Hajnal, K., & Köbli Á. (2014). Developmental directions of tourism in Hévíz. Modern Geográfia, 9(3), 17-36.
The medicinal lake of Hévíz is world famous due to its special natural conditions, and the fact that guests can participate in high quality medical tourism services. Due to the uniqueness of the spa town, it has not been affected by the recession generally present in Hungarian tourism. However, the tourism of Hévíz has to adapt to global changes, since remarkable transformations have happened recently regarding its clientele. The number of Russian and Ukrainian guest is constantly increasing, which has significant economic, social and cultural impacts on the life of the town. In Hévíz further improvements are considered; long-term plans need to be constructed in a complex way. The improvements have to be based on the piles of sustainability, maintaining the condition of natural resources and the ecological balance of the world famous medicinal lake and its surroundings. The carrying capacity of the lake spa and that of the town need to be considered, too; in other words, locals should not be overburdened neither physically nor mentally. It is important that all members of the local society should benefit from the profits and cultural changes brought about by tourism.
Keywords: Hévíz, spa town, Russian tourists, sustainability, complexity