Zsuzsa Deli-Gray (ed.)

Cases in Tourism Marketing III

Where is Szikszó and what should we know about it?

Szikszó is a small town with around 5,500 inhabitants, located in the north-eastern part of Hungary, in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County. It serves as the administrative centre of a district comprising 24 settlements and forms part of the Miskolc agglomeration, lying only 15 kilometres from the city, along the M30 motorway and the main road No. 3 leading towards Košice (Slovakia). This advantageous location from a transport-geographical perspective has played an important role not only in the town’s history but also in its current socio-economic development. Szikszó lies in historical Abaúj, between the regions of Borsod and Zemplén, on the border of two micro-regions, at the south-eastern corner of the Cserehát Hills. It is situated where one of the area’s permanent streams, the Vadász Brook meets the Bársony stream and the nearby Hernád River, which once served as a popular resting place.

The area has been inhabited since the Stone Age. During the Hungarian Conquest of the Carpathian Basin settlers established a community here, and by the 1030s the settlement already had a church. No written records remain from the reign of Hungary’s first kings, but in 1307, King Charles I of Hungary (Károly Róbert) issued a charter “in Zykzo”, marking the first written mention of the town. Throughout the Middle Ages, the town’s name appeared in various spellings: Sicso, Sixo, Syxo, Zykzo, Zykzow, Zekzow, Zekzou, Zykow, and Zikzou.

Chronologically, the following key events are noteworthy in Szikszó’s history:

1387: Construction began on the present-day church, now a listed historic monument.
1392: After the extinction of the Szikszai noble family, the settlement became the property of Queen Mary, who referred to it as a royal town (civitas nostra).
1460: King Matthias Corvinus issued a charter in Szikszó; the first mention of the local school dates to 1517.
1538: During the Reformation, the landlord Péter Perényi and the entire community adopted the Lutheran faith, with István Benczédi Székely serving as their first pastor. From then on, the church belonged to the Reformed congregation.
1568: The Szikszó Reformed Synod decided on the use of bread during the Lord’s Supper.
1588: Sigismund Rákóczi defeated the Ottoman army near Szikszó. György Tardi composed the Historia Szikszóiensis, a historic song celebrating the Hungarian victory, which spread throughout Europe.
1679: Imre Thököly won the battle of Szikszó–Újfalu; this victory is commemorated on the Millennium Monument at Budapest’s Heroes’ Square.
1848: During the Hungarian Revolution, the imperial troops were forced to retreat in the battle of Szikszó.
1920–1938: Szikszó served as the county seat of Abaúj-Torna County.
1945–1950: It was again the administrative centre of Abaúj County.
1989: Szikszó was officially granted town status.

Szikszó, a town with a strong sense of history, serves as the centre of a region of about twenty thousand inhabitants, as the southern gateway to the Abaúj Hills, and functions as a magnet settlement with considerable cultural and economic influence. The town has a strong presence of Catholic, Reformed and Greek Catholic religious communities, as well as numerous civic and cultural organisations, including the SZIA–Szikszó Urban and Community Development Association and the Foundation for the Community of Szikszó. It is home to many active local artists – painters, photographers, wood sculptors and caricaturists – as well as professionals in the natural and social sciences. Alongside a nursery, several kindergartens and two primary schools, the town also maintains a secondary grammar school, a vocational training centre and an adult education institution, all contributing to the community’s intellectual capital. Decades-long cultural traditions, a rich calendar of events and a well-developed infrastructure for sports and leisure contribute to the town’s vibrant community life. Facilities include a municipal swimming pool, a sports hall with small pools and a leisure centre, which is currently under development. Szikszó’s viticultural heritage belongs to the Bükk wine region, whose local Magyar Hill traditions – once comparable to those of Tokaj – still preserve the town’s historical wine-making culture. The vineyard slopes and wine-cellar village, with more than a hundred cellars, make it an excellent destination for gastronomy and hiking alike.

Economically, Szikszó’s potential lies in a combination of major enterprises and a dynamic SME sector. The town hosts HELL Energy, one of Hungary’s leading beverage manufacturers with a strong international market presence, as well as several significant medium-sized companies and around two hundred micro and small businesses. For decades, the town had no consciously developed tourism offering. Its traditional, community-focused events – such as the harvest ball, the May Day celebration, and concerts – mainly targeted local residents. Apart from a few privately owned guest rooms and some hospitality venues, there had been little initiative towards structured tourism development. Today, however, the foundations and opportunities for building a distinctive tourism profile clearly exist.

Tartalomjegyzék

Kiadó: Akadémiai Kiadó

Online megjelenés éve: 2026

ISBN: 978 963 664 217 4

Marketing Turizmus

The publication of the third volume of Cases in Tourism Marketing is truly welcome news from both an educational and a professional perspective. Through real-world, timely, and thought-provoking cases, this collection helps readers – students and practitioners alike – gain a deeper understanding of the complex world of decision-making in tourism marketing. The case studies not only convey professional knowledge but also develop analytical skills, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking. One of the volume’s key strengths is its focus on issues that define contemporary tourism, including the role of digitalization, artificial intelligence, destination branding, and stakeholder collaboration in tourism marketing. Long-awaited and highly relevant, this third volume is a worthy continuation of the previous collections and will undoubtedly serve as a valuable resource in higher education in tourism, while also being highly recommended to professionals who enjoy reflecting on challenges and opportunities beyond their own immediate field of expertise.

Tamara Ratz PhD

Director, Centre for International Relations, Kodolányi János University

Head of Tourism Department, Professor of Tourism

It is an honor for me to recommend this volume to everyone who wishes to understand tourism marketing not only in theory, but also through its real business and human dimensions. The worlds of tourism and hospitality have undergone fundamental changes in recent years, which makes case studies based on real market situations, decision-making dilemmas and current challenges especially valuable in supporting both learning and critical thinking. This book provides not only professional knowledge, but also encourages a complex mindset, creative problem-solving and the ability to think in connections — exactly the skills today’s tourism professionals need most. I wholeheartedly recommend this volume to students, educators and tourism professionals alike.

Judit Fodor (Liptai)

Group Director of Sales and Marketing, Danubius Hotels

Hivatkozás: https://mersz.hu/deli-gray-cases-in-toursim-marketing-iii//

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