TOURISM, NATURE CONSERVATION, COUNTERURBANIZATION: CONFLICTS OF LANDSCAPE CHANGE IN THE ŐRSÉG

Abstract

Our study investigates the problems of landscape change, focusing on a small town, Őriszentpéter, laying in the heart of the Őrség. Taken the landscape as a particular outcome of social processes and construction we aimed to explore the conflicts of the landscape use. Further, we studied the basics of landscape identity in term of different actors, like local citizens, newcomers and tourists. As methods, unstructured interviews, local investigations were made and a questionnaire was surveyed. According to our results counterurbanization or residential developments (e.g., Baksa-szer) are the main sources of conflict. The activity of national park on nature conservation and tourism development is widely accepted. However the efforts on regulation of urban investments are mostly negatively evaluated. The problems might only be solved with mutual communications and community development. Similarly, the compatibility of buildings to the image of the landscape could not also be solved with regulative efforts. Conservation is also an option, but does not foster the development of the town. It might cause the death of the “village”. The other way of protection, when the revival, the rewording and the transcription of identity and heritage of Őrség to the language of the 21th century is being promoted through common thinking with local people. Our results showed that certain landscape elements are not reflected in reality, although the Őrség has definite natural, landscape, cultural and architectural image.