Identifying settlements involved
in Hungary's transit traffic
Regional Statistics, Vol 6, No 1. 2016: 193–216; DOI: 10.15196/RS06110 - Áron Kincses – Géza Tóth– Mihály Tömöri – Gábor Michalkó :
Áron Kincses Hungarian Central Statistical Office, Hungary
E-mail: aron.kincses@ksh.hu
Géza Tóth Hungarian Central Statistical Office, Hungary
E-mail: geza.toths@ksh.hu
Mihály Tömöri University of Nyíregyháza, Hungary
E-mail: tomori.mihaly@nye.hu
Gábor Michalkó MTA CSFK, Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, Hungary
E-mail: michalko.gabor@csfk.mta.hu
As one of the transit countries in Europe, Hungary plays a significant role both in the east- west and north-south passenger traffic of the continent. Approximately one-third of foreigners (14 million) arriving yearly in Hungary travel through the country. A turnover like this can generate changes at the micro level in the everyday life of affected settlements and have social, economic, and physical impacts. In order to examine this, it is important to identify settlements involved in transit. The study introduces methodological approaches that can be applied to outline the crystallising points o transit tourism in Hungary. With the help of GIS-based delineation and the logit model the settlements involved in transit have been identified. The study concluded that settlements involved in transit traffic (1) are located at the intersections of roads enabling the shortest travel time between different border sections, (2) possess a motorway junction, and (3) are situated at the intersection of two main roads. Finally, it is shown that transit impacts the local economy of these settlements.
Keywords: transit tourism, tourist spending, Hungary
Introduction
Hungary is a transit country, in terms of not only freight transport but also passenger traffic. Approximately one-third of foreigners arriving yearly in Hungary are just visitors on transit to another country. With regard to Hungary’s central location within East-Central Europe, its seven neighbouring countries (of which three belong to the Schengen Area, which provides transit without border control), accessibility of the European road networks and volume of international transit traffic present a significant challenge to regions involved in this phenomenon. Transit traffic does not necessarily appear in a hermetically sealed corridor (such as motorways intersecting borders), which is almost independent from the socio-geographic environment, but rather it frequently becomes part of the local milieu. The nature of transit traffic presupposes stopping occasionally (when the driver and passengers take rest), having a meal and filling the car with petrol, which takes place either at rest stops along motorways that provide appropriate infrastructure or in settlements, that is, in the local residents’ milieu. Therefore, transit is a contradictory phenomenon: it can be interpreted as a temporary traveling activity, which is fast and short between the place of departure and the destination. However, it also involves the use of the tourism infrastructure of affected regions with varying intensity.
Since 2014, the Hungarian Central Statistical Office has been measuring the travelling activity of foreigners not involved in freight transport, which gives us a relatively reliable picture of the characteristics of transit traffic at the macro level (HCSO 2013). We are aware that the proportion of transit passengers between 2004 and 2011 increased from 29% to 34%, their number exceeding 14 million. Their expenditure was 95 billion forints in 2011, which accounted for 8% of the expenditure of foreigners staying in Hungary. The figures speak for themselves: a turnover like this can generate changes at the micro level in the everyday life of affected settlements and have social, economic and physical impacts (Puczkó–Rátz 1998). In order to examine these changes and impacts, it is important to identify the settlements involved in transit traffic, that is, review the towns and villages where the demand of transit passengers is realised (presumably due to their location and infra- and suprastructure facilities).
The present study seeks to identify methodological approaches that can be applied to outline the crystallising points of transit traffic in Hungary and identify settlements where the characteristics of invisible tourism related to transit traffic can be investigated. In addition, the possibilities and limitations of quantifying the economic impacts of transit are examined in settlements involved in the phenomenon. Although the study examines the phenomenon of transit traffic primarily at the level of settlements, we should not forget that impacts (due to the multiplier effect) appear on the whole economy.
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