The emergence and management of the negative effects of tourism in Hungarian national parks

Abstract

Due to the changes in tourism, not only the benefits of tourism that come to focus, but also its negative effects. Identifying and researching the negative impacts of tourism is also an important issue for tourism experts. The negative economic effects of tourism include increasing inflation, increasing economic dependence on tourism or increasing economic inequalities. Negative social impacts such as increased crime, conflicts between local inhabitants and tourists, and overcrowding in tourist destinations. Pollution of water, air, light, soil, heat, litter and the destruction of wildlife are among the negative environmental impacts.

In the context of sustainable tourism development, I have investigated both the damage to natural heritage caused by tourists and the conflicts that occur during social interaction in the operating areas of national parks in Hungary. To examine the cases of Hungarian destinations, I contacted the management of national parks in Hungary, who helped me to identify the most significant problems that tourists cause to nature and to present the harmful effects of tourism on local flora and fauna. The primary research focused on issues such as the difficulties caused by seasonality, the presence of too many visitors in certain areas, the negative impact of visitors on the environment, and the existing tensions between tourists and local people and the way they are managed. The interviews with the representatives of the national parks management also highlighted the importance of one of their main tasks, which is to raise awareness, educate and inform. The interviews with representatives of the national parks in Hungary have enabled me to gather a significant part of the current difficulties they are facing, as well as their attempts to solve these problems.