized activities were selected lectures by experts from practice intended primarily for students of the study program Tourism, hotel and spa industry, namely:

The lecture Mgr. Marek Harbuľák, President of the Tourism Association and President of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of Slovakia, as part of a professional workshop on June 16, 2022 on the topic: "Strategy for the development of human resources in the trade, marketing, gastronomy and tourism sector until 2030 - development trends and sector measures, changes in the educational content in the fields of study of secondary and higher schools in Slovakia". Mgr. Harbuľák emphasized that the need for necessary changes in the field of vocational training and education in the field of trade, marketing, gastronomy and tourism was already felt by employers in the period before the pandemic. To the new challenges that this sector will face in the coming years, as a result of the pandemic, the restoration of confidence and the increase of motivation for work, especially in the field of gastronomy and tourism, are added.

The lecture Mgr. Michaela Zdražilová, Executive Director of the Regional Tourism Organization Horný Zemplín and Horný Šariš on 26 October 2022 on the topic: "Tourist products or what we do for visitors". The director focused her lecture primarily on acquainting students with the activities of this OOCR, which in recent years has managed to create interesting tourist products and thus increase awareness and attendance of the region. She emphasized that success is directly related to hard work, creating an attractive offer, keeping visitors informed about events and activities, communicating with them after arriving at the destination and, of course, fulfilling the promise with a guarantee of the quality of the offered product. All of this could not work without the cooperation and networking of various entities that, thanks to cooperation, create a complex offer for the region.

The lecture by Mrs. Romana Olexová from the SmartGuide company on 20 October 2022 about the possibility of student collaboration in creating digital audio guides was about modern technologies and the possibilities of their use in the work of tourism guides. SmartGuide acts as a platform for publishing digital audio guides that allows you to create guided tours or itineraries within various tourism destinations. At the end of the lecture, the students of the Tourism, Hospitality and Spa program showed interest in doing their professional practice in this company, which is included in the network of Centers for student practice, practical training and transfer of research of the Faculty of Management, Economics and Business.

The lecture of Mgr. was also met with great interest. Mária Schvarczová and Ing. Zuzana Pagurko Štrausova from the Slovakia Travel agency on 3 November 2022 on the topic: "Slovakia Travel - travel agency or tourism support organization?" Both lecturers presented the activities of this national organization for the support of tourism in an interesting way, which started operating in April 2021 and whose priorities are the promotion of Slovakia at home and abroad. The organization's vision is to get Slovakia back on the travel map of Europe and its mission is to build the branding of Slovakia in a long-term, compact and purposeful way at home, but especially abroad. Both lecturers used the interactive form of the lecture, and students received various promotional items for correct answers to the questions. The fact that the lecture was interesting was also evidenced by the rich discussion and stimulating topics and questions from the students.

The lecture by Ing. Martina Janoška from the Regional Tourism Organization of Northeast Slovakia On November 9, 2022, completed a series of elective lectures for students of the Tourism, Hospitality and Spa industry study program on the topic: "KOCR Northeast Slovakia - activities, campaigns and cooperation opportunities". KOCR is a cooperating institution with the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management in the project KEGA 005PU-4/2022 "Innovation of the study program Tourism, hotel and spa industry in the first degree of study in the field of study Economics and Management", has a signed cooperation agreement with FMEO and belongs to the network Centers for student practice, practical training and transfer of research by the faculty. As part of his lecture, Ing. Janoško introduced KOCR Northeastern Slovakia, which has been developing its activity and activities to support tourism in the Prešov region for 10 years. In total, it brings together more than 100 partners who are members of individual regional tourism organizations in the region. At the end of the lecture, Ing. Janoško thanked KTHM for the active cooperation so far and proposed its further continuation in the future, both in the form of student internships, joint solution of bachelor's and diploma theses topics, as well as in the implementation of activities within the solved project KEGA 005PU-4/2022.

In conclusion, it can be concluded that all the mentioned activities, as well as many others, which the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management of the Faculty of Management, Economics and Business implements with the aim of the necessary connection of the school system with practice, contribute to the expansion of students' knowledge horizons and enable them to be successfully applied on the labor market .

Anna Šenková

head of KTHM and project leader