Sustainable tourism is a challenge for current and future generations in an effort to develop it in the spirit of maintaining a balance between its basic pillars: economic, social and environmental. The presented contribution aims to identify the differences of significant social, economic, and environmental indicators with the tourism indicator. The analysis was carried out at the level of NUTS 1 - the Slovak Republic and at the level of NUTS 3 - Prešov self-governing region. In the first phase of the research, 6 significant indicators were identified at the level of the Slovak Republic and at the level of the Prešov self-governing region 5 significant indicators with tourism indicators. Comparison of significant indicators was carried out using torque characteristics of shape, position, variability and through a set of tests - Mann Whitney test, Levene test, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The differences between the indicators at the national and regional level were shown to be significant every time, regardless of whether the indicator was identified as significant, primarily in relation to the number of overnight stays at the national or regional level. The documented results point to the heterogeneity of the quality, and also the quantity of social, economic, and environmental indicators with the tourism indicator at the national and regional levels. It can be concluded that the sustainable development of tourism at different levels is conditioned by different indicators. This fact should be considered by the state economic policymakers and other tourism industry entities.

Natural healing resources in the form of mineral and thermal waters and climatic conditions, together with a rich history and modern medical procedures, rank Slovakia among the important European countries in the field of spas. At the same time, spa tourism has a significant economic benefit for the country. This study examined the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on spa tourism in Slovakia. The Box-Jenkins methodology was used to model and forecast the time series for selected indicators. The analysis used monthly data on the capacity and performance of spa facilities for 2006–2019 and compared the forecast development for 2020–2021 with the reality as affected by the pandemic. Despite the high quality of the models, the methodology used did not take into account an unexpected event such as a pandemic. Therefore, the models were quite inaccurate and had little predictive value. At the same time, it is clear that the pandemic significantly affected spa tourism.

The paper presents the issue of sports activity development in the context of the European City of Sports project in selected Slovakian cities: Košice, Banská Bystrica and Nitra. It is an analytical overview aiming at the development of these cities for tourism through the organisation of international sporting events. Using several methods, especially comparison, the authors analyse certain activities and other sports-related issues. The events and activities not only contributed to the development of sport but also supported tourism in the region. A review of the literature on the subject demonstrates the importance and basic assumptions of the European City of Sports as a popular project. The comparative analysis has enabled the authors to present its results in each of the three Slovakian cities.

The paper addresses the issue of management decision-making using artificial neural networks and their application in hotel management. Today, the development of tourism is of great importance and plays a very important role in the development of national economy. Balanced ranking and prediction model using financial and non-financial indicators with the application of artificial intelligence, allows us to reach a high level of effectivity and accuracy in evaluation of the financial and non-financial health of companies operating in this segment. This approach improves the manager’s ability to understand complex contexts and make better decisions for further development. It also brings new managerial and scientific point of view of an in-depth analysis of the performance of these facilities. It can help the development of tourism in terms of the application of modern management techniques built on scientific principles and thereby better integrate science and practice.

Natural and cultural wealth in the tourism market plays a significant role in tourism development ideally in a sustainable way. The papers´ research evaluates the potential of old beech forests and primeval beech forests in Europe as targets for possible future nature tourism, emphasizing their ecological, aesthetic, and cultural significance. The analysis, which utilizes a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods including the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman correlation coefficient processed through Gretl software, highlights the significant role these forests play in biodiversity conservation, climate regulation, and sustainable development in the context of the area of the country, where they are located. These forests, rated as premium destinations for nature tourism or ecotourism, should be integrated into broader tourism strategies. Their preservation and proper utilization can significantly contribute to the development of the local economy while also providing educational and recreational opportunities for residents and tourists.