The Development of Hospitality Industry in Krakow: Historical Perspective

Abstract

The growing importance of Krakow as the tourist destination in Eastern Europe has inspired changes in its hospitality industry as early as in the mid-nineteenth century. This chapter addresses the following questions – how has the hospitality industry developed during this period? Where did it concentrate? How did the hospitality offer expanded, and was the nature of the competition between owners? Due to the limited availability of historical statistical information on the service industry, the data for this study was derived from guide books, diaries, calendars, and newspapers (“Chronicle of Cracow”) throughout 1848–1939. The authors have examined about 30,500 volumes from which a selection of relevant information and press advertisements was made. Through the examination of historical press announcements for more than 90 years, the authors were able to reproduce the direct location of the hospitality industry objects, their changes of location, the identity of owners, the profile of provided services, and the economic and spatial transformations of the hospitality industry in Krakow.