Development of the hotel and tourist complex in the Moravian Karst during the czechoslovak period (1918 - 1938)

Abstract

The Purpose. In the article, the authors considered the development of the hotel and tourist complex and hospitality infrastructure in the Moravian Karst during the Czechoslovak period, which at that time was represented by hotels, tourist hostels, private guest houses and restaurants. Also, the authors of the study analysed the influence of the construction of the hospitality infrastructure of the Moravian Karst on the development of the all-Czechoslovak tourist movement in 1918 – 1938, determined the historical conditions and factors that influenced the development of the hotel-tourist complex during this period. The Research Methodology. During the scientific research on the development of the hotel and tourist complex in the Moravian Karst during the Czechoslovak period (1918 – 1938), the authors of the publication applied the following general scientific methods, in particular: analysis, synthesis, systematicity, generalization, historicism. It should be noted that during the research, the authors preferred historical methods: historical descriptive method (historical genetic, historical comparative, historical synthetic), historical diachronic, empirical analysis method. Literary sources, architectural plans, investment documents, tourist advertising materials, statistical data on attendance, profitability and other economic indicators of the hotel-tourist complex of the Moravian Karst were analysed with the help of the mentioned methods. The Scientific Novelty. The research opens up an opportunity to fill historical gaps related to the development of tourism and the hotel tourist complex in the region of the Moravian Karst during the period between 1918 and 1938. The specified period is key to understanding tourism and economic transformations after World War I in Czechoslovakia. Also, for the first time in the Ukrainian historiography, the article focuses on the analysis of hospitality and tourism infrastructure formation process in the Moravian Karst during the interwar period. The Conclusions. It has been proven that the period between 1918 and 1938 was important for tourism in the Moravian Karst region. Since Czechoslovakia gained independence after the war, the specified period was marked by the transformation of the hotel and tourist complex under the influence of new socio-cultural and political realities. At that time, there was an expansion of the tourist infrastructure, in particular, an increase in the number of hotels and restaurants. This shows the growing interest in the region as a tourist centre. Also, the development of the hotel and tourist complex was connected with the popularity of objects such as the Macocha abyss and the Punkevní caves – which attracted tourists and contributed to the development of the hospitality infrastructure of the Moravian Karst. Finally, the authors proved that tourism in the Moravian Karst turned out to be an important factor for the local economy, especially in the context of supporting the hotel and tourist business and attracting investments.