Tourism Development for Catching Up in Disadvantaged Areas – the Tourism Potential of Salgótarján and the Karancs-Medves Region

Abstract

Our study presents the tourism potential of the Karancs-Medves region and the possible directions for the development of local tourism. This study seeks to explore the potential of a disadvantaged area in the increasingly problematic world of overtourism, where significant and valuable attractions exist that meet the needs of many toursitic segments. In order to explore the situation of local tourism, we provide an inventory of attractions and a SWOT analysis, as well as results of empirical studies (an online questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews) in order to explore the opinion of different stakeholders on local tourism. Developing and expanding local tourist attractions, services, accommodations, and tourism marketing activities, primarily based on natural values, is essential to making tourism play a greater role in overcoming socio-economic problems in disadvantaged areas. Better utilization of tourism potential could open the door to sustainable slow tourism, which could contribute to making the Karancs-Medves area a real alternative to the country’s destinations threatened by overtourism.