Traditional Wellness Procedures and Regional Products in Czech Spa and Wellness: Findings from a Long-Term Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58743/asv2025vol13no2.387Keywords:
wellness, spa, traditional procedures, regional products, Czech RepublicAbstract
- Background: This study is part of the long-term research project GAPA W/VSP/211/N, which focuses on traditional wellness procedures and the use of regional products in wellness. The Czech Republic has a rich cultural and spa heritage, yet its application within the modern wellness sector remains insufficiently mapped. The aim of the study was to identify the extent, modes of application, and awareness of traditional procedures and regional products in Czech wellness facilities.
- Methods: The research, conducted since 2021 at VŠTVS Palestra, included more than 250 facilities across the Czech Republic, ranging from wellness centers and spa resorts to traditional bathhouses. Data were collected through questionnaires and subsequently analyzed with regard to regional differences and the specific characteristics of individual facilities.
- Results: The analysis revealed significant regional disparities in the implementation of traditional procedures and the use of regional products. Although their health, economic, and marketing potential is evident, practical application remains constrained by limited consumer awareness, financial barriers, and insufficient promotion.
- Conclusions: The study confirms that traditional wellness procedures and regional products represent a significant but underutilized potential of the Czech wellness sector. The findings may serve as a foundation for both academic research and applied practice, supporting innovation in procedures as well as the development of marketing strategies in wellness facilities.
References
Boleloucká, E., & Wright, A. (2021). Spa destinations in the Czech Republic: An empirical evaluation. International Journal of Spa and Wellness, 3(2–3), 117–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/24721735.2021.1880741
CzechTourism. (2025, 6. května). Lázeňská sezóna 2025 v Česku začíná. https://www.czechtourism.cz/cs-CZ/9a784d99-19bb-45dc-922c-dda2018baf97/article/lazenska-sezona-2025-v-cesku-zacina
Dunn, H. L. (1959). High-level wellness for man and society. American Journal of Public Health and the Nation’s Health, 49(6), 786–792. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.49.6.786
Dunn, H. L. (1961). High-level wellness: A collection of twenty-nine short talks on different aspects of the theme “High-level wellness for man and society”. R. W. Beatty Company. https://archive.org/details/highlevelwellnes0000dunn
Global Wellness Institute. (2024a). 2024 Global wellness economy monitor. https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/industry-research/2024-global-wellness-economy-monitor/
Global Wellness Institute. (2024b). Wellness economy: Statistics & facts. https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/statistics-and-facts/
ILaB. (2024). Spa Research Centre – Karlovy Vary. Institute for Balneology and Spa Research. https://www.i-lab.cz/en/projekt/clv/
Kneipp. (n.d.-a). Green treasury: How herbs promote health and well-being. https://www.kneipp.com/us_en/about-us/the-kneipp-philosophy/plants/
Kneipp. (n.d.-b). The Kneipp philosophy and its 5 pillars. https://www.kneipp.com/us_en/about-us/the-kneipp-philosophy/
Košík, O. (2024). Tradiční české procedury ve wellness [Bakalářská práce, Vysoká škola tělesné výchovy a sportu Palestra]. https://palestra.moggis.cz/seznampraci.php
Puczkó, L. (2013). Health spa and wellness – Competition or complementarity? The Czech Republic case. In L. Puczkó (Ed.), Travel and Tourism Research Association: Europe 2013 Conference Proceedings: Health, wellness and tourism: Healthy tourists, healthy business? (s. 1–14). Budapest Metropolitan University. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236343566
Sobotková, E. (2021). WellSpaV4 project: Development of spa and wellness sector in Visegrad countries. University of Pardubice. https://www.infota.org/wellspav4konf/dl/v4-report_czech-republic_english.pdf
The Great Spa Towns of Europe Association. (2021). Great Spa Towns of Europe (overview site). https://www.greatspatownsofeurope.eu/
Tourdata. (2025). Lázeňská péče – data 2024 (přehled). CzechTourism. https://tourdata.cz/temata/data/formy-cestovniho-ruchu/lazenstvi-formy-cestovniho-ruchu/
UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (2021). The Great Spa Towns of Europe. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1613/
Vystoupil, J., Šauer, M., & Bobková, M. (2018). Spa, spa tourism and wellness tourism in the Czech Republic. Czech Journal of Tourism, 61), 55–76. https://doi.org/10.1515/cjot-2017-0001
World Health Organization. (1986a). Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/349652
World Health Organization. (1986b). The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (Conference page). https://www.who.int/teams/health-promotion/enhanced-wellbeing/first-global-conference
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Pavel Kysel, Ondřej Košík
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors publishing in this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication, while the work is also licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows others to share this work acknowledging its author and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the work in the version published in the journal (for example, to publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are allowed and encouraged to share their work online (for example, on their websites) before and during the editorial process of their contribution, as such a practice can lead to productive exchanges of ideas and also earlier and higher citation of the published work (See the Open Access Effect).
