Region, tourism development, and cultural heritage

Abstract

The paper shows how the newly restored palace representing part of the Hungarian cultural heritage changes the tourism economy of a micro-region. The research was based on sociological interviews conducted in 2016 with the mayor and representatives of municipalities, leaders of touristic NGO’s, touristic and other service managers in the region. According to the stakeholders’ opinion, the tourism industry must change in many ways in the region. The Esterházy Palace could be the 'flagship' of the micro-region's tourism. The tourism entrepreneurs, the representatives of local governments and NGOs, played a significant role in the tourism of the micro-region, and they tackled the new challenges posed by the new initiatives in different ways according to their interests and position. On the whole, we can conclude that in the touristic activity of the region the most significant problem for some stakeholders is the lack of cooperation.