The sustainable business model of spa tourism enterprise : results of research carried out in Poland

The article presents the results of the analysis of the elements of business models of spa tourism enterprises in the context of the principles of sustainable development in tourism business. In the process of defining individual rules for tourist enterprises, an approach based on sustainable tourism criteria and an attempt to adjust them to individual conditions resulting from the specifics of the tourist business activity being carried out was proposed. The characteristics of the individual components of business models were based on the results of interviews conducted in 17 tourism enterprises. The CANVAS scheme was used to examine the structure of the business model. It was found that the business models of spa tourism enterprises not only fail to conform to the principles of sustainable development, but are also not used as managerial tools. Their knowledge among managers is very poor. The analysis was supplemented with additional roles played by Polish sanatoriums in preventing the SARS-Cov2 virus pandemic. The research also revealed an example of cooperation between several spa companies, in the framework of coopetition and exchange of knowledge and services, which can be considered as the initiation of cooperation based on open innovation.