Head of the Institute:
PhDr. Radmila Dluhošová, Ph.D.

Contact:
Irena Wernerová
Bezručovo nám. 14
746 01 Opava
Czech Republic
Phone: +420 553 684 126
Email: irena.wernerova(at)fpf.slu.cz
Web: http://www.slu.cz/fpf/cz/ulgat

The Institute of Gastronomy, Spa Management and Tourism was founded in 2008 and provides the study course Spa Management and Tourism. The aim of the course is to give the students the adequate professional qualification in order to be able to work either on their own or as managers in spa centres and holiday resorts. In other words, the course is drawn to prepare the students for qualified work in different branches in the whole field of tourism (services including accommodation, catering, travel and information). The graduates could also be employed in travel agencies, tourist offices, information or congress centres. Alternatively, they may work in various state or local authorities involved in the development of tourism.

The study course includes obligatory subjects common for all students, which represent the basis of the whole course, as well as optional subjects which may be chosen individually by the students. The study plan is drawn in order to give the students the opportunity to both qualitative and quantitative proliferation in accordance with the labour market needs. The obligatory subjects are related to basic principles of the study course. Optional subjects enable the students to choose freely the area of tourism they would like to specialize in, together with consideration of their previous education and work experience.

The first part of the proposed study plan is composed of subjects concerning the spa management – health and healthy life style, nutrition trends, gastronomy in spa resort, running the spa centres, manners and diplomatic norms. The second part of the study programme aims at the areas of tourism – tourism and its services, geography of the tourism, history of culture, methodology of tourist guide, animation, fair and exhibitions presentations.

The study plan also includes professionally aimed disciplines of economics important for understanding the mutual relationships in this specific area of enterprise. Subjects such as business economy, law in tourism, computer technologies for spa and tourism, spa and tourism management or service marketing are taught.

Due to its short history, the institute has not so far achieved any significant scientific results comparable to the other institutes. On the other hand, with its study programme, which is very attractive for the students and has a great potential, its future development can be easily predicted. Recently, the institute has cooperated very closely with the Institute of Foreign Languages and together they have been preparing new study programmes with the focus on practical study of languages in the field of tourism.