Celem artykułu jest próba wyodrębnienia listy czynników, które z jednej strony stymulują samorządy
lokalne do uzyskania lub utrzymania statusu uzdrowiska w Polsce, z drugiej zaś stanowią
dla nich bariery, oraz wykazanie znaczenia posiadania statusu uzdrowiska dla rozwoju turystyki
uzdrowiskowej.
W artykule zastosowano krytyczną analizę literatury przedmiotu i dokonano przeglądu przepisów
prawa uzdrowiskowego, stanowiących podstawę przeprowadzonego wnioskowania dedukcyjnego.
Aby osiągnąć sformułowany wyżej cel pracy, omówiono warunki oraz przywileje i ograniczenia
wynikające z uzyskania lub utrzymania statusu uzdrowiska w Polsce. Przedstawiono
rolę statusu uzdrowiska w rozwoju turystyki uzdrowiskowej. Zaproponowana systematyzacja
wskazanych czynników ma walor naukowy, ułatwiając zrozumienie problematyki funkcjonowania
i rozwoju uzdrowisk statutowych w środowisku naukowców, oraz walor aplikacyjny dla
podmiotów zarządzających uzdrowiskami, wypełniając lukę poznawczą w literaturze przedmiotu
z tego zakresu.
The primary aim of the present paper was, firstly, to specify factors which encourage local authorities
to obtain or maintain the status of a spa resort in Poland, and factors which constitute
potential obstacles. Secondly, the paper investigates the importance of having the status of a spa
resort for the development of therapeutic tourism.
The status of a spa resort brings a number of both financial and non-financial advantages
to a given area. Their extent varies in every single case. The main financial advantages are:
1) possibility of earning direct income in the form of taxes and fees imposed on spa and tourist
facilities, 2) higher total tax revenue on real estate tax (large number of hotels and health
facilities), 3) the right to levy visitors’ tax, 4) obtaining the so-called spa grant which is equal to
the revenue derived from visitors’ tax, 5) privileges related to guaranteed services in spa treatment
under a contract with the National Health Fund for the area with the status of a spa resort,
6) the possibility of obtaining special EU subsidies for health and environmental infrastructure,
7) privileged status of spa resorts as regards obtaining EU funding for certain investments in
natural environment, transport solutions and culture.
Moreover, an area which has been granted the status of a spa resort is accorded non-financial
privileges, such as: 1) protection of the spa resort under the Constitution 2) prestige of having
the status of a spa resort 3) recognisable brand and relative ease of promotion, 4) legal possibility
of protecting health and environmental values of the area, 5) higher quality of the natural
environment reflected in ecological infrastructure, protection zones and standards for air, water
and soil quality.
An area with the status of a spa resort is also faced with the following challenges: 1) public
and legal regime in the spa area, which involves excluding the area from general legal order
(gradation of rules and bans in spa zones A, B and C), 2) the need to implement legal standards
protecting natural medicinal resources (mining areas, spa protection zones), 3) the need to implement
legal standards for environment protection (noise, air) specific only to spa resorts, 4) the
need to implement legal standards with regard to law and order in the spa area or excluding it
from these standards, 5) the need to implement specific legal standards with regard to spatial
planning in the spa area, 6) the need to implement specific legal standards with regard to managing
real estates in the spa area (public-law statutory and administrative easements) or excluding
it from general legislation, 7) introduction of “police-like” rules in the spa area, 8) restrictions
on economic freedom by introducing permissions for carrying out specific economic activities
within the spa resort area, 9) the ban on carrying out specific economic activities in the spa area,
10) restrictions on investment in certain areas of the spa resort, 11) high costs of maintaining
spa and tourism infrastructure (parks, green areas, promenades, boulevards, piers, graduation
towers, drinking halls, water inlets, summerhouses, recreational areas, culture facilities etc.),
12) lack of possibility for quick readjustment to other types of business activity, such as industry.
In conclusion, applying for or maintaining the status of a spa resort involves an equal number
of incentives and deterrents for a given area.
The status of a spa resort has gradually become a distinguishing feature of a location and as
such – a valuable indicator of quality for potential visitors. It should also be emphasised that the
status of a spa resort is a clear signal for the people visiting the area that it meets high standards
regarding environment protection, green areas, maintenance and hygiene. Such an area
is also guaranteed to offer visitors a wide range of health and recreational services as it needs
to provide the above-standard tourism and environment infrastructure under rigorous standards
of space and urban planning.
