Innovative Activity of Spa Companies in the Slovak and Czech Republic in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In many health systems in European countries, SPA services are currently part of or a supplement to health care. Owingto their natural healing resources and long-standing traditions, the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic are important European SPA countries. In both countries, SPA tourism is also one of the most important types of tourism, and with regard to its evaluation according to the number of overnight stays and income, it constitutes a significant share of the structure of the tourism industry. One of the greatest challenges for SPA businesses was the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused travel restrictions, business closures, and a decrease in demand and revenue. The impact of the pandemic on SPA businesses in the studied countries has not yet been examined in detail. Accordingly, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the innovative activities of SPA companies in Slovakia and the Czech Republic in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research sample consists of 122 SPA enterprises from both republics. Based on the results of previous research, innovation is generally perceived as an important element in the development of society, crisis management, increasing competitiveness and commercial success. The main research method for identifying and classifying the types of innovations and innovation capabilities implemented in SPA enterprises was a questionnaire survey. The results of the conducted research revealed that the origin of SPA businesses does not affect the country or how people perceive trends. The connections between the types of introduced innovations and some benefits from the introduction of innovations as well as the barriers affecting the introduction of innovations were confirmed. It follows, for example, that companies that invest in innovation processes can improve their performance and the competitiveness of their team and reduce their costs for production or service provision. From the analysis of factors related to the introduction of innovations, it emerged that the most important factors are those that have a direct impact on economic results and the competitive advantage of businesses. On the other hand, those factors related to cultural, environmental or technical aspects of innovation are less important. Despite repeated calls, not all SPA companies operating in the SPA industry in the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic participated.