Mariánské Lázně as a tourist destination

The diploma thesis concerns the spa town of western Bohemia, namely the town Mariánské Lázně. The main aim of the thesis is to find out whether the base of services provided by the city is well equipped for tourists and to define the services. In the theoretical part, the concept of tourism was defined and its meaning was examined. A definition of health tourism and balneology is not missing. The importance of the spa from a historical point of view and its position in the European context was described. Furthermore, the town of Mariánské Lázně was introduced with basic information and the tourism of the Karlovy Vary region and the town itself was analyzed. The city was also set in the famous West Bohemian spa triangle. The practical part looked in more detail at the amenities of the city regarding its prerequisites for the development of tourism. Another important point of the work was the insight into the current situation of the possible inclusion of spas on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as this step may be significant for increasing the awareness of tourists heading to the Czech Republic about the spa tradition and about the beneficial effects of care. The end of the work aimed to summarize all the findings and thus evaluate the potential that the city of Mariánské Lázně has. The questionnaire survey gathered the opinions of tourists, while the interviews with the representatives provided the view from the second angle. The compiled SWOT analysis and its negative points, i.e. weaknesses and threats, were the leading ideas for the elaboration of proposals for the improvement of the given shortcomings. It was found from the work that the quantity of accommodation and catering services is sufficient, as well as their diversity. However, in terms of cultural and entertainment attractions, the city has shortcomings to meet the demand of tourists.