Business Performance of Health Spa Tourism Providers in Relation to the Structure of Employees in the Republic of Croatia.

Health spa tourism services are provided in special hospitals for medical rehabilitation and health resorts, and include controlled use of natural healing factors and physical therapy under medical supervision in order to improve and preserve health. Health tourism is a service industry and therefore labor-intensive industry in which human resources are one of the key factors of business success. The aim of this study was to analyze business performance of special hospitals for medical rehabilitation and health resorts in Croatia in relation to the structure of employees, specifically the number of physicians and total medical personnel, as well as the share of physicians and medical personnel in the total number of employees. The assumption was that those who employ more physicians and medical employees are more successful. The empirical research was conducted and the assumption was tested firstly by correlation analysis and afterwards by regression analysis. The total number of employees in the researched health resorts and special hospitals amounted to 2,863, of which the share of physicians specialists accounted for almost 7%, while the share of total medical staff was almost 53%. From the results of our research, it can be concluded that special hospitals for medical rehabilitation and health resorts, which employ more physicians and medical personnel, are achieving better financial business performance. Based on the results obtained, it is possible to provide guidance for further growth and development in the direction of basing the primary offer on medical-health offer, rather than on wellness offer, which is a strong trend in the world. These findings are important for planning the health and tourism policies in Croatia and similar countries.

BUSINESS PERFORMANCE OF HEALTH TOURISM SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA.

Health tourism can be generally divided into medical, health spa and wellness tourism. Health spa tourism services are provided in special hospitals for medical rehabilitation and health resorts, and include under medical supervision controlled use of natural healing factors and physical therapy in order to improve and preserve health. There are 13 special hospitals for medical rehabilitation and health resorts in Croatia. Most of them are financed through the state budget and lesser by sale on the market. More than half of their accommodation capacity is offered for sale on the market while the rest is under contract with the Croatian Health Insurance Fund. Domestic overnights are several times higher than foreign overnights. The aim of this study was to analyze business performance of special hospitals for medical rehabilitation and health resorts in Croatia in relation to the sources of financing and the structure of service users. The assumption was that those who are more market-oriented achieve better business performance. In proving these assumptions, an empirical research was conducted and the assumptions were tested. A positive correlation was proven in tested indicators of business performance of the analyzed service providers of health-spa tourism with a higher amount of overnight stays realized through sales on the market in relation to total overnight stays, with a greater share of foreign overnights in total of overnights and with a higher share of realized revenue on the market out of total revenue. The results of the research show that special hospitals for medical rehabilitation and health resorts that are more market-oriented are more successful in their business performance. These findings are important for planning the health and tourism policies in countries like Croatia.