PERCEPTIONS OF BRATISLAVA TOURISTS ABOUT LONDON

What images and perceptions does Bratislava tourists hold about london as a tourist destination.

What images and perceptions does Bratislava tourists hold about london as a tourist destination.

Introduction

Urbanised space concentrates innumerable human activities. Production and use of artefacts takes place here in various dimensions and purposes. Transformation of natural environment approaches practical replacement by artificial one that is characterised as extremely differentiated. Another evident quality of human settlements is centrality. Next to structure the dynamics is usually stressed as the one of primary importance (Sýkora, 1999a). Cities are dynamic objects underlying both standard and deeper structural changes following wider social dynamics. If a city is complicated and its structure pattemed, concentrated and dynamic, its central area will have these attributes in extreme measures. All in close interaction probably have the strength to create a new quality that is not used to be objectively described but that is used to be subjectivelypercepted. Can such a sensual category on individual or collective base be transformed into an objective information? Bratislava is a metropolis and clearly changing postsocialist urban structure with attribute of lower situated capital in european context (Sýkora, 2002; Vandermotten, 2002).Reasons for that lay in the general size and functionaI orientation. On one hand manyeconomic superlatives have been forecasted in integrated Europe for Bratislava,on another hand pesimistic evaluations are often presented. Slow disappearance of problematic elements have created the image of a lagging city.Also the centre character as if was not reaching expected level. In compare to Vienna, Prague or Budapest, undoubtly real metropolises of Middle Europe such a difference is too visible. Disadvantage in short lasting administrative function is relevant but also tuming out from the problem that should be at first defined and analysed. No attempt is known in case of Bratislava.( Bell, 1998 229)

First decision for spatial generalisation into the city centre should help us in approaching such an unclear and complex problematics. Centre is understood as the most valuable area in trade dimensions concentrating elite functions. Centre is also the symbol or projection of importance and life of the whole city. Methodological process from analytical view on relevant urban structures towards the synthesis is as well planned as an attempt to express a subjective attribute, centrality. Hsinterpretation should prepare a base for further attempts to answer what is real Bratislava's centre, its structure and dynamics. We would like to examine the result of postsocialist development in suitable model area and to find the main disproportions between expectations and reality.

Centres, commonly focused by disciplines studying built environment miss in contrary to their prominency any clear definition. Wolaniuk (1997) says: "Metropolitan centre is one of the most important elements of a city. Its size, facilities and functional structure reflect the importance in settlement system and show its individuality". For Carter (1982) the centre is an organisational core with whole city structured around it and a typical element differing the city from others. Centre is an integral part of the city as the multidimensional ...