Zsuzsa Deli-Gray (ed.)

Cases in Tourism Marketing III

The Voice of the Street – The Gate of Life – The Birth of a Nature Science Centre in Dunaerdő Part 2. Tourism Development without Community Involvement

Gergely Baráth

After the city leaders discussed the necessary development in an internal circle, the first thought of the urban development department head was: this project, however, can only be launched if the local population is informed about the programme as late as possible. She was already familiar with the procedure of community forums. It is always those who have a problem who show up. It's very easy to complain, but when it comes to involvement and the realisation of their ideas, suddenly everyone disappears. Her experience suggested that the later the plan was revealed, the less resistance that had to be overcome. The meeting ended on a positive note. Dr. Anna Nagy and the team began drafting the plans, looking to the future, but discarding the idea that resident involvement should be the first and most important step in launching the project. The story of urban development continues with the hope for the city's future, but by presenting two possible scenarios.

One morning, a large, grey information board appeared at the beginning of Rákóczi Street, with hardly readable information about the construction in small print. Passersby walked past it innocently, most did not even glance at it, and those who did, did not take it seriously. In one apartment, they were listening to the "News" on the radio: "The city administration announced today that it is starting a large-scale tourism development on Rákóczi Street. As part of the project, a pedestrian street and a modern museum will be built on Erdőalja Square, designed by a city native, the famous architect Santiago Willow. The construction is expected to take three years. The goal is to boost tourism and increase the number of guest nights."

Márta Horváthné, pulling on her husband József Horváth's arm, listened to the radio in shock: "Hear that, Józsi? Museum? Pedestrian street? But why didn't they tell us? It must be something for the young people again, they don't even think about us. I don't want to live in crowds and congestion! Our city is so kind and peaceful, and then people will be sitting here until dawn and shouting on the terraces of the pubs! They just announce it and that's it again!"

József Horváth, who previously worked as a sociologist, shook his head: "Nothing good will come of this. They are deciding over our heads again. This is not normal destination development; everything here is always just about making money from tourists, and we have to suffer. The content is never about us. The marketing concept will surely focus exclusively on financial indicators, increasing the number of guest nights, ignoring the interests and needs of the local community. Only the leaders will benefit from the whole thing! And because of this, branding in tourism will be doomed to failure from the start, as the underlying human factors were ignored."

Péter Szabó, a local marketing guru, sitting on the patisserie's terrace, stared at his phone, where the comments were burning up on a local online forum: "Ridiculous! – he muttered to himself – No one knew anything about this! They have been gossiping for weeks, but no official information anywhere! We only find out what's being planned from the internet! This is a complete hoax! We'll probably have to look at the ruins for years if they try to do everything at once, unlike what my friend told me about Freiburg – where a decades-long, conscious urban development programme was implemented, which included making the city centre car-free and developing bicycle paths. There, the process was based on continuous dialogue with the residents and made it a model city for an environmentally conscious lifestyle. Here, the tourism brand probably means nothing again, just empty promises."

Andrea Mészáros, standing in front of her patisserie with her arms crossed, told a regular customer: "I heard whispers about this, but no one said anything concrete. What will happen to the foot traffic now if they close the street? I'm barely making a living as it is. This city administration has driven me to the brink of ruin, and now comes the icing on the cake. The accommodation developments will only increase the problem, and everyone will go there for breakfast."

Éva Baloghné, holding her small daughter's hand, looked at the sign worriedly: "But where will the kindergarten entrance be? And where will we go to the playground? No one thinks about us who live here! We don't even know what programmes will be in the museum, if there will be any at all! The communication is zero, there is no meaningful information. We could hear about something good too; there's some kind of city card system in the neighbouring city, but we haven't even heard about it here, even though it could help if local residents were involved."

Within days, the atmosphere was fermenting on local online forums and community groups. Petitions were launched, and demonstrations were organised. The city administration tried to provide information, but the content of the communication seemed empty and incredible to the residents.

Tibor Tóth, the president of the local Urban Conservation Association, spoke on television: "We see what is happening here. I remember that in 2015, at Lake Fertő, in Fertőrákos on the shore of the lake, a huge development was launched. They showed how fantastic it would be on beautiful websites and billboards. In reality, however, they destroyed everything, the natural environment was ruined. During the development, for example, they cut down reeds, built roads on the lakeshore, and created parking lots without considering the ecological balance. Even now, in 2025, nothing is ready. The promised bicycle paths and promenades have not been built, the construction sites are unfinished, it is impossible to get down to the lake, and the lives of the residents in the area have been completely ruined. The once idyllic, peaceful lakeshore has now become an abandoned construction site, where even tourists find nothing attractive. Local small businesses have closed, property prices have plummeted, and the local community has become alienated. This is what we fear here too! They promise that tourism will flourish, but if the locals are desperate, and the tourists cannot enjoy anything due to the destruction, then what remains? The same thing can happen on Rákóczi Street. They advertise quality tourism, while taking no real, credible steps towards it."

A year later. Construction is in full swing. An information desk stands at the beginning of the street, where Dr. Anna Nagy and construction manager Tamás Kovács try to manage the angry residents. Accumulating garbage and broken ribbons around the desk indicate the mess. Rákóczi Street is already largely closed off, surrounded by fences and construction machinery. The dust and noise are almost unbearable.

Dr. Anna Nagy is tired, but tries to smile: "We know you are going through a difficult time, but the construction is nearing its end…"

Péter Szabó, the marketer, loudly interrupts: "Nearing? It's been going on for a year, and we don't see the end of it! They said it would only be three years, but now they are talking about four! Not to mention that we have no idea what is being built here! Some strange building that doesn't fit in! What about quality tourism? This is an atrocity! They call it a centre, but what do we know about it? At least on the Berlin Museum Island, you know what's there and why it's worth going! There, the new trends in museum design mean that the museums are not just buildings, but part of an entire cultural district, where the exhibitions and programmes are in harmony with the environment. Here, the marketing content is only about luring as many people in as possible, but the reality is disappointing."

Tamás Kovács points defensively to the sign: "All the information is here! The phases of construction, the expected completion…"

Márta néni shouts angrily: "We can barely see the letters! And the noise is driving us crazy! They are rattling and drilling all day long! We can't rest! We're getting sick of this! Why doesn't anyone think about the elderly? The neighbouring city is also full of tourists, but at least there are peaceful areas where those who don't want to be in the crowd can retreat, but there's nothing here!"

József Horváth stands next to his wife: "Our grandchildren don't even come here anymore because of the danger from the dust and noise! They say this tourism development is bringing our ruin! Kékvárad is also a tourist destination, but they can manage the crowd there, and the locals can live normally!"

Andrea, the confectioner, says desperately: "My foot traffic has dropped to a third! No one comes here! Restaurants are closing one after another! The hotel developments will only bring money to foreigners, nothing to us! I'm already thinking about closing the patisserie. What's the point of this museum if we go bankrupt? Plus, they promised some Tourist Card System, but we only hear rumours about it; no one has explained how it would work, or who would be eligible. The uncertainty is complete."

Éva Baloghné emphasises: "My daughter developed respiratory problems from the dust! We can't even get to the kindergarten properly because everything is closed off! Why didn't they tell us in advance what would happen? What will be in the building? Children's programmes? Or just some boring exhibition? Was this terrible building designed by old man Willow? I thought he would make something beautiful! What they are saying completely contradicts what we are seeing."

Department head Anna tries to calm the people down again: "Please believe me, we are doing everything we can. There will be children's programmes in the museum, and we are trying to alleviate the noise…"

Tibor Tóth, the civil leader, laughs cynically: "Is that all you can say? Is that all our opinion is worth? You're just stringing us along while destroying our lives! You don't even deal with Airbnb; strangers are already buying up apartments in every house to rent them out! The number of guest nights is more important to them than our lives! They should have created a museum district like in Amsterdam, where the residents are also proud of it, instead of an isolated, foreign building that I don't think the locals will ever accept! The tourism brand that has been created is completely incoherent; they are trying to cover up the reality with empty slogans!"

The argument escalates, and the residents shout angrily. Dr. Anna Nagy and István Kovács stand helplessly, unable to calm the furious crowd. They clearly see that there is no point in gathering the people; nothing is good for them. They are also afraid that the negative news spreading on the internet and the disappointed local reports will completely undermine the credibility of the non-existent tourism brand.

Three and a half years later. Rákóczi Street has been transformed into a pedestrian zone, with beautifully landscaped areas, comfortable benches, and splashing fountains. The renovated facades of the old houses shone in the sunlight, with flower baskets on the walls. The cobblestone street could be full of life, but now it is eerily empty. The Nature Science Centre building, designed by Santiago Willow, stands in the middle of Erdőalja Square, impressively fitting into its environment, yet standing out with its clean lines and huge glass surfaces. A carefully designed park surrounds the centre, inviting visitors with interactive installations and information boards. The external, physical environment is thus perfect and spectacular; the city administration has finished the work.

However, most of the restaurants and shops have closed, their windows empty and dusty. A "For Sale" sign shines in the window of the "Sütöde" patisserie. There are hardly any locals at the opening ceremony; most stand on the other side of the street with protest signs. A few tourists are wandering around, but they mostly stare at their phones and quickly move on. The number of visitors to the opened areas of the museum is much lower than expected, and the number of guest nights in the area has drastically decreased compared to before.

Dr. Anna Nagy begins her speech, standing on the podium, her voice flat and barely audible: "Ladies and Gentlemen… the science centre is complete… We hope it will attract many visitors…"

Tamás Kovács gives only a short speech, but no one listens to him: "The construction was a great challenge… but the result speaks for itself…"

Andrea Mészáros stands gloomily in front of her closed patisserie, with a "For Sale" sign in the window: "I'm ruined. My patisserie is closed. This museum is meaningless if local businesses go bankrupt. No one will come back here anymore. This is not quality tourism; this is death. The tourism brand advertised by the city administration has completely failed because what they said is in no way related to reality. There is nothing here, so tourists quickly realised that they were not getting what was promised. The marketer couldn't attract visitors if the message and the reality didn't align. The Tourist Card System was finally introduced, but it became so horribly bureaucratic, and so few people knew about it, that I think it will remain completely ineffective."

Márta néni and Józsi bácsi are sitting at the nearby bus stop: "Józsi, this turned out terrible. The fountain is also splashing randomly to some stupid music. The trees were planted, but they will probably dry out soon. We thought it would be beautiful, but you see, in a few years it will just be a huge concrete jungle that isn't even ours. " József Horváth looks contemptuously at the building: "This is not ours. This is for the tourists, but even they don't like it. We only got the noise and the dust, and now our city is overrun by strangers who are themselves disappointed. The tourism development has become a reality, but there are still fewer tourists because the word is spreading that it is not worth coming here."

Éva walks sadly past the stage with her daughter, who is clutching her hand: "Mom, let's go! It's noisy and hot! – whispers the little girl." Éva nods sadly: "We know nothing about the museum's programmes, and the playgrounds have also disappeared. The new directions in museum design allow for interactivity in vain if there is no content and no communication. This destination development has ruined our city."

Péter Szabó and Tibor Tóth stand together at the head of the demonstrators, with a megaphone: "This is not destination development, this is the destruction of our city! Instead of quality tourism, they chased profit and ruined us! This 'Gate of Life' is not a gate to the future, but a lock on our lives! It became like those city centres that only cater to tourists, instead of making the locals feel at home, like in hundreds and hundreds of places around the world! The tourism brand that has been created is completely incredible, and this can immediately lead to a decline in tourism!"

The opening of the Nature Science Centre was a failure. Residents are outraged, businesses are suffering, and tourists are not finding the attraction promised by the city administration. The lack of communication and community involvement turned a project intended to be beautiful into a bitter memory, where tourism concepts became empty words, and the scenario of a tourism disaster was realised instead of destination development. The tourism brand completely failed because there was a huge gap between the marketing purpose and reality.

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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