DOI: 10.15201/hungeobull.64.2.4Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Hungar Geographicalian Geograph Bulletinical Bullet 64 (2015)in 64 (2)2015 127–141. (2) 127–141.127

Consumer value dimensions of rural in

Noémi KULCSÁR1

Abstract

Considering the geographical and historical characteristics of Hungary, rural tourism could be one of the key tourism products since the country misses extraordinary natural att ractions, seaside or high mountains. Hungary has always been an agricultural country and it is rich in cultural landscape with traditional small villages and rural hospitality. As in Hungary theoretical research on consumer value factors in rural tourism is completely missing the primary aim of our investigation was to conduct a niche survey in rural tourism, which can contribute to the bett er understanding of the demand side of the market and crystallise the factors with value to tourists. The aim of the pilot study based on qualitative research is to identify and measure consumer value dimensions. In our qualitative research fi rst we completed indicators identifi ed by secondary sources with further indicators, as the result of a small sample consumer survey, then we have refi ned the created list of indicators on the basis of expert opinions. As the next step of the research we have conducted a quantita- tive questionnaire-based survey, by which the aim was to identify, interpret and analyse the motivations of rural tourist and the indicator-based consumer value with its major dimensions. In this paper we discuss only the latt er phase of our research in more detail. The basis of success of rural tourism in Hungary can be the identifi cation of tourists’ motivations, att itudes, as well as factors that carry value for them, since it may reveal useful information both scientifi cally and practically.

Keywords: consumer value, value dimensions, motivation, rural tourism, Hungary

Introduction In global tourism rural tourism is a refresh- ing phenomenon, which can help domestic At the beginning of the third millennium we and foreign tourists to learn about, bett er un- can see that the desire for experiences and in- derstand and sustain our country, our culture tellectual challenges is strengthening and be- and our traditions, as well as to increase their coming more and more intertwined with the respect to nature, to meet their desire for au- shift ing of consumer behaviour from material thentic experiences, all of which can signifi - values towards ethical and intellectual val- cantly contribute to economic growth. ues. This is a clear reaction to the materialistic Today, the study of the role and opportuni- orientation of the consumer society. Instead ties of rural tourism has growing importance of strongly materialistic factors, in the “new in academic research and professional com- economy” intellectual skills and abilities are munity; however, in the policy of tourism, the major creators of value, in the economic at national level, it hardly enjoys priority, sense. However, a high level of material con- because of its economic performance. The sumption is also necessary so that post-mate- importance of the issue is also supported by rialistic values could come forward. Complete the fact that the number of European con- industries were built upon these values, such ferences organised by the Tourism World as the production of organic food or sports Organization has been steadily growing. equipment, as well as rural tourism off ering This paper seeks to answer the questions in experiences (Szabó, K. and Hámori, B. 2006). what forms and dimensions value-oriented

1 School of Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality, BKF University of Applied Sciences, H-1148 , Nagy Lajos király útja 1–9. E-mail: [email protected] 128 Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141.

consumption appears in rural tourism, and the countries consider this form of their tour- which value elements have more and which ism as farm-tourism, agro-tourism, green have less relevance. The study is based on a tourism or rural tourism, etc. basically two database comprising information on the at- topics are in the focus: titude of 352 Hungarian rural tourists, their – One of the topics which can be found consumer values, and their major dimen- in most cases is being close to nature, and the sions. services attached to it (sledging, riding a horse cart, trekking, etc.) and programmes, including sports (cycling, mountaineering, Theoretical background raft ing, horse-riding, etc.) and activities en- couraging relaxation or learning (walking in Interpretations of rural tourism in Europe nature, animal watching, collecting herbs or picking mushrooms, etc.). The defi nition, the identifi cation of rural tour- – The other topic is being in the countryside, ism, as well as the description of its elements including rural culture, traditions and life- have been the target of several research pa- style, in which the focus is on rural, village or pers. The international literature provides a farm lifestyle, agricultural activities around wide range of defi nitions for the meaning of the house, the role of domestic animals, gas- rural tourism (Roberts, L. and Hall, D.R. tronomic specialities and last but not least 2003). Taking the focus of the supply into ac- the relationship between the guest and the count, several other terminologies are avail- host, which is unique. able (agro-, eco-, farm-, green-, etc. tourism) Similarly to the approach of Perales, R. regarding tourism based upon the resources (2002) on traditional-modern rural tourism, of families living in rural areas. The meaning we regard the presence of ”being in the coun- of these defi nitions may diff er from country tryside” as a traditional core service, while to country, depending on the local ”country” ensuring ”to be close to nature” as a comple- categories, traditions and cultural relations. mentary service. Nevertheless, the weight of In the majority of cases, however, the analysis the layers in the touristic services i.e. which of other content features is also required be- type of service has a bigger value for the sides the defi nition, such as the institutional tourists (the traditional or the modern) is background, the structure of the countryside questionable. The directions of development and the sett lements, geographic features, ex- and the criteria of success can be identifi ed in isting sectoral policies, etc. The drawback of possession of this information. such a multitude of defi nitions is that uniform regulation is not possible or only with diffi - culties. The defi nitions of rural tourism can Interpretation of rural tourism in Hungary be rather diff erent regarding the fact that in certain countries the emphasis is laid on the The defi nition of rural tourism applied in farms and the role of nature, while in other Hungary does not clearly defi ne product- countries on the agricultural activities outside type tourism. The interpretation of rural tour- the cities (Hall, D.R. et al. 2005). ism is becoming more and more wide-range, Based on the motivations of tourists diff er- the boundaries of the defi nition are gett ing ent layers of rural tourism can be crystallised. ”blurred” and in the , International practices also point out two lev- besides rural, the terminology of countryside els of rural tourism, which in our assumption or countryside-rural is continually appear- are an internal (core) service and an external ing. Its basic characteristic is its complexity (supplementary) service (Figure 1). and the fact that it embraces several other The above mentioned classifi cation points products. Apart from providing accommoda- out that today, regardless of the fact whether tion in a village environment (on the host’s Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141. 129

Fig. 1. The direction of tourist motivation in rural tourism of European countries. Source: Compiled by the author on the basis of EuroGites 2011, Dettori, D.G. et al. 2004, Maestro, R.M. et al. 2007, Zobena, A. et al. 2005, Vofkori, L. 2004, Turner, C. 1993.

premises), rural tourism can include cultural of village tourism is also extremely colourful. off ers, gastronomy, wine tourism, walks in In the Hungarian interpretation there is no the nature, health tourism, horse-riding and clear dividing line between rural and coun- children’s camps (Szabó, G. 2006). tryside tourism. The National Association of The term ”rural tourism”, widely used in Rural and Agrotourism (FATOSZ2) uses the the European literature can be translated as term ”village tourism” as a synonym for the countryside or village tourism as well, but re- most general form of rural tourism (Szabó, G. garding its direction and content elements, it 2006). The term of ”village tourism” known in can mainly be interpreted as the Hungarian Hungary does not clearly defi ne a type of tour- – not real value – village tourism (see Antal, istic product. It is rather its complexity and its K. 1996; Kovács, D. 2002; Szabó, G. 2006; Csizmadia, L. 2011). Similarly to the interna- 2 „Falusi és Agroturizmus Országos Szövetsége” in tional literature, the Hungarian interpretation Hungarian. 130 Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141.

feature of embracing other products which can rural tourism in Hungary can be summarised be regarded as a principle feature. both by the supply and demand sides. In accordance with the interpretation of the Strategy for the Improvement of Tourism, the a) Supply side narrow defi nition of rural tourism is ”mak- ing use of the complex touristic facilities and – Organised rural tourism was operated in the supply of the village, jointly off ering vil- Hungary already before World War II. lage lifestyle, local traditions, culture and Holidays with full board were possible where it is available, agricultural facilities. in several villages. After World War II, In the broader sense of the meaning, rural the system of rural tourism that had been tourism provides host accommodation any- systematically built up since the 1930s was where, except for in spa and health resorts, liquidated. The organisation operating be- including the village-like parts of any sett le- fore the war had assisted rural tourism by ment (off ering accommodation, catering and promotion and professional propaganda programmes) if the location and the activity of accommodations. The establishment of meet the typical system of requirements of accommodations was achieved by the in- rural tourism” (MNE3 2011:48). In its supply- tegration of villages into the system, the side, but also demand-oriented defi nition, preparation of the hosts and making them the Ministry emphasizes that experiencing interested in the development of their own new, authentic adventures, the desire to learn sett lements (Szabó, G. 2011). and get the knowledge are the most funda- – In the 1970s there was a shift in the objectives mental touristic motivations today. of tourism development in Hungary, when Among the definitions found in the eff orts were made to make tourism territo- Hungarian literature we can fi nd the follow- rially more balanced in the country by the ing features of rural tourism: exploration of new destinations and the crea- – it supplements the family income, tion of new att ractions (Szabó, G. 2011). – it is a touristic activity carried out in the – The new area of village tourism starting countryside, and from the late 1980s has individual charac- – a provision of complex services in catering, teristics and important experiences. Aft er accommodation and programmes, att ached that rural tourism development in Hungary to agriculture and nature. shows an interesting example of the diver- On the basis of all these we can assume sifi cation of household resources and explo- that the interpretation of rural tourism from ration of hidden or unused local values for the Hungarian point of view is a complex tourism development. Spontaneous devel- form of tourism, in which village lifestyle opment, which was the dominant charac- and all the att ached activities appear as the teristic of those years have been gradually core (the basic) service of rural tourism, as replaced by a more organised and bett er- the supplement of other services off ered in managed activity (Kovács, D. 1997). the broader environment. – In the 1990s a national body (Association The market of rural tourism has been un- for Rural Tourism) was set up with a dergoing signifi cant transformations. On the county level organisational structure es- one hand, due to the processes aff ecting the tablished later, now operating as a profes- countryside, and on the other hand, because sional body called National Association of of new regulations, and the eff ects of the new Rural and Agrotourism (FATOSZ). For the classifi cation and specialisation systems tar- qualifi cation and quality assurance of rural geting quality growth. The characteristics of tourism accommodations a criteria system was worked out. The eff ective marketing activities of rural tourism were also born 3 Ministry for National Economy by the end of the 1990s. Figures on the Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141. 131

number of registered hosts and the capac- – Providing village accommodation is typi- ity of accommodation in villages have been cal mainly in , and in available in Hungary since 1998 (Figure 2). the Western and Until 2009 the capacity had been rising regions, where 60 percent of all the capac- annually, however, aft er 2009 the number ity is concentrated, while the fi gures are dropped to about 4 thousand hosts due the lowest in the region, to the economic crisis, and the generation with only 2 percent of the total capacity change. In addition, in accordance with (Figure 3). the 239/2009 government decree, rural ac- – To support high quality services a national commodation is defi ned as accommoda- trade marking system has been established tion at a sett lement below the population since 2011. Joining the “sunfl ower” national threshold of 5,000 inhabitants, and below trademark system is not obligatory, but it the population density of 100 inhabitants/ contributes to distinguish good quality serv- km2, thus as a combination of these eff ects ice providers from non-qualifi ed services, to the capacity almost halved aft er 2010. The strengthen consumer consciousness and to number of hosts falling out of the circle of provide guidelines for the easier selection rural tourism for administrative/statistical of services. The qualifi cation system awards reasons is considerable. This also meant 1 to 4 sunfl owers to the village accommoda- that due to the new legal regulations beds tions, depending on the comfort level and in sett lements with over 5,000 populations, the equipment of the accommodation. The including towns with scatt ered farmsteads number of qualifi ed accommodations was in- on their outskirts, or rural parts of small creasing approximately by 200 units per year towns, were no longer registered as village refl ecting the success of system. Currently accommodations in 2010. Due to the chang- 765 rural tourism accommodations are of- ing regulation village tourism can only be fi cially qualifi ed (FATOSZ 2014). registered in sett lements below a popula- – In the future, the new system of accom- tion density of 100 persons/km². The new modation classifi cation, as well as the use administrative rules clearly worsened the of National Trademark, the improvement positions of rural tourism. of rural tourism products, and the crea-

Fig. 2. The amount of rural accommodation and capacity in Hungary (1998–2013). Source: Based of fi gures by HCSO (2014a) 132 Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141.

Fig. 3. Distribution of rural accommodation capacity in Hungary (on 1 January 2013). Source: Compiled by the author based on HCSO (2014b)

tion of specialised houses off ering special the appearance of individual demands products may all encourage the quality im- and desires of the guests. The chances of provement of supply, thus can contribute places with unique image – smaller, friend- to the increase of tourism. lier boarding houses – and of destinations suitable for the satisfaction of hobby needs b) Demand side – e.g. nature watch, bird photography – are improving. Similarly, the demand for – The demand of rural tourism in Hungary theme products, products of defi nite units was focused on inexpensive vacations of off ers is increasing. Satisfaction of the for families with children, but this has hobby needs and the individual requests changed in the past decade, however, we will become a major demand trend. It is have to note that the price still determines also true, that the positions of hosts who the guests’ decision. are unique but are also able to meet high – The demand side of rural tourism is closely quality demands tend to improve. The related to the general motivation trends of tourists expect tidy, well-kept and comfort- tourism. Tourists show a growing interest able accommodations and an environment towards unspoilt natural landscapes, clean in the destination that off er at least the lev- and beautiful nature. The focus is on the el of their own homes. This is a great chal- desire for complete silence and tranquillity, lenge for hosts in the villages. A clear-cut for “perfect” recreation which may bring demand is, in addition to the comfortable about the appreciation of “untouched” accommodation, the intimate and family- rural areas as tourism destinations, too. like atmosphere and the civilised and tidy Another trend is the individualisation, environment (Szabó, G. 2011). Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141. 133

– The peak year of the registered demand – In rural areas of the European countries in rural tourism in Hungary was 2008 qualified accommodations have moved (Figure 4). The number of guest nights in towards programming and now they have that year exceeded 744,000. In the follow- unique, special off ers. Hungary also has tak- ing years demand gradually shrank, and en the fi rst steps in this direction. Services by 2013 the number of guest nights fell also have to adjust to the expectations of by almost 50 percent, as compared to the the customers (e.g. specialisation of farms: peak year (HCSO 2014a). active, equestrian, eco, health, wine).

Fig. 4. The number of guests and guest nights in rural tourism in Hungary (1998–2013). Source: Based on fi gures by HCSO (2014a)

– The decrease had several reasons (Szabó, Improving the competitiveness of rural G. 2012): shrinking market due to the tourism enjoys high priority both in Hungary economic crisis; the earlier introduced and abroad. The issue of competitiveness Government Regulation, which regulated and the improvement of the quality of life the classifi cation of accommodations unfa- are important parts of Hungarian strate- vourably; changes of the tax regulations in gies focusing on the development of tour- 2010, which terminated the tax exemption ism. These strategies place the emphasis on of rural accommodation provision (up to touristic development trajectories that are the income of 800,000 HUF, ca. 3,000 EUR) guided by value-orientation and market de- and also that of the linked services (up to mand, the starting point of which is that the the income of 400,000 HUF). values provided by tourism, the experiences – The majority of guests in rural tourism and the motivations of tourists are equally (90%) are definitely today. considered4. While the proportions of foreign and do- mestic guests were almost equal around the millennium, but since then signifi cant 4 We use the terminology of experience in a positive rearrangement has taken place. In 2008, sense here. The term experience in English language the best year of rural tourism so far, the means the knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what one has observed or a way that creates a number of guest nights by domestic guests memorable event. In separate was approximately six times higher than terms are distinguished for these defi nitions, but the number of nights spent by foreigners we have to take into consideration that the English (Szabó, G. 2011). term is context-dependent. 134 Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141.

The role of consumer value The analysis of multi-dimensionality is a relevant approach for the unfolding of con- The concept of consumer value can be exam- sumer value dimensions present in tourism. ined from diff erent aspects: we can take the The following dimensions can appear among approach of product-oriented sales (Schmitt, the components of consumer value: B.H. 2003 In: Kozma, M. 2009), Kotler’s mar- – on the one hand, dimensions may appear keting concept (see Kotler, P. 2003 In: Hou, that derive from rational (cognitive) deci- L. and Tang, X. 2008), as well as the recently sion and focus on functionality (e.g. the introduced CRM5, or consumer experience price and quality of the service elements), management (Schultz, D.E. 2003 In: Kozma, – on the other hand, aff ective dimensions M. 2009). According to these new interpreta- may turn up that have an eff ect on the con- tions consumer value refl ects the largely sub- sumer product-related perception (such as jective (Hofmeister, T.Á. et al. 2003) or per- atmosphere, feelings, relationships, experi- sonal opinion of the consumer as to what ex- ences). tent the received product or service meets his The basis of every company’s (in this case, expectations (Parasuraman, A. et al. 1985). touristic service providers) long-term suc- According to Chikán, A. and Demeter, K. cess and competitiveness is the long-lasting (2004) consumer value is created if the benefi t satisfaction of their consumers, which occurs of the consumer from a given transaction ex- if they can create value for them. Therefore, ceeds the complete cost of the possession of the the defi nition of consumer value components received product and the service package. and dimensions is highly critical in tourism as This subjective defi nition of value is rath- well (Yuan, Y-H.E. and Wu, C.K. 2008). In the er comprehensive, which we can unfold fi eld of tourism there are relatively few stud- through the defi nition of value dimensions ies on the identifi cation and measurement (Gelei, A. 2006). Value dimensions decon- of consumer value dimensions (Sánchez, J. struct customer value into its elements, show- et al. 2006), nevertheless, we can assume, ing which major components or dimensions based on the achieved results, that due to of the received product- or service package its being so abstract, impossible to conserve, can signifi cantly contribute to the growth of heterogeneous and complex, the one-dimen- customer value (Walters, D. 2002 In: Gelei, sional (trade-off ) model of value would be A. 2006). too simple to defi ne consumer value with. As a summary, we can say that the litera- Instead of the functional (mainly price and ture defi nes customer value in one-dimen- quality based) approach, the socio-psy- sional and in multi-dimensional sense of the chological approach might be appropriate meaning. Researchers defi ning customer val- (Williams, P. and Soutar, G.N. 2000). ue along one dimension, place the emphasis We can say that consumers can acquire on the transactional value, where the con- values from diff erent types of experiences. sumer values the diff erence between the re- Experience value compared to consumer ceived product/service and the price paid for value focuses on value components, which acquiring it. Other authors oft en defi ne cus- are preserved in the consumer aft er these ex- tomer value as a multidimensional perceived periences. Thus, there are a lot of similarities value, describing it as ”complex” (Lapierre, between experience value and consumer val- J. 2000), ”having several factors” (Babin, B.J. ue, yet, research on experience value is rare. et al. 1994), ”dynamic” (Woodruff, R.B. 1997; Yuan, Y-H.E. and Wu, C.K. (2008) used the Parasuraman, A. and Grewal, D. 2000) or consumer value concept for the measurement ”subjective” (Zeithaml, V.A. 1988). of experience value, since most researchers of the fi eld agree that the major dimensions of consumer value are made up of emotional 5 Customer Relationship Management and functional characteristics. Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141. 135

Research methods With the double questionnaire survey our aim was to investigate if there is a signifi cant Despite the fact that models of consumer diff erence in the answers of consumers in- value have already been adapted in the lit- terviewed on the location and in the form of erature on tourism, empirical studies are retrospective online research. The question- not very widespread. The basis of success of naire consisted of closed, nominal ordinal, rural tourism in Hungary could be the iden- semantic diff erential questions and questions tifi cation of tourists’ motivations, att itudes, measured on the Likert-scale. as well as factors that carry value for them, since it may reveal useful information both scientifi cally and practically. Research results In our quantitative research a double questionnaire survey was carried out. We During the analysis we applied descriptive conducted our survey in cooperation with statistics, primarily frequency analyses, and the National Association for Rural and multi-variant data analysis techniques, cross- Agrotourism. Within the frame of this coop- tabs-analysis, and factor analysis with the eration, the association helped us choose and help of SPSS 18 statistical program package. get in contact with touristic service providers Based on the major aspects of the analysis, in the regions of Hungary, where the number the results of the questionnaires conducted of guests in rural tourism is outstanding and on the fi eld (N = 132) and online (N = 220) the activity of the enterprise is successful. were compared, so that we can learn basic Sampling was based on expert recommen- diff erences. It was also important to investi- dation. Using the method of non-probability gate whether the composition of the samples sampling, we sent questionnaires to 25 tour- from two diff erent sources is diff erent or not. istic businesses distributed in all counties and Independent two-sample t-test was used to regions, where they had it completed by their test the signifi cance. guests with the method of convenience sam- The compared data (gender (p = 0.074), ple. Our aim was to study the characteristics sender region (p = 0.367), tourist motivation of guests participating in rural tourism at a (p = 0.956), interpretation of rural tourism certain point in time, thus, we must also take (p = 0.476) and region of holiday (p = 0.258)) caution to not use results from this sample to confi rmed that the composition and prefer- generalize to a wider population. ence of the two samples did not contain any We sent out 300 questionnaires altogether. signifi cant diff erences, moreover, they rather Out of the received 148 questionnaires, we tended to strengthen each other, so we will could process 132 questionnaires. When se- continue to analyse the data together, in a 352 lecting the subjects an important principle subject sample. was representativeness and randomness, which means that the sample should ap- proximately have the same features statisti- The content and interpretation of domestic rural cally as the mass (guests taking part in rural tourism – Based on consumer responses tourism) to be analysed. Nevertheless, since in Hungary the characteristics of the guests In our research we were particularly inter- are not known, and we do not have exact fi g- ested to know how today’s touristic trends ures about the basic mass is the conditions of (ETC 2006) – individual consumption, con- representativeness cannot be controlled. scious travelling, the search for authenticity We forwarded our retrospective online and value, complex touristic packages – can questionnaire (N = 220) to tourists who al- infl uence Hungarian rural tourism. What ready took part in rural tourism in the last is the key motivation of tourists when they 3 years and who have valuable observation. choose rural tourism, and what does rural 136 Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141.

tourism mean to them? The fi ndings show countryside in a complex way. Also in the that in Hungary the consumers of rural tour- same age groups, the motivation of relaxa- ism choose this form in order to experience tion is 29.1 and 23.7 percent respectively. the countryside (27.8%), but apart from that, In the group of young adults, relaxing in a there is a group of consumers for whom un- peaceful environment has a stronger motiva- disturbed relaxation in itself is a major moti- tional force (31.1%) than complexity (24.6%). vation (26.1%) (Figure 5). For the elderly generation the major motiva- Examining the motivations by age groups, tion to select rural tourism besides relaxation we can see a signifi cant, medium strong rela- (17.2%) and complexity (17.2%) is the vicin- tionship between the variants (Figure 6). On ity of nature (13.8%), experiencing nostalgia the basis of the fi ndings we can say that 35 (13.8%) and real hospitality (13.8%). percent of young adults and 30.5 percent of At the level of 95 percent validity we can the middle age people arrive at the destina- see a significant correlation between the tion with the purpose of experiencing the motivation of consumers and the receiving

Fig. 5. Distribution of the sample based on motivation, Source: Kulcsár, N. 2013

Fig. 6. Distribution of motivations according to age (χ2 = 38.367; df = 24; p = 0.032). Source: Kulcsár, N. 2013 Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141. 137

destinations too. Tourists looking for the culture, nature and authentic programmes, complex experience of the countryside as although the most important for them is dis- well as peaceful relaxation, willingly choose covering the values of nature and recreation Northern Hungary, in fresh air in a beautiful environment. Thus, and for the location a new model of Hungarian rural tourism of their holidays. could be set up based on international prac- Travellers seeking to experience genu- tices (see Figure 1 above) and our pilot study ine hospitality mostly choose the Northern where nature-orientation is in the internal, Hungary region (28.6%). If the guests want essential circle, while country lifestyle, cul- to experience a nostalgic atmosphere, they ture and heritage belong to the circle of sup- prefer to choose the region of the Southern plementary services. Great Plain region (32.1%), as well as Northern Hungary. For sports lovers the pri- mary destination is hilly Northern Hungary Consumer value dimensions in rural tourism (21.4%) and Central Transdanubia (17.9%). Regarding most motivational factors (cul- In order to identify the latent structures be- ture, nature, calmness, sport, hospitality), hind the consumer’s responses namely the Northern Hungary is the most popular re- consumer value dimensions of rural tourism, gion, yet those travelling to seek nostalgic fi rstly 33 value indicators were identifi ed, feelings, usually choose the Southern Great and their importance was examined. The Plain region as their destination. consumers indicated on a 1–4 point evalua- The order of motivations can change ac- tion scale how important the diff erent indi- cording to age groups, destinations, resi- cators are. Aft er all a factor analysis on these dence and people travelling together. On value indicators was carried out. The main the whole, from the fi ndings of the research aim was to measure the dimensions and rel- we can draw the conclusion that in the fi rst evance of these factors, sett ing up the order place tourists choose rural tourism because of of their importance. the values of nature and local programmes, The factor analysis was conducted with while visiting the sights of the surrounding Varimax rotation. The method serves data area comes in the second place and in the compression and the identifi cation of data third place learning about the country life- structure, where the number of initial indica- style and activities around the house could tors is contracted into factor variants, which be recorded (Table 1). are directly non-observable. The adaptability

Table 1. Order of preference of programs Ranking Programme preference Online On site Together 1. Hiking and discover the nature 544 387 931 2. Visiting the main att ractions of the surrounding area 638 383 1,021 3. Gett ing acquainted with farm activities around the house* 802 460 1,262 4. Participating in traditional programmes** 806 459 1,265 5. Visiting festivals 814 547 1,361 6. Silent passive activities*** 916 536 1,452 *E.g. vintage, bread baking, canning, **E.g. craft s, folk-dancing, ***E.g. reading, board games. Source: Kulcsár, N. 2013

We can conclude that in accordance with of indicators for factor analysis was tested by the European trends in tourism the majority the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO)-criterion, and of consumers in rural tourism travel to ex- the variance quotient methods. Aft er the fac- perience the complexity of country lifestyle, tor analysis of indicators linked to the physi- 138 Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141.

cal environment and human interactions, 10 tance of their indicators7. As a result, we got factors were separated6: the importance of the given indicator group F1. Host attitude: it is important for the (factors), from which we drew the conclusion guests that the host is helpful and friendly, that for guests the most important group of and has information about the touristic at- indicators during their rural holiday is the tractions and events of the area. orderliness and cleanliness of the sett lement F2. Att ractive accommodation: it is impor- (destination), followed by the neat and at- tant for the guests that the accommodation tractive arrangement of the accommodation, is nicely decorated both inside and outside. while the third group of indicators in rank is F3. Clean, well-equipped accommodation: it is the personality, preparedness and helpful- important for the guests to have clean and ness of the host (Table 2). well-maintained accommodation, equipped Interpreting the order of the factors we can with comfortable furniture. conclude that for rural tourists indicators F4. Interaction and activity at the accommoda- linked to the conditions of the physical envi- tion: it is important for the guests to have a ronment are of greater importance than those stay which is rich in impulses, i.e. to have linked to the human factors. Apart from this personal contacts and be part of the pro- we can see that the strive for ”modernisation” grammes during their stay. is valid for the analysed circle of consumers. F5. Authentic accommodation: it is important Based on the results of the factor analysis for the guests that the rural accommodation and the ranking regarding value indicators, represents authenticity and has the typical we conclude that for tourists in rural tour- features of traditional folk architecture both ism functional (quality, price) value dimen- inside and outside. sions are of primary importance, they have F6. Peaceful relaxation: it is important for the a greater value than aff ective experience di- guests that during their holiday they have a mensions (recreation, human relations and harmonious relationship with the local peo- activity, environment) (Table 3). ple and with other guests, not disturbing The answer to our research question is that each other’s activity. for consumers the most important value di- F7. Presence of animals: it is important for mension in rural tourism seems to be quality, the guests to see domestic and farm animals i.e. the functional arrangement of the accom- on the host’s premises. modation and the host. These are followed F8. Nicely arranged, clean sett lement: it is by factors like peaceful relaxation, and ap- important for the guests that the accommo- propriate price in the third place, and experi- dation is located in a clean, nicely arranged ence through personal interactions and pro- and peaceful sett lement surrounded by nice grams in the fourth position. The fi ft h value environment. dimension is the experience in an authentic F9. Online availability: it is important for the country environment. guests also to receive information of the host’s services and get in touch with him online. F10. Cheap accommodation close to a major at- Conclusions traction: it is important for the guests to have a low-priced accommodation, not far from The primary aim of our research was to con- the major tourist att ractions of the area. duct a survey in rural tourism, which can Finally, aft er the factor analysis we aver- contribute to the bett er understanding of the aged all factors based on the value of impor- demand side and crystallise the factors with value to tourists, helping the bett er elabora- 6 In our research the method of factor analysis was Principal Component Analysis. The number of 7 Importance of indicators come from consumers’ responses factors was determined based on the elbow criterion given to the survey questions with an evaluation scale and the explained variance. (1 = not important; 4 = very important). Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141. 139

Table 2. The order of importance and dimensions of rural tourism’s consumer value factors

Number of Ranking Value factors Mean Dimensions indicators 1. Nicely arranged, clean sett lement (F8) 2 3.63 2. Att ractive accommodation (F2) 3 3.51 Functional (Quality) 3. Host att itude (F1) 7 3.49 Aff ective (Experience – rec- 4. Peaceful relaxation (F6) 3 3.42 reation) 5. Clean, well-equipped accommoda- 5 3.39 tion (F3) 6. Online availibility (F9) 2 3.29 Functional (Quality) 7. Cheap accommodation closer to 2 3.17 major att ractions (F10) Interaction and activity at the accom- Aff ective (Experience – hu- 8. 4 2.98 modation (F5) man interactions, activities) 9. Authentic accommodation (F5) 2 2.89 Aff ective (Experience – mi- 10. Presence of animals (F7) 1 2.64 lieu) Source: Kulcsár, N. 2013

Table 3. Order of importance of consumer value dimensions Ranking Consumer value dimensions Number of factors Mean 1. Functional (Quality) 5 3.46 2. Aff ective (Experience – recreation) 1 3.42 3. Functional (Prize) 1 3.17 4. Aff ective (Experience – human interactions, activities) 1 2.98 5. Aff ective (Experience – milieu) 2 2.77 Source: Kulcsár, N. 2013 tion of development strategies and match- our current study, the group of elderly pro- ing the supply to consumers ‘expectations. fessionals represents a smaller proportion, We believe, the scientifi c signifi cance of this with mainly the middle-aged professionals study lies in the fact that the interpretation making up the demand of rural tourism, who and measurement of consumer value seen travel to seek the countryside atmosphere. in rural tourism is going to fi ll a gap in the The second most important segment is the literature of tourism management. Based group of young people wanting to escape on the research fi ndings, it will be possible from the city, who usually travel with their to plan the supply or product development children. They look for the safe and beautiful and the marketing strategy of the product countryside, where they can show the fl ora in practice. and the fauna, the features of life outside the As a conclusion we can also note that the city, to their children. In our sample young characteristics of Hungarian rural tourists people who are att racted to the countryside have slightly changed compared to what was by relaxation and entertainment facilities seen years ago (see Kiss, K. 2001). According were under-represented. to this earlier qualitative research the partici- We cannot say that rural tourism is mostly pation of city professionals, mainly pension- chosen by people in favour of traditional val- ers or families with small children was sig- ues, who do not want to keep up with the nifi cant, but young people without children accelerated modernisation or are not aff ected were also a major segment of demand. In by the idea of globalisation. Guests with pro- 140 Kulcsár, N. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 127–141.

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Ukraine in Maps

Edited by: Kocsis, K., Rudenko, L. and Schweitzer, F.

Institute of Geography National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Geographical Research Institute Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Kyiv–Budapest, 2008, 148 p.

Since the disintegration of the USSR, the Western world has shown an ever-growing interest in Ukraine, its people and its economy. As the second-largest country in Europe, Ukraine has a strategic geographical position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. It is a key country for the transit of energy resources from Russia and Central Asia to the European Union, which is one reason why Ukraine has become a priority partner in the neighbourhood policy of the EU. Ukraine has pursued a path towards the democratic consolidation of statehood, which encompasses vigorous economic changes, the development of institutions and integration into European and global political and economic structures. In a complex and controversial world, Ukraine is building collaboration with other countries upon the principles of mutual understanding and trust, and is establishing initiatives aimed at the creation of a system that bestows international security. This recognition has prompted the Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv) and the Geographical Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Budapest) to initiate cooperation, and the volume entitled “Ukraine in Maps” is the outcome of their joint eff ort. The intention of this publication is to make available the re- sults of research conducted by Ukrainian and Hungarian geographers, to the English-speaking public. This atlas follows in the footsteps of previ- ous publications from the Geographical Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Similar to the work entitled South Eastern Europe in Maps (2005, 2007), it includes 64 maps, dozens of fi gures and tables accompanied by an explana- tory text, writt en in a popular, scientifi c manner. The book is an att empt to outline the geographical sett ing and geopolitical context of Ukraine, as well as its history, natural environment, population, sett lements and economy. The authors greatly hope that this joint venture will bring Ukraine closer to the reader and make this neighbouring country to the European Union more familiar, and consequently, more appealing.

------Price: EUR 35.00 Order: Geographical Institute RCAES HAS Library H-1112 Budapest, Budaörsi út 45. E-mail: magyar.arpad@csfk .mta.hu