The Role of Tourism Management for Sustainable Tourism Development in Nature Reserves in Hungary

The aim of the research is to reveal the opinion of regional professionals involved in the management of sustainable tourism and its three pillars. Through the results of 27 in-depth interviews with decision-makers and NGOs, we have explored the perceptions of the economic, environmental and social factors, both positive and negative, and the importance of each factor. The analysis of the results clearly shows a difference of opinion between decision-makers and NGOs. The negative impacts of tourism were highlighted by respondents, mainly in terms of the impact on the natural and economic environment, however, the positive impacts were more prominent. The research showed that the impacts on social environment were perceived more positively by respondents, and NGOs did not emphasise negative impacts in this category. The study shows that the role of tourism management in nature conservation areas is necessary and important for sustainable tourism development. The research clearly demonstrates that sustainability is an important issue in tourism. The results of the research also show that decision-makers are not familiar with the concept of sustainability, its precise content and their preparation and knowledge are insufficient to make the right decisions on the subject. The research shows that there is a shortage of professionals with expertise in tourism management, which makes it difficult to implement coordinated tourism development in the area under study.