A New Methodological Approach to Assessing the Potential of Spa Tourism

Spa tourism has significantly contributed to the economic, socio-cultural, and all-around development of regions. There is no holistic, applicable concept for assessing the sector's potential, posing a significant methodological problem for science and research. The methodology of the study is based on the systematization of existing procedures and indicators for measuring the sector's potential, which identified 80 relevant indicators. In the specific environment of the spa tourism sector, the situation is complex, and the authors focus only on partial components of the potential or its assessment, which does not provide an objective view of this sector. The main objective of the study is to present an original methodological approach for assessing the potential of spa tourism. Several methods were used in the study: the four-phase Delphi method, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the Spa Tourism Development Index (TDI), and the Spa Tourism Development Potential Index (TDP). The originality of the study lies in the new methodological approach based on a set of indicators that enable the assessment of the development potential of spa tourism in a destination, and in the subsequent implementation to derive index values. The author's team intends to fill the methodological gap. The average TDP value of 0.3189 over the six-year period indicates a moderate but positive growth potential. The results indicate the need for state and regional interventions in an interdisciplinary context to ensure the sustainable growth of this key form of tourism. The findings can be used in the preparation of spa tourism strategies as an argumentative basis for proposed policies and instruments.