3. 11. 2025
RE-ACTION
The rural tourism development
of the Slovenian-Hungarian cross-border region
The project area: Pomurje, Vas and Zala counties have diverse cooperation opportunities due to their potential for rural tourism and economic development, that provide a basis for the economic and touristic development of the region. The project was based on the inquiries and feedback received from the tourism enterprises of the Slovenian-Hungarian Section of ZVKIK, as well as from tourism companies connected to the partnership. In the Slovenian-Hungarian border region, there is a need for better representation of rural tourism services in the target area, greater visibility for businesses operating in this sector and for the launch of a more focused cooperation between them.
Therefore, it is particularly important to create a cross-border Vision for the future and to establish a cooperation embedded in cross-border knowledge transfer for the development of rural tourism in the region, with the participation of rural tourism actors of the border region. In order to reach stakeholders more effectively, the project conducts a bilingual communication campaign using a unified tourism promotion, in which the new, attitude-changing orientation of the RE-ACTION project is continuously published.
The aim of the project is to increase the competitiveness and sustainability of rural tourism in the Slovenian-Hungarian border region by focusing on a nature- and culture-oriented approach. By developing the methodological process created by the partnership, the project enhances the economic development of local, primarily rural tourism actors, increases the attractiveness of rural areas and improves the quality of life of local communities.
The vision of the project is to empower the development of a culture of effective joint thinking and cooperation between individual entrepreneurs and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and indirectly economic operators active in the rural tourism sector.
Rural tourism plays nowadays an increasingly decisive role in sustainable economic development, as it provides not only economic, but also social and environmental benefits by strengthening the entrepreneurs of the target area, preserving cultural values and sustainably utilizing the natural environment. The region faces the following common challenges:
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The development of rural tourism is untapped on both sides of the border, therefore the project focuses on rural tourism, which has been underrepresented so far, and gives an active role to enterprises active in rural tourism;
- Since the smaller rural tourist reception areas of the target area typically operate individually, the project promotes cooperation and the introduction of a culture of common thinking and action;
- Despite their potential, smaller rural tourism operators are unable to effectively appear on the domestic and international tourism market, thus the project helps to increase the visibility of tourism stakeholders in the region through its activities;
- Since different forms of rural tourism tend to appear separately from each other, and in order to exploit the potential of their combination, the project highlights that tourism branches can be combined in a natural way, which can reinforce each other to offer complex experiences.
The intention of this project is to develop the rural tourism offer of Vas and Zala counties as well as the neighbouring Pomurje region in Slovenia in an integrated manner operating in 3 key sectors (slow, active, digital detox), emphasising the opportunities for sustainable economic growth and the foundation of the long-term vision of rural tourism enterprises in the target area.
The main tasks of the project:
Creation of a Rural Tourism Vision for the Future: the project intends to forecast long-term perspectives for enterprises operating in rural tourism in the target area, keeping in mind sustainable development directions with the involvement of the relevant actors of the economy. The long-term horizon provides an opportunity to outline medium- and long-term opportunities and directions in addition to short-term actions, that interested enterprises can apply in their own future plans and strategies.
Establishment and operation of the Slovenian-Hungarian Academy of Rural Tourism: primarily provides theoretical and practical knowledge to enterprises active in the field of rural tourism, that enterprises can incorporate into their daily operation in order to develop their business and so the economic development of the target area. It generates sustainable economic growth, that supports the pulsation of the economic life in the region.
Pilot program: provides measurable feedback how the companies involved in the program are able to adapt and apply in practice the knowledge of the Academy and the experiences of the study visit.
The methodology of the flow of the above tasks results an adaptable method that can be applied to other geographical areas, even in other economic sectors.
Financiranje RE-ACTION
The RE-ACTION project is co-financed by the European Union within the Interreg program Slovenia-Hungary 2021-2027.