Köbli, Á. (2021). Quality of life examination of local residents in Hungarian spa towns. Modern Geográfia, 16(1), 37–58. https://doi.org/10.15170/MG.2021.16.01.03
Among the many internationally recognized and tradition rich tourism destinations of Hungary, the spa towns offering high quality health tourism services are outstanding. Improvements will increase the quality of services and the general standard and quality of life. These are important both for the guests and locals. The town and tourism development, the new services and infrastructural investments together have a multiplier effect. In this article I included the most well-known, highest quality Hungarian spa towns – Bük, Gyula, Harkány, Hajdúszoboszló, Hévíz, Sárvár and Zalakaros – attracting the most guests and studied the effects of tourism on locals especially on their quality of life. The aim of my local residents’ questionnaire is to gain information about their quality of life, their advantages and disadvantages resulting from tourism The results and information, presenting the opinion of local people, can be used later to frame such development plans and strategies for spa towns, which correspond with the interests of local people.
Keywords: quality of life, spa towns, locals, questionnaire survey, settlement development