Building Coalitions for a Diversified and Sustainable Tourism: Two Case Studies from Hungary

Zoltán Lakner, Anna Kiss, Ivan Merlet, Judit Oláh, Domicián Máté, Janusz Grabara and József Popp
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Zoltán Lakner: Faculty of Food Science, Szent István University, 1114 Budapest, Hungary
Anna Kiss: Faculty of Food Science, Szent István University, 1114 Budapest, Hungary
Ivan Merlet: Faculty of Food Science, Szent István University, 1114 Budapest, Hungary
Judit Oláh: Institute of Applied Informatics and Logistics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Janusz Grabara: The Management Faculty, Czestochowa University of Technology, 42201 Czestochowa, Poland
József Popp: Institute of Sectoral Economics and Methodology, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 4, 1-23

Abstract: The development of the tourism sector has been a question of strategic importance for Hungary, a small, open economy with limited natural resources. At the same time, these efforts often generate considerable environmental conflicts, decreasing the sustainability of the environment. To understand the potential methods of sustainable tourism development, and to develop the optimal policy, it is essential to clarify the actors, their systems of interest and the potential ways of forging coalitions between them. The article presents an analysis of two case studies of rural tourism development: the “softening” of tourism at the most important touristic attraction in Hungary, Lake Balaton; and the conflicts arising from wine tourism development. Based on institutional economics, principle–agent theory and strategic management, and applying the MACTOR method, the authors identify the key actors, present the network of their mutual influences and goals, determine the most important conflicts and highlight the potential coalitions between them from the point of view of sustainable rural tourism development, as well as ways to further develop the regulatory environment. Based on this analysis, the article proves: (1) the importance of the modernization and re-organization of the public administration structure, focusing on optimal utilization of resources, as opposed to attaching to traditions; (2) the importance of forming clusters of different partners; (3) the strengthening of the knowledge base of decisions concerning sustainable tourism management; and (4) increasing conscious planning, based on the inclusion of different interest groups and long-term prognoses in local decision making, minimises the environmental burden of tourism.

Keywords: actors analysis; institutional economics; cluster development; decision making; MACTOR model; strategic planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:4:p:1090-:d:139753

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