Community Relations in Őrség National Park

Summary

The Őrség National Park in Hungary, is a protected area that attracts domestic and, increasingly, international tourists. The case study demonstrates how a Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) framework can be applied to a protected landscape providing new insights into local and tourism planning priorities. The national park’s tourism policy aims to decrease tensions between socio-economic development and ecological conservation. The National Park Authority (NPA) focuses on: (i) community development; (ii) education; (iii) local and regional development; (iv) place identity/attachment including local product development; and (v) cultural heritage protection. The NPA adopted sustainable tourism activities/initiatives involving both local tourism entrepreneurs and local communities including: (i) local tourism events and services; (ii) tourist routes to present protected areas and also the cultural heritage of the region; (iii) study trails; (iv) education programmes; and (v) local product development.