The Department of Tourism at the Faculty of Commerce of the University of Economics in Bratislava, in cooperation with a consortium of universities from the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, successfully organised the 14th International Scientific Conference Current Trends in Spas, Hospitality and Tourism, held in Bratislava on 18–19 June 2026. The main theme of this year’s event was sustainable and resilient tourism destinations. The conference was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Slovak Republic, with the Bratislava Tourist Board serving as an important destination partner and co-organiser of the event. The Scientific Committee was chaired by Prof. Dipl. Ing. Anna Michálková, PhD., while the Organising Committee was headed by Dipl. Ing. Alexander Frasch, PhD.
The conference commenced with the official opening and welcome addresses delivered by Prof. Dipl. Ing. Viera Kubičková, PhD., Head of the Department of Tourism at the Faculty of Commerce; Assoc. Prof. Dipl. Ing. Peter Drábik, PhD., MSc., Dean of the Faculty of Commerce; and Dipl. Ing. Igor Donoval from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Slovak Republic.
The professional programme opened with the keynote lecture entitled “The Future of Sustainable Tourism: Can Tourism Be a Catalyst for a Better World?”, delivered by Prof. Dr Harald Pechlaner, Chair of Tourism and Head of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. This was followed by a presentation entitled “Tourism Destination Resilience in the Context of the National Tourism Strategy” by Dipl. Ing. Igor Donoval from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Slovak Republic.
The next part of the programme featured Mgr. Mária Schvarczová from Slovakia Travel, who delivered a presentation entitled “A Sustainable Symphony: How Four Central European Destinations Play in Harmony”, focusing on cooperation among four Central European destinations in the field of sustainable tourism. The topic “The Role of Destination Management Organisations in Managing a Sustainable Destination” was presented by Dipl. Ing. Michaela Sendeková from AOCR – the Association of Tourism Organisations in Slovakia. Dipl. Ing. Nina Erneker from the Bratislava Tourist Board addressed the question “A Resilient Tourism Destination in Slovakia?”. Practical experience concerning the potential of local action groups in building resilient destinations was presented by Mgr. Peter Nemček from the National Network of Local Action Groups and the Kopanice Region Local Action Group, together with Matúš Tomášek from the Odkaz Štefánik civic association.
The afternoon programme featured further expert presentations focusing on current challenges in spa tourism, infrastructure and cultural heritage. The topic “Sustainable Development of Spa Tourism” was presented by Dipl. Ing. Mgr. Martin Beňuch from Sliač Spa. Dipl. Ing. Tomáš Ondrčka from Slovenská plavba a prístavy – Passenger Shipping delivered a presentation on urban river cruises as sustainable tourism infrastructure and on building resilient Danube destinations beyond cabin-based cruise tourism. Digital approaches to cultural heritage were discussed by Mgr. Linda Suchá and Dipl. Ing. Samuel Chlpek, PhD., from the National Centre for Culture and Further Education.
The final expert session of the conference day was opened by Mgr. Veronika Demovičová, PhD., from Bratislava Airport, with a presentation entitled “Responsibly Managing Double-Digit Growth at Bratislava Airport”, in which she introduced the airport’s responsible approach to growth. This was followed by the panel discussion “Organised Tourism in a Period of Change: Resilience, Trends and Challenges”, featuring JUDr. Ľudmila Masariková from SACKA – the Slovak Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators; Mgr. Matúš Milko, MBA, from Hydrotour; and Dipl. Ing. Oľga Kapustová from Union Insurance Company.
At the conclusion of the conference, Prof. Dipl. Ing. Anna Michálková, PhD., Chair of the Scientific Committee and a member of the Department of Tourism at the Faculty of Commerce, expressed her appreciation to all participants. The conference represented a partial output of the VEGA project No. 1/0309/26. The event was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dipl. Ing. Monika Naďová Krošláková, PhD.
The conference also included expert workshops held in parallel with the main programme. The workshop entitled “The Practical Use of Artificial Intelligence” was led by Mag. Radúz Dula, (FH), PhD., from the Department of Tourism at the Faculty of Commerce. The topic “Virtual and Mixed Reality: Innovations in Hospitality and Tourism Education” was presented by Assoc. Prof. Dipl. Ing. Jan Han, Ph.D., from the European Institute of Hospitality and Tourism in Prague, and Prof. Dipl. Ing. Vanda Maráková, PhD., from the Faculty of Economics of Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica.
Coffee breaks were provided for conference participants, with special thanks extended to the partners Lahôdka, Pointa Coffee, Budiš and Lidl. The lunch break also included a wine tasting, for which the organisers would like to thank Skovajsa Winery.
The conference programme was further enriched by partner presentation stands. Hydrotour introduced participants to the possibilities of using virtual reality in tourism, enabling visitors to explore selected destinations and experiences in an interactive manner. The National Centre for Culture and Further Education also had its own presentation area, where it showcased its activities, current initiatives and opportunities for connecting cultural heritage with tourism and education.
The professional programme was complemented by a social programme. Following the conclusion of the first conference day, participants attended a dinner at Hotel Apollo, a guided city tour and a visit to the Mirror Bar at Hotel Carlton, for which special thanks go to the Bratislava Tourist Board. On the second day, participants took part in a sightseeing boat trip to Devín, supported by LOD.
The Faculty of Commerce of the University of Economics in Bratislava would like to thank all speakers, participants, partners, sponsors and co-organisers for their support, cooperation and active participation. Their contribution helped make the conference an important professional event that addressed key issues related to sustainability, resilience, innovation and the future of tourism in Slovakia and abroad.
You can find all the photos HERE.
