The indicators of connection between tourism and regional competitiveness by the example of the Mátravidék

Abstract

The majority of the settlements in Mátra has to face socio-economic problems, such as negative migration balance, high unemployement rate, low number of enterprises, and low income. One possible basis for development could be tourism, however, in terms of the number of hotels per inhabitants this region is below the rural average, therefore development is necessary. We have to notice, that from the 62 settlements studied, there were only 21 with hotels operating in the year 2005. Taking the data of the year 1996 as a basis, the number of tourists stayed in hotels in the Mátra increased by 9 % in a decade. This growth is relatively low compared to the national average of 33%. The picture is a bit different in the case of guest nights. Compared to the data of 1996, by the year 2005 there was a decrease of 7% in guest nights spent in hotels, when there was a 15% growth on a national level. Both in its share and in its tendency, domestic tourism is dominant in the region, therefore the enhancement of its international marketing is essential.