DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(3):189-193 
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(3):164-188
Rapidly changing economic conditions have brought new challenges for the cities of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county in the Northern-Hungary region. The countys 28 towns are important spaces for residents, businesses and commerce, and are the fastest to bring new and innovative solutions to the county. The cities of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county are examined in the framework of our study through the lens of sustainability and social innovation providing a meso-level analysis in the field of social innovation. Miskolc, a city with county rights, is excluded from the scope of the cities studied, as this would significantly distort the sample and the results...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(3):150-163
Accessible tourism has historically been an under-researched area within tourism studies. However, over the past decade, growing recognition of its importance and the diverse range of stakeholders involved has led to a significant shift. As a result, an increasing number of international researchers have begun exploring this field. The Erasmus “Accessible” project has contributed to this momentum by conducting international research across four countries, aiming to better understand the current state and development potential of accessible tourism. A survey conducted among individuals with disabilities yielded several new insights into...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(3):130-149
The paper investigates the economic, social, and spatial structural implications of newly opened borders. The Schengen borders of Hungary, opened between January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2025, display heterogenous geographical, social, and economic features. The objective of the study is to examine the possible integration of these factors and the future development directions of cross-border cooperation. According to our preliminary hypothesis, the specific assets of the border regions significantly shape their bridging and regional integration function. The comparative analysis of the Croatian-Hungarian and Hungarian-Romanian border sections...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(3):104-129
In its 9th Cohesion Report, the European Commission emphasised the importance of border regions and cross-border cooperation, as well as the substantial progress that has been made in reducing economic, social, and territorial disparities within the European Union. Although border regions have a high innovation potential and contribute to cooperation that benefits all, they often represent barriers to harmonious development, symbolising a less unified Europe. Cross-border cooperation has become an integral part of EU Cohesion Policy, serving as a vital tool for developing border regions and fostering European territorial cohesion. While progress has...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(3):75-103
The Carpathian Basin (or Pannonian Basin) exhibits undeniable unity in physical geographical terms, such as topography, hydrography, and biogeography. This natural cohesion is universally acknowledged, even by representatives of differing ethnic and national backgrounds, but it is also true that social, economic, and urban spatial processes also spectacularly cross national borders in the region. However, this spatial unity does not extend to historical, cultural, political, social, or economic dimensions, where ethnic and national perspectives take precedence. For Hungarians, the Carpathian Basin represents a more integrated historical and spatial...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(3):50-74
Most European countries apply development policy solutions to help disadvantaged regions catch up and seek effective solutions for territorial cohesion. This endeavour has been strongly supported by the European Commission in both the 2013-2020 and 2021-27 programming periods and is likely to remain so in the period after 2028. This is an understandable and logical endeavour, as being 'left behind' in economic, social or geographical terms not only reinforces internal migration flows within the European Community and its Member States but also increases political discontent. A number of approaches have emerged in European countries to identify...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(3):24-49
This study investigates the structural drivers of regional productivity change across 156 NUTS-3 regions in six Central and Eastern European countries – Czechia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Romania – between 2000 and 2019. Employing a refined shift-share decomposition-based simulation, the research disaggregates total productivity change into three components: the composition effect, the competition effect, and the reallocation effect. The analysis reveals significant spatial disparities and temporal shifts in regional productivity dynamics. During the pre-crisis period (2000-2007), rapid productivity growth across the...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(3):8-23
The first part of the article outlines the unique development path of Central and Eastern European countries after their market economic transition, and the changing geo-economic framework conditions referred to as “externally-driven capitalism” or “dependent market economy”. Central European countries form a part of the so-called Central European Manufacturing Core and are strongly integrated in regional production networks. However, the region’s reliance on FDI and lack of indigenous innovation capacities have increased its exposure to the vicissitudes of the world economy. The lack of development convergence is...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(3):4-7 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.016
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(2):150-166 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.015
Urban Exploration (URBEX) is a relatively modern leisure activity that is directly related to the exploration of abandoned and unused buildings, sites and other results of human activity. Urbex is often presented as the exploration of modern ruins and is characterized by a set of unwritten rules to be followed by the so-called explorers (urbexers), which defines urbex as such. Urbex is a phenomenon on the border of the law, but it is not comprehensively scientifically elaborated, especially in the field of typology and defining what urbex is and what it is not. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to elaborate the theoretical concept of urbex...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(2):137-149 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.014
This study investigates how residents perceive the economic impacts of rural tourism in the Danube border area between Croatia (Sarvaą, Bijelo Brdo, Dalj, Aljmaą, Erdut) and Serbia (Neątin, Susek, Sviloą, Banoątor, Čerević). The aim was to evaluate resident attitudes toward tourism’s contribution to income, employment, living standards, and entrepreneurship, and to explore whether these perceptions can inform future cross-border cooperation. A survey of 417 inhabitants was conducted using an adapted Tourism Impact Attitude Scale (TIAS), and Pearson’s chi-square test was applied to assess gender differences. The findings reveal strong...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(2):120-136 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.013
The Croatian tourism sector is strongly oriented towards the coastal regions and follows the proven model of "sun and sea". Rural guesthouses, as a new type of tourism offer run by family farms, are a promising way to diversify the Croatian tourism portfolio and revitalize the rural economy. This study presents a methodological framework for the evaluation of rural guesthouses using a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach based on the assessments of eight rural tourism experts on five main criteria for guesthouse attractiveness and 21 sub-criteria. Despite the assumption that an affordable accommodation price is the most important factor for...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(2):96-119 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.012
Cultural heritage is as vital to the sustainability of tourism as it is to humanity. Therefore, safeguarding heritage destinations within their unique historical and cultural attributes is still a major issue in today's tourism environment. In addition to local and national authorities, tourists have a vital role in the promotion and sustainability of heritage destinations. The unique tourist attractions are an essential aspect that influences the motivation that plays a role in tourists' choice of destination. As tourists search for ways to escape everyday routines, heritage destinations are highly regarded as alternative destinations that offer opportunities...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(2):80-95 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.011
The aim of this study is to investigate how 4 and 5 star hotels in Bulgaria use the social media Facebook and to what extent they have implemented it in their marketing and sales strategies. Based on a framework of 28 criteria, the Facebook pages of 60 hotels were analyzed. The results report that nowadays almost all hotels have a presence on social networks, but still their function is mainly presentational. Incomplete descriptions, episodic posting, weak interaction with users, and insufficient use of the possibilities of the media in terms of distribution and marketing largely characterize their use. At the same time, large deviations are reported...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(2):49-79 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.010
Protected areas (PAs), key elements in environmental policy, have evolved significantly in terms of spatial scope and conceptual approach. The traditional model of isolated, centrally managed conservation “islands” has shifted towards more complex structures integrated with socio-economic systems and ecological networks. Modern protected areas (new protected areas – NPAs) combine nature conservation with social, cultural and economic priorities, relying on the active participation of local communities, businesses and other stakeholders. Operating at a local level, they contribute to global sustainability goals. These changes reveal...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(2):34-48 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.009
Walking has transformed from a non-formal recreational activity into an economically beneficial tourist product. The walking holiday is a driver of tourism-based local socio-economic development. Last seven decades due to progressive urbanization, millions of people all over the world have been walking and exploring with maps footpaths in nature. This study aims to investigate factors that could contribute to the extensive popularization of walking holidays in rural areas. Data was collected through a survey method and subsequently processed using the SPSS software. The main result, especially among the educated population from secondary school to...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(2):17-33 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.008
This study delves into the consumption patterns of solo travellers, exploring the nuances of their travel behaviour, the determinants influencing their choices, and their preferred destinations. Employing text mining techniques, this research analyses the discourse surrounding solo travel within TripAdvisor forums. A comprehensive dataset of 74,672 comments written in English posted between 8 January 2008 and 31 May 2023 was gathered from these forums and utilised for the analytical framework of this study. The primary objectives encompassed (1) delineating the intricacies of solo travellers' consumption behaviour, (2) examining distinctions in consumption...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(2):4-16 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.007
The paper focuses on the analysis of the influence of neo-localism in the names of Czech microbreweries’ products. Neolocalism is a phenomenon that, in the field of brand identity and marketing, is manifested in the orientation to local elements, cultural references and linguistic specificity. In an era of departure from the paradigm of globalization and strengthening of local markets, neolocalism plays a significant part in creative branding strategies. The aim of this paper is to verify whether the principles of neolocalism, demonstrated to be applied in the names of breweries themselves (Březinová, Linhartová, 2023), are also applied in...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(1):133-149 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.006
The research paper's main objective was to evaluate factors and disparities in the housing real estate market in regional conditions in Slovakia. For this purpose, a multiple linear regression (ANCOVA) model was employed. The results showed a statistically significant relation to factors affecting real estate housing. Economically, the most favorable housing locations are in cities and urbanized areas; in turn, the worst is in the countryside and periphery. The most expensive are city apartments, followed by the chalets and detached houses in the countryside. Higher housing supply in location makes the overall market more attractive, thus increasing...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(1):114-132 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.005
Succession planning in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is a critical challenge that can determine the sustainability and growth of a business. This study explores the application of Q-methodology to assess the alignment of perspectives between incumbents and successors during the succession process in SMEs. Through a qualitative analysis of case studies from three different organisations, the research evaluates how the convergence of opinions impacts the success of leadership transitions. The study combines narrative analysis with Q-methodology, enabling both qualitative and quantitative insights into succession dynamics. Data were collected...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(1):86-113 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.004
The topic of the article is to identify the character of family business units in the Czech Republic from the point of view of their sectoral and regional representation at the level of NUTS region 2. Main aim of the paper is to identify if the analysed groups of the family business units differ significantly in financial characteristics. On a selected sample of family businesses, we examined their mutual differences based on data from their financial statements in the period 2020 – 2022 in the Albertina database. During this period, the Covid-19 pandemic was taking place. We examined almost 500 family companies in the Czech Republic that managed...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(1):54-85 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.003
The objective of this study is to (1) assess the current state of ecotourism practices in Nanbeng Village and understand its impact on the local environment and community; (2) identify and develop innovative and sustainable ecotourism experiences that are immersive and educational while ensuring the conservation of the village's natural and cultural heritage; and (3) evaluate how these sustainable ecotourism strategies can bolster the economic development of Nanbeng Village without compromising the integrity of its natural resources. Through a qualitative research methodology, this study will employ field observations, semi-structured interviews with...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(1):26-53 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.002
The study analyses economic convergence in the NUTS3 regions of eight East Central European (ECE) countries (Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria) that joined the European Union in 2004. In our analysis, we reject the hypothesis of global income convergence for the period 2001–2019, arguing for the presence of geographical convergence clubs with different steady states. We also attempt to describe the factors that influence the formation of these clubs. In our analysis, we first used the log t-test to classify the 201 regions of ECE into seven convergence clubs with own steady states. The results indicate...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(1):4-25 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2025.001
This study aims to evaluate the obstacles and possibilities for promoting community-based ecotourism in Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) Ethiopia and to summarize and present the lessons that European countries can learn from the empirical results. A descriptive research design was used to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The participants were chosen with the snowball sampling technique and data was gathered through a questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews, and observations. Our results testify that the local community possesses a variety of ecotourism assets that might be transformed into profitable community-based tourist...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2024, 16(3):4-8 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2024.025
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2024, 16(3):185-189 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2024.017
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2024, 16(3):172-184 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2024.016
As the popularity of smart city research is increasing, the measurement of smartness became also a popular research topic. This is in accordance with the demand of the planners and project financing institutions for the success indicators, and with the observable tendency of new indicators for describing the settlements from the point of view of the quality of life, liveability, creativity, environment, social capital, development and many other fashionable research aspects of modern urban societies. Analyses through such indicators run the risk of taking a mechanistic, technocratic, superficial approach to complex urban systems, ignoring the complex...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2024, 16(3):145-171 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2024.015
The study contributes to the debate on the Europeanisation of spatial planning by attempting to identify the intellectual content of the EU-level orientation towards the transformation of spatial planning systems and practices of Member States. The paper analyses relevant European-level spatial-planning-related policy documents to reveal the directions of the Europeanisation of domestic planning systems. This paper argues that the EU-driven spatial planning changes can be captured in a limited number of dimensions. Based on content analysis of European-level documents on urban policy, territorial cohesion and spatial development, the author proposes...
DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2024, 16(3):121-144 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2024.014
Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) has become a cornerstone of European Union regional policy, promoting integration and addressing disparities across border regions. This paper critically examines the motivations, patterns, and outcomes of CBC initiatives in Europe, focusing on the interplay between normative drivers, such as shared cultural values, and instrumental motivations, such as access to Interreg funding. By synthesizing theoretical perspectives with empirical evidence, the study uncovers regional heterogeneity in CBC practices, highlighting East-West and North-South dynamics as well as differences between Old and New Member States. The...