Balaton region, shore settlements, background settlements, development level
Abstract
Due to its touristical attractiveness the Balaton Region (i.e. Lake Balaton Resort Area, furthermore as LBRA) can be listed among to the relatively developed areas of the country. Within the region, however, significant differences can be observed among the settlements. The lake shore villages show higher economic and better infrastructural potentials as well as higher living standards than the ones being a bit further from the shore (background settlements). The authors investigate the roots of the differences and conclude that the touristical strength of the region originates from the high concentration of tourism into the shore settlements. Achieving a balanced development within the region implies the
improvement of the touristical potentials of the background settlements along with the strengthening and restructuring of their own economic bases as well as the development of the environmental and landscape conserving functions of agriculture in the region. The latter positively affects the water quality of the lake and thus the attractiveness for tourism.
