Abstract
The paper delineates the connections between tourism and the local population’s quality of life in Harkány, a spa-town located in Southwest Hungary. During the spring of 2011, a questionnaire survey of 297 residents was undertaken in the town, in order to investigate their participation in tourism, and associated quality of life issues. In addition, residents’ attitudes related to thermal spa development in the town were analysed, together with the use of spa facilities by locals. The data analysis suggested that whilst the spa has a significant presence in the everyday life of the residents, the development of spa tourism has had very limited effects on their quality of life.
Highlights
Hungary is one of the leading health and wellness tourism destinations in Europe (Smith and Puczkó, 2009), and for a number of years, medical bath development has been given high priority in Hungary’s tourism policy
This study examines the most important elements of the symbiosis between tourism and Quality of Life (QoL) of the local inhabitants based on the case of a spa resort, Harkány, which is located near the Hungarian-Croatian
In order to show the connection between Hungarian health and wellness tourism and Quality of Life (QoL), we first examined the national picture from a general tourism point of view, prior to undertaking research in a spa settlement, where the general benefits of tourism development were expected to be combined with the additional physical and mental advantages of improved health and wellness services
Summary
Hungary is one of the leading health and wellness tourism destinations in Europe (Smith and Puczkó, 2009), and for a number of years, medical bath development has been given high priority in Hungary’s tourism policy. The National Tourism Development Strategy (2005–2013) and Hungary’s most important strategic programme on economic and social renewal, the New Széchenyi Plan (2011-2020), and its sub-programme ‘Healing Hungary – Health Industry’, places great emphasis on tourism’s impact on a better quality of life (MTH, 2005), acknowledging the potential of tourism development in achieving broader social goals (Crouch and Ritchie, 1999). A factor which can markedly increase the quality of life in a community (Cecil et al, 2008, 2010), and so, its support is a matter of serious political interest (Kopp and Skrabski, 2008). Both national and local government can boost the quality of life, by encouraging travel in different ways (Richards, 1999), and by broadening and improving tourism supply in individual settlements (Sirgy, 2010; Sampson and Gifford, 2010)
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