Baťapas is launching. The tourist card is designed to attract people to museums and to explore the architecture
Starting this season, tourists heading to Zlín have a new way to save money while exploring sites related to the Baťa legacy. The Baťa Region has launched a project called Baťapas. It is the first-ever official tourist card for Zlín and its surroundings, offering admission and discounts to the most famous sites primarily associated with Baťa’s history. It will not be available for general sale; guests staying at participating accommodations can obtain it.
Similar cards are in use in many other Czech and foreign cities, but the Zlín region has lacked a comprehensive system until now. The main goal of this new initiative is to encourage visitors to stay in the region for more than just one day, while also making it easier for them to plan their itineraries.
“It took several years to develop the Baťapas,” says Jana Tkadlecová, destination manager for the Zlín and Luhačovice regions, who oversees the Baťa Region project. “We knew we wanted a tourist card that would guide visitors through the region; fine-tuning the system and taking into account the specific characteristics of the individual locations where the card will be valid was only possible thanks to the willingness of all the partners involved.”
The card, which offers discounts on admission fees, will be valid all summer long
The Baťapas will not be sold to the general public, but will be provided to guests staying at selected hotels and guesthouses participating in the Baťapas project. Each hotel will decide for itself under what conditions guests will receive the Baťapas.
This simple card with coupons will then offer tourists discounts on admission to museums and galleries, to Čipera Villa, the Tomáš Baťa Memorial, or on the purchase of books and merchandise at the Tomáš Baťa Foundation’s store and online shop. The icing on the cake is free coffee at Hotel Tomášov, the former Baťa School for Young Men.
“Baťapas is valid from July 1 through September 30 of this year,” adds Jana Tkadlecová. “We want to dedicate this pilot year primarily to testing the card’s functionality and determining whether there will be sufficient interest in the card from both participating accommodations and visitors.”
A Simple Guide to Baťa Sites
The Baťapas tourist card is designed to make it easier for visitors to explore Baťa sites. In addition to the card, the Baťa Region website offers ready-made itineraries for a day or a weekend in Zlín. Guests staying at participating hotels thus have access to a simple guide on how to visit key sites in Baťa’s history—without lengthy searches or preparations.
The launch of Baťapas is supported by the Zlín Region, the city of Zlín, and the regional tourism organization CCRVM. According to the organizers, this season is just the beginning. If the accommodation card concept proves successful, the Baťa Region plans to further expand the network of participating hotels and tourist destinations in the coming years. A list of accommodations offering the card, as well as an overview of all discounts and recommended itineraries, can be found at Bataregion.com.
