Health, Wellness and Tourism: healthy tourists, healthy business ...

The Czech Republic is rich in spas (over 30), some of them with abundant tradition e. g.
Karlovy Vary, Mariánske Lázně, Luhačovice, Teplice. 15
Spas in the Czech Republic Picture 2
Source: Downloaded from: http://www.czechtourism.com/cze/cz/docs/practicalinfo/map.html
(last accessed 7 March 2010)
Wide range of accommodation facilities, e. g. 41 five-star and 360 four-star hotels, 4.082
other hotels and boarding houses, 509 tourist campsites, 941 holiday chalets and 1.772 other
accommodation facilities are at disposal of the visitors. 16
Tourism has grown to be an activity of high importance and significance in the Czech
Republic. Above all after 1989 it becomes an important social and economic force in different
regions of the country.
The development of direct share of tourism on GDP as showed in Table 1 had a positive
tendency up to 1996 when reached its maximum (7.1%) followed by decrease to 3.5 % in
2008.
The share of tourism receipts on export reached its maximum in 1997 and 1998 respectively
as showed in Table 1. From 1999 decreasing tendency can be observed as a result of
increasing export incomes.
The share of foreign exchange receipts from tourism on the foreign exchange receipts from
services reached its maximum in 1997 and 1998 respectively as can be observed in Table 1.
Decrease can be seen from 1999 (44.8%), followed by drop to 41.7% in 2002. A light
increase to 45.8% is evident in 2003 followed by drop to 34.7% in 2008.
15 Spa & Wellness Catalogue. Downloaded from: http://www.czechtourism.cz/files/lazenstvi/lazne_2008_aj.pdf
(last accessed 7 March 2010)
16 Tourism in the Czech Republic. Facts and Figures 2008. Downloaded from:
http://www.czechtourism.cz/files/statistiky/28_07_09_statistiky_letak2008_eng.pdf (last accessed 7 March
2010)