For young people in Rožnov, tourism mainly means more employment and more choice. There are also more things to do than before, including places for sport and swimming. These changes are welcome, although I would not claim that tourism transformed my life on its own.
The political and economic changes of the last decade had a much greater effect. We grew up while the whole country was changing. New businesses appeared, travel became easier and ideas from outside reached us in ways that had not been possible before.
Tourism became part of that change. Some Czech refugees who had left during communism returned and brought knowledge of older traditions with them. My generation had genuinely never heard about some parts of our own local culture.
Old churches were restored, and the open-air museum received new attention and support. When we saw that visitors cared about our monuments and traditions, we began to look at them differently too. The revival made the region more beautiful, but it also made us more aware of where we came from.
Tourists arrived wanting to discover our culture, and in the process they helped my generation discover it as well.
Meeting foreigners has changed me personally. Sometimes it is something simple, such as learning about fashion or new trends. More importantly, I hear about everyday life, customs and values in places I may never have known much about otherwise.
These contacts do not always end when the holiday is over. My family has made friends abroad, and we have started travelling ourselves. Travel now moves in both directions. We welcome people here, and we also have the possibility to see their countries.
Learning about other values has not replaced my own. In many ways, it has made me appreciate our culture more. You often need to step outside what is familiar before you notice its importance.
Tourism has also encouraged a wider range of courses in the region. Young people can learn foreign languages, internet skills and other practical subjects. These are useful in tourism, but they also create possibilities in many other kinds of work.
Most tourists I meet are friendly and genuinely curious. They usually come for the culture, the landscape and the nature around Rožnov. They are not only looking for entertainment; many want to understand the place.
The best encounters are not about copying visitors. They are about exchanging experiences and becoming more confident in who we are.
I often advise tourists to stay with a private host instead of choosing a hotel. In the past, parents commonly built a small apartment beside the family home for a son or daughter. Today, young adults have more choice and usually prefer to live independently, so many of these apartments stand empty.
Renting them to visitors gives older people an additional income and offers tourists a more personal experience. It is a quiet form of tourism, but one that allows the benefits to remain directly with local families.
If visitors stay close to local people and show real interest in our region, tourism can open our world without making Rožnov lose its own character.