A turizmus hatásainak megítélése Hajdúszoboszló lakosságának körében

The study examines the public attitudes towards the effects of tourism in the case of one of the most visited rural spa towns, Hajdúszoboszló, where we sought to answer the question of how much the members of the local community perceive the signs of “overtourism” in their settlement, and in their opinion, whether tourism has a positive or negative impact on the development of the city. According to the results of the questionnaire survey conducted among local residents, the revival of social relations and cultural life, the increase in the role of the service sector, the appreciation of vocational qualifications and language skills are all positive effects that are largely perceived by the locals. In line with international experience, the residents of domestic tourist destinations, including Hajdúszoboszló, may also face the increase in real estate prices resulting from the development of tourism, which, according to the results of the correlation analysis, mainly affects respondents working as employees negatively. The respondents clearly experience the negative effects of overcrowding and the environmental problems associated with these. The perception of the relationship between local residents and tourists was ambivalent: the respondents considered other Hajdúszoboszló citizens to be less hospitable and helpful to tourists than they considered themselves. In their opinion, other residents are less happy with tourists than the respondents themselves, and the majority of city residents tend to have negative feelings towards visitors. The results show that many signs of excessive tourism were evident in the spa town before the pandemic, which may intensify with the resumption of tourism. Local decision-makers should pay increased attention to monitoring the effects of tourism, and interventions may be necessary to maintain and improve tourist satisfaction and the quality of life of the population, such as improving noise protection, waste management, organizing traditional events, and introducing discounts for local residents.