Border position and tourism in Subcarpathia

Abstract

As a result of the agreements and peace treaties in the aftermath of World War I, a sizeable part of both territory and population of Hungary came under the authority of neighbouring countries. The separation from these territories not only divided ethnic areas, but also broke off previously established economic contacts. Peripheral regions developed on both sides of the new borders, and some special zones of attraction began to grow.

Life in the Hungarian border regions became particularly isolated during the Soviet period, though a remarkable number of travels between Hungary and the Ukraine still occurred, motivated by the maintenance of family relationships and friendships (visiting friends and relatives = VFR tourism). Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the system of contacts within the region changed remarkably, influenced mainly by a fairly one-sided motivation based on purchasing-power differences (initially, with a strong Ukrainian preponderance). After the year 2000, Ukrainian dominance in cross-border traffic declined, and travels in the border region assumed again their former characteristics (visiting relatives, friends and some forex-powered purchasing). Present circumstances provide a much less economycentred, “normal” frame of cross-border traffic.

This kind of specific system of relationships of border regions (often discussed in the pertinent literature) characterises the connections between Transcarpathia (as part of the Ukraine) and the eastern territories of Hungary. In the area mentioned, two regions are having encounters on different levels that develop in fairly different systems. This special position is highlighted by the fact that the border regions of Transcarpathia are inhabited by a great number of ethnic Hungarians. Thus, the motivations of crossing the common border exceed those of both normal shopping tourism (created by different economic effects) and VFR tourism.

The aim of the present study is to reveal the specific processes of development and transformation in the border regions in the last two decades that are connected with travelling and tourism. Searching through case studies, the local peculiarities of shopping trips characteristic of these border regions and VFR tourism which has seen a boom lately, are especially emphasised. Furthermore, we demonstrate the traits and specific features of the travelling habits of the population that lives on the Transcarpathian side of the region.