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The aim of this paper is to compare and assess the position of the spa and wellness sector in the structure of tourism in the Czech Republic. In this context, the article deals with the brief history of the Czech spa tourism and the development of spa tourism in the spa resorts, including the focus of specialized literature review. The methodological part consists of an explanation of the existing statistical information about the spa sector. The main part of the paper deals with the geographic analysis of current spa centres (the capacity of spa and total collective accommodation facilities, the number of spa patients and guests, guest attendance and their geographical structure). The assessment also includes the determination of the importance of the spa for overall spa tourism. Furthermore, the paper also deals with the development and localization of the selected forms of wellness tourism. As a pilot example, aquaparks built especially in the last 20 years in the Czech Republic were chosen.

Urban tourism, characterized by a high share of international tourists in Slovakia, represents the specific type of tourism that is the main aim of this study. It includes analysis of bed capacities of collective accommodation establishments and urban tourism performance, which represent the basis for the subsequent typification of urban tourism centres. In typification, localization conditions and their attractiveness, which form the very basis of potential of urban tourism centres, are evaluated. Results of the research indicate, that urban tourism is one of the most important type of tourism in Slovakia. In the terms of tourism, the most valuable towns are those with high cultural and historical value (historical towns) and towns defined as spa resorts. The main objective of this paper is the quantification and spatial interpretation of urban tourism in Slovakia, which can serve as a geographical basis for further research.

On the one hand, tourism is a significantly spatially differentiated socio-economic phenomenon, bound to the attractiveness of local conditions. On the other hand, it is a sectional phenomenon which requires a high level of coordination and cooperation of all tourism stakeholders. This is the background for the practical implementation of tourism policy. The state's conceptual activity and its institutions are irreplaceable in this respect. From this point of view, a prerequisite for quality economic-political decisions of the existence of materials and methods, which these features respect, is necessary. One of these prerequisites is a quantitative analysis of tourism potential in the Czech Republic, which should be a basis for direct and targeted state's interventions into the improvement of public infrastructure of tourism in the area. The main purpose of the quantitative analysis of tourism potential is to objectively measure the tourism potential, i.e., to set the criteria for the evaluation of its national, regional, and local importance and consequently, conduct a comparative analysis of the tourism areas and centers of importance according to the key types of tourism. Finally, on the basis of the processed factual, statistical and cartographic information to propose functionally spatial delimitation of tourism potential.

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