Ecotourism and tourism development in Hungary

Abstract

Hungary is situated in Central Europe, in the Carpathian basin. It has an area of93,032 km2 and shares its borders with the Slovak Republic to the north, Austria to the west, the former Yugoslavia to the south as well as both Romania and the CIS to the east. The climate is continental, however, it is sometimes subject to maritime and Mediterranean influences. The average temperature in summer is 22-24° C. The coldest month is January, with an average temperature of -1.2° C, and the warmest month is July, with an average temperature of 21. 7°C. The annual average temperature is 10.9° C while the annual rainfall is 500 to 1,000 mm. In 1992 the population of Hungary was 10,335,000. The population density was 111 persons per km2. However distribution is uneven, since one fifth of the inhabitants live in the capital, Budapest. Almost 60% of the population live in towns. The largest towns are Budapest, Debrecen, Miskolc, Szeged, Pees, Gyor. Hungary played a key role in the changes that took place in the Eastern European countries region. The transformation from a monolithic structure to a multi-party system took place peacefully, almost according to a national consensus. The level of political openness in the country has significantly increased and this is generating interest in Hungary, which in turn contributes to development of investment and tourism. The geographic layout of the existing transport infrastructure of Hungary is very favourable to tourism. development. At the same time, the quality and quantity of roads, railway lines and rolling stock are below international standards. Connections between Budapest and European cities are provided by 45 direct and 7 international lines. The line between Budapest and Vienna developed rapidly, where Eurocity trains provide quick transport. The country's only airport capable of receiving large aircraft and scheduled air traffic is Budapest Ferihegy Airport. With respect to water transport, the most important routes are through the Danube and Lake Balaton.