Profile of tourists visiting European spa resorts: a case study of Poland

Abstract

Spa resorts in Europe have recently faced a need to adapt to the heterogeneous market, due to the health-related demand changes. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide a thorough assessment of tourists visiting spa resorts. The present study focuses primarily on Polish medical (therapeutic) spa resorts. The findings of the primary study reveal a complex approach to the profiling of spa resort tourists who were categorized into two groups regarding funding source of treatment, namely non-commercial and commercial. Primary data were obtained from 2050 tourists visiting the medical Polish spa resorts relating to the socio-demographic, behavioural and psychographic characteristics. The empirical evidence is based on a variety of statistical tools chosen according to the measurement scale for answers (metric, non-metric data). Knowing the profiles of spa resort tourists is important for local government entities and managers of spa treatment enterprises in order to develop and manage a spa resort product that meets the needs of their customers.