Research background: The social and environmental problems of the current globalised world are primarily targeted on the South and Southeast Asian business environment. However, according to the idea “think global, act local”, practices of Czech local business also contribute to the global environment. Purpose of the article: The Czech Republic is classified as a small open economy in the final stage of a transformation into a market economy, and on the top of that, it is also a member of the European Union. Thus, the Czech Republic is very dependent on the global market. Firstly, this paper is focused on analysing the Czech businesses’ attitude to competitiveness with special emphasis on corporate social responsibility. Secondly, there is predicated the future approach of the Czech managers to CSR. Methods: Primary research is based on individual structured interviews with Czech managers on the top and middle level (n=15). The interviews were conducted from February to May 2020 via a combination of face to face and distance communication. Findings & Value added: The results indicate that the Czech business mostly does not perceive CSR as a key factor of corporate competitiveness. However, the significant part of the interviewees considers CSR as moderately important and what is more, they predicate the upward trend of this factor. In addition, corporate social responsibility is often associated with other factors of competitiveness – more precisely to customer loyalty and innovation capability. Moreover, all the corporations stated that they apply at least some of the CSR principles in their ordinary course of business.

Research background: Corporate competitiveness is closely connected with the competitive advantage. Contemporary developed European countries are characterised by being highly competitive. Thus, the competitive advantage is particularly bound by fulfilling the customer preferences and needs. However, there is a necessity to preserve and strengthen customer satisfaction and loyalty, in the long-run. Purpose of the article: In the current globalised world, there is apparent high pressure on the sustainable development of the whole society. This trend was shifted from the mere legislation scope to the society-wide discussion. However, the previous researches prove that this trend is not reflected in the real purchasing behaviour in Czechia. Thus, the main aim of this article is to explore the role of customer behaviour in the corporate competitiveness paradigm concerning the current trend of corporate social responsibility. Methods: Primary quantitative research is based on a questionnaire survey with Czech managers at the top and middle level. The data collection was conducted from April to June 2021 via personal interviewing. The questionnaire contained mainly close-ended questions. However, if it was relevant there were also used additional open-ended questions for a closer explanation of the question point. Findings & Value added: The results indicate that the Czech business mostly perceives as a key factor of corporate competitiveness innovation potential, not direct relationships with customers. However, this factor has a significant indirect connection with customer satisfaction. CSR has the lowest impact on corporate competitiveness according to the respondents. However, they predicate the upward trend of this factor, similar to the global environment.

In today's business world, acquiring and retaining customers in the tourism industry is becoming increasingly challenging. High competition, constantly changing markets, and growing customer demands require constant adaptation to new trends and marketing innovations. It is crucial to cultivate customer loyalty, as it leads to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth promotion. Achieving this goal is an increasingly difficult task that requires innovative approaches to service marketing. Tourism includes very specific sub-sectors that are significantly different from the mainstream of the industry and serve not only well-being but also other needs. An example of a sub-sector that combines well-being and health is spa tourism. Existing studies suggest that factors influencing the loyalty of health spa visitors may vary depending on the region and cultural factors and may also change over time. Further research is therefore needed to precisely identify which factors are currently most important for promoting the loyalty of spa customers. This article presents a case study of increasing customer loyalty, with a special focus on the Czech Republic. The study identifies the current needs, preferences, and requirements of customers in the selected tourism industry. The article aims to complement a model of visitor loyalty for the needs of spa tourism and introduce marketing tools that currently influence customer loyalty in spa tourism. The complementation of the model is based on the generally accepted model of customer satisfaction in tourism. The proposed suggestions can inspire tourism businesses to fulfil the needs of health, active living, and well-being by effectively acquiring and retaining customers in a highly competitive environment. The study provides theoretical and managerial recommendations for increasing customer loyalty. The study is based on a questionnaire survey conducted in 2022 among spa visitors throughout the Czech Republic. The motivation was to identify key factors that support customer loyalty. The results show that specific treatment effects and procedures, information and personal experience, a pleasant environment and ambience of the spa contribute more to loyalty than satisfaction with accommodation or the offer of complementary services. The paper also provides a set of practical recommendations for setting up marketing programs and improving marketing communication for owners and managers of spa tourism.