ABSTRACT
This article deals with the issue of strategic management in bus transport companies in Slovakia. It briefly explains why it is important for companies to focus on new strategies, not the old ones. From new strategies, the article is focused on the blue ocean strategy and presents its essence, keystones, and recommendations. In connection with this strategy, the authors also explain the concept of the red ocean strategy. The aim of this paper is to find out whether companies in the Zilina region use some principles of the blue ocean strategy, and thus increase their competitiveness in the market, and to explain the necessity of this increase through the mentioned strategy by the Covid-19 crisis. A questionnaire survey method was used to achieve the aim of the paper. The results indicate that only a small percentage of the interviewed companies use any of the principles of the blue ocean strategy, the old strategies are more preferred in generally. E. g. focus on the quality of products / services, and innovations, which are, according to the blue ocean strategy, a very important factor of success and competitive advantage, ranked only third. After the questionnaire survey the authors used a structured interview to find out whether companies that use the blue ocean strategy are successfully operating in Slovakia as well. It turned out that the interviewed company really cared about all the principles of the blue ocean strategy. The results of this thesis are therefore recommendations that bus transport companies should focus on in the field of strategic management in order to be more successful in the market of transport services. © 2021 Kaunas University of Technology. All rights reserved.