Identifying settlements involved in Hungary’s transit traffic

Abstract

As one of the transit countries in Europe, Hungary plays a significant role both in the east-west and north-south passenger traffic of the continent. Approximately one-third of foreigners (14 million) arriving yearly in Hungary travel through the country. A turnover like this can generate changes at the micro level in the everyday life of affected settlements and have social, economic, and physical impacts. In order to examine this, it is important to identify settlements involved in transit. The study introduces methodological approaches that can be applied to outline the crystallising points of transit tourism in Hungary. With the help of GIS-based delineation and the logit model the settlements involved in transit have been identified. The study concluded that settlements involved in transit traffic (1) are located at the intersections of roads enabling the shortest travel time between different border sections, (2) possess a motorway junction, and (3) are situated at the intersection of two main roads. Finally, it is shown that transit impacts the local economy of these settlements.