Department of Tourism and Leisure Activities

The Department of Tourism and Leisure Activities was established in 2014 by the merger of the Department of Tourism, the Department of Physical Culture and Sports Activities and the

Department of Foreign Languages. In the Bachelor’s field of study in Business Economics and Management, the Department guarantees the specialization in Tourism Economics and Hospitality Management, which are taught both in full-time and part-time forms. Tourism, Tourist Services, Tourism Geography, and Tourism Economics are among the courses of the specialization in Tourism Economics, and within the specialization, in Hotel Hospitality the following courses are conducted such as Business in Hotel Industry, Hotel Management, Gastronomy, and Hotel Economics.

Language and communication competencies are important abilities of our graduates. The Department provides basic and advanced courses in German and English, professional German and English, communication courses, etc. The Department also organizes sports events, students' outdoor activities, and other animation programs. The practice of the Department is provided by the partner network of travel agencies, accommodation and catering facilities and other tourism enterprises. The department deepens cooperation with Spa Darkov, plc. in Karviná, Slatinice Spa, Clarion Congress Hotel in Ostrava, Hotel Studánka, Company Sepetná, g.p., Karviná brewery, Ltd., Hotel Mercure Ostrava and others.

The research and publishing activities of the members of the Department are an important part of the development of the Department. The Department cooperates with universities in this country (e.g. Institute of Hospitality Management in Prague) and abroad, e.g. in Slovakia with Mateja Bela University in Banská Bystrica, then with the University of Economics in Krakow and the University of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Management and Tourism in Jelenia Gora (Poland), as well as with selected universities in Turkey and Bulgaria. The members of the Department publish in reviewed scientific journals, domestic and foreign journals, peer-reviewed proceedings from domestic and foreign conferences, participate in the elaboration of university textbooks etc.

Every year, the Department of Tourism and Leisure Activities in cooperation with the Institute of Spa, Gastronomy and Tourism at the Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava organizes an international conference "CURRENT TRENDS IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY AND TOURISM".

Through the Department, the university also has become an active member of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of Czechia. The members of the Department cooperate with the Czech Marketing Company in Ostrava, the Club of Marketing Teachers at the Czech Marketing Company, the Regional Development and Tourism Department of the Moravian-Silesian Region, the Tourism Commission of the Municipality of Karviná and the destination company Moravian-Silesian Tourism, Ltd.

The department newly guarantees a full-time professional bachelor's degree program in Tourist Industry and Tourism. The aim of the study program is for the student in the first year of study to acquire knowledge in all key disciplines of economics and expertise focused on management, product creation, and business processes in the field of catering, accommodation, transport, spa, and additional services. Furthermore, the program concentrates on the acquisition and application of practical skills and the confrontation of theoretical knowledge with the reality of practice. The quality of teaching and the achievement of its goals are supported by an emphasis on solving practical problems, an intensive use of software products widespread in the tourism industry, professional internship and the involvement of erudite experts from the business. Students also have an opportunity to complete a study stay or work internship within the Erasmus+ program to gain valuable knowledge and skills.