Analysis of the retail trade and catering sector in the largest rural resort area of Hungary (Lake Balaton)

Abstract

Lake Balaton is the biggest lake in Central Eastern Europe; it is surrounded by the largest Hungarian resort area: Lake Balaton Resort Area (LBRA). Due mainly to that fact, tourism in Hungary could be an important branch of the national economy. In order to sustain the advantages from tourism, conscious planning is necessary. The aim of the research is to investigate the peculiarities of the LBRA, Hungary’s most important tourist destination. Furthermore, to examine the effects of the appearance of foreign interested merchant chains in the region and to analyze their effects on local investments from the 1990s. The effects of the changed commerce, seasonality and the composition of tourists on the catering sector are also analyzed. The characteristics of retail trade and catering enterprises are examined in detail through the weaknesses and opportunities in rural development.

The importance of the service sector in LBRA is extending, offering alternative workplaces for local inhabitants. This affects mainly employees from the primary sector, because they don’t have any other work possibilities. Besides the classification of enterprises into branches, the concentration of retail trade and catering were also investigated. Additionally, a linear regression analysis was carried out between investments in the previous year and current turnover of retail trade enterprises in the region and a correlation analysis was done between the number of their employees and seasonality. We wanted to answer the question whether the priority of tourism would be enough in the future to the development of this special rural area, or diversification would be necessary for a sustainable development.