Zsuzsa Deli-Gray (ed.)

Cases in Tourism Marketing III

Imaginary report with a successful tourism service provider

Katalin Nagy

Jósvafő is a picturesque little village with a history stretching back more than 600 years, located in the Gömör-Tornai Karst region. It is also home to the Aggtelek National Park Directorate, established in 1985. In order to preserve the traditional appearance of the village, the "old village" part of the settlement was declared a historic site in 1999. Nestled among the mountains, Jósvafő is located in the north-eastern corner of Hungary, on the Slovakian border in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, 220 km from Budapest and just 60 km from Miskolc. The area is rich in mineral deposits and is famous for its diverse flora and fauna, archaeological and palaeontological finds, and some 270 caves (together with the caves of the Slovak Karst). Since 1995, it has been the first of Hungary's natural treasures to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

When compiling the regional attraction inventory, existing and potential attractions must be collected ( Nagy, 2024 ), followed by an evaluation of the current tourism offering based on its online presence. From the perspective of both strategy and product development, cooperation and innovation are key factors; their effective combination is social innovation, which has also gained ground in tourism ( Nagy, 2025 ).

Róbert Hiteles, a reporter for the magazine Sikeres Turizmus (Successful Tourism), was given the topic of how to build a successful business even in a small village through innovative initiatives and cooperation. While gathering background material on rural tourism, opportunities for cooperation, and social innovation (which is a hot topic these days) he came across an entrepreneur who had luckily inherited a village farmhouse in Jósvafő. The woman had managed to realise her vision there, which she had built up after lengthy planning, moving slowly step by step (with a lot of help and support), through many years of work. After Róbert learned about the philosophy of slow tourism, the importance of local products, and the role of tourism in rural development, he felt that his interviewee would be an excellent example of all this, and would also represent collaborations that have created social value in the region. The report guides the reader through the process of how an idea becomes a successful business, and what steps are needed to ensure that "there are always a couple of cars parked in front of the house". Before sending it to the editorial office, Róbert read through his article once more with satisfaction:

Reporter:

I am talking to Juliska on the porch of a beautifully renovated farmhouse, in an idyllic setting that almost everyone secretly longs for. Of course, there is a lot of work behind this little gem. How did you get to the point where there are always one or two cars in front of your house?

Juliska:

A lot of work. I had an idea and started thinking about it. Like Winnie the Pooh… I kept thinking, and then a plan began to take shape that I liked more and more. Of course, it also meant more and more things to do. I had to be patient because I knew that if I wanted to make everything happen, it would take many years, many partners, many sacrifices and a lot of work. So the dream became my life's goal.

Reporter:

How did it start?

Juliska:

My story began 15 years ago. Yes, I can see you're surprised, but as I said earlier, it took a long time to achieve everything the way I wanted to.

So, 15 years ago, I inherited this farm from a distant aunt. When I came here, I found a cottage that had once been very beautiful but was now worn out and slightly dilapidated, with a huge farmyard that had clearly been cultivated at one time but was now overgrown with weeds. I just stood there and thought, "Good heavens, what do I need this for? I'll sell it." Then I came out again, and again, to prepare for the sale, and I always sat on the porch a little longer. I hadn't been here for many years and knew very little about the village or the surrounding area. I was touched by the peace and tranquillity that was here – of course, also because the farm is on the edge of the village. I felt more and more at home here, somehow, I began to feel my roots. So I decided to keep it and imagined spending the rest of my years here.

Reporter:

What was the first step you took to start fixing up this farm?

Juliska:

First of all, I had to fix up the house. But before I started, I had to get to know the village and the people. I wanted them to accept me and support my ideas. So I went to the mayor, the clerk, the priest, and the teacher, who kindly introduced me to village life. After a year, I knew almost everyone, and they became my friends.

I immersed myself in the history of the village, listened to and collected countless stories, tales and recipes, and learned about old traditions, ancient crafts that had died out or were dying out, and the characteristics of local folk architecture. And I definitely wanted to make use of all the knowledge I had acquired.

I tried to establish good relationships with everyone and registered with every organisation that could help me realise my ideas in any way, whether through funding or "just" expertise. I also established good relations with the staff of the national park, because as I got to know my little village better, I realised that they could also play a key role in the success of my ideas.

Reporter:

So it started with the renovation of the house…

Juliska:

Yes. Luckily, I found a grant opportunity that supported the development of rural guesthouses. I sold my flat in the city (I needed the funds in order to advance the investment), applied for the grant, and won. I looked for an architect who was familiar with local traditional building methods, wood carving and other motifs, and the house was built entirely in the local style, yet equipped with every comfort, four guest rooms, a kitchen, a garden and outdoor cooking facilities.

I wanted to not only protect the houses of the old village to preserve traditions, but also my own property. We expanded and renovated the former summer kitchen to make a place to live.

Juliska is very lucky to have the national park… The village and its surroundings abound in sights and activities, and neighbouring Slovakia also offers numerous leisure opportunities. The Juliska Guest House is a good base for families and groups of friends who enjoy longer hikes. As the hotel near the cave entrance has been closed for several years, there is no shortage of guests.

The Aggtelek National Park Directorate itself operates a few accommodations, whose traffic data has varied considerably in recent years:

	Number of guests	Guest nights	Average length of stay (days)	Occupancy rate (%)
2023	1,880	2,880	1.7	14.51
2022	1,103	1,953	1.77	13.77
2021	1,379	2,619	1.98	17.70
2020	641	1,014	1.69	6.71
2019	2,589	5,504	2.13	28.14
2018	2,993	6,817	1.97	33.76

Source: anp.nemzetipark.gov.hu

Reporter:

Where did the first guests come from? I see your husband smiling mischievously at this question…

Juliska:

Yes, Jancsi was one of my first guests… You see, this village and the surrounding area have many attractions and activities to offer, friendly residents and beautiful, unspoilt rolling hills. At first, I advertised mainly to groups of friends or people who were tired and looking for a quiet place to relax. That's how Jancsi came here with his friends for a stag party. Then, a few weeks later, he came back on his own to relax, as he had a very stressful job in the city. Then he came back again, and again, and then he stayed… He was also touched by the peacefulness here, and he really liked my ideas, as we talked a lot.

Reporter:

I imagine there weren't many guests like that.

Juliska:

No, there weren't. But I joined the County Association of Rural Tourism, I got the certification; can you see the sign on the house? They help a lot with marketing, I'm on their website, in the accommodation search, I'm in their publications, and I try to go to as many events as possible that they organise, where I can introduce myself. I even took a course that they organised. That's when I realised that no matter how peaceful it is here, no matter how good my accommodation is, it's not enough. Guests need activities to give them a reason to spend a few days here. I'm very lucky to have the national park here…

First, I gathered all the sights in the area and combined them in various ways to create excursion tips for car, bicycle, horse riding and walking.

Jósvafő and its surroundings really do offer a wealth of leisure activities and tourist attractions. Here are a few to whet your appetite:

The picturesque old village, which is of historical significance, evokes the atmosphere of our unjustly forgotten folk tales. In the main square, there is a Baroque bell tower and a memorial park. The Reformed cemetery with its carved headstones and the Jewish cemetery offer quiet contemplation in memory of the vanished inhabitants. The Kúria Education Centre and the Hucul Equestrian Centre, maintained by the national park, offer a range of ecotourism, educational and leisure programmes for young and old alike. Lake Tengerszem is a popular destination for hikes, where you can learn about protected natural sites on nature trails, and one of the entrances to the Baradla Cave, a wonder of the region, is located on the outskirts of the village.

It is also worth visiting the neighbouring settlements, the most famous of which is Aggtelek, with another entrance to the Baradla Cave and a passageway directly to Slovakia. There you can discover more caves and castles, or go hiking in the picturesque Szádelői Valley.

Szádvár, the ruined village of Derenk, the world's largest book in Szinpetri, an extreme hike in the Meteor Cave near Bódvaszilas – and we could go on listing the attractions of the region

Source: own work

Reporter:

Horse riding?

Juliska:

Yes, my first local partner was Uncle Béla, who has horses and an old cart, and his grandson is a riding instructor. Our joint programme is that he drives my guests around the village and the surrounding area, and if there is demand, his grandson takes them on horse riding tours. Uncle Béla is also happy with the little extra income he earns this way.

Juliska is really lucky to have the national park… visitors can enjoy a wide variety of cave tours, surface tours, ecotourism programmes and horse riding programmes organised by them. And there is no shortage of tourists, as the visitor statistics show:

	Registered	Estimated	Total
2023	109,382	19,675	129,057
2022	115,382	19,290	134,672
2021	103,275	18,410	121,685
2020	90,258	12,200	102,458
2019	153,502	20,350	173,852
2018	161,912	19,600	181,512

Source: anp.nemzetipark.gov.hu

Reporter:

What was the next thing you embarked on?

Juliska:

As you can see, the house has a huge garden with lots of fruit trees. I definitely wanted to do something with that. I refreshed the orchard, planted some more trees, and created a large vegetable garden that can supply the household for the whole year. The guests also like to pick a tomato or pepper for their breakfast, and believe me, it tastes completely different from the ones you buy in the shop. The orchard is a different story. Even with Jancsi's help, the two of us can't manage it on our own. So our first "gastronomic" programme was to let guests help with the fruit picking. They can buy the raw fruit for themselves, or we can process it for them. There are a few ladies here who are happy to join the guests in making jam, preserves and pickles in the autumn – there's enough for everyone, and everyone is welcome to take home what they've made.

Of course, sometimes we also make pálinka from it, Jancsi added with a wink.

Yes, we did that too, Juliska continued, and they really enjoy these opportunities. Nothing that the garden produces ever goes to waste.

Reporter:

Not only is your yard so beautiful, but the whole village looks very nice and tidy, with clean ditches, lots of flower beds along the roads, and mowed grass – it's nice to look at the village.

Juliska:

The mayor plays a big role in this. We talked a lot at the beginning, and he just nodded when I listed my plans, but he said he couldn't help. I replied that I didn't need him to help me, but to help the village in any way a local government can. He became interested, then enthusiastic. He obtained all the funding and support the village could apply for. They repaired the roads, cleaned the ditches, planted flowers – in short, they tidied up and are keeping it that way.

The mayor also used the "public employment funds" to teach a few traditional crafts in the village. They turned one of the dilapidated little houses into a small workshop with a small garden next to it. They learned basket weaving and similar crafts, and they grow the necessary twigs themselves. Today, they make unique baskets, boxes and holders for my products and for others.

Reporter:

That's a really great achievement. I imagine many people come here to learn from you. But you mentioned your products earlier. What exactly are they?

Juliska:

As I said, the vegetable and fruit gardens produce a lot, but we consume or process everything, often together with our guests. Even those who do not participate in the preparation enjoy eating them, as we serve them for breakfast and dinner. And I thought, why not give them their own brand name? That's how they became "Juliska's Pantry". I had my own labels made, I put them in pretty jars and tie them with colourful ribbons. They look good and, of course, they taste good too. I don't use any artificial ingredients in them.

Reporter:

You have everything here: jams, syrups, preserves, pickles, dried and chopped herbs, but I also see cheese, oils and even chocolate. Do you make all of these yourself?

Juliska:

Not all of them, I couldn't manage all this on my own. Not all of them are from "Juliska's Pantry", there's also "Aunt Kati's Pantry" and "Piroska's Pantry", see? That's why we need partners and cooperation. It wasn't easy, the first steps were difficult, but then others got interested, they liked it, they got a taste for it. Today we even have a small local association, which brings together all those who are involved in this work in some way or another. A real little community has been forged. There are two women who have dug out the old traditional patterns and embroider tablecloths, napkins, blouses, whatever. They are happy to show them to guests, and you can also buy them from them. They benefit from it, and the guests see something interesting. The cheese is made by Uncle Lajos and his son, who have cows and goats, and they realised that they could sell more of it if they processed it. Today, they make several types of flavoured cheese. The chocolate is made by my girlfriend, who is a teacher, but she also learned the art of confectionery, and now she makes flavoured chocolates and bonbons with my spices and fruits. Guests love them.

Reporter:

I understand you have further plans for these products.

Juliska:

Yes. As I said earlier, I took a course and have been continuously educating myself in tourism, hospitality and a little bit of agriculture ever since. I know that these are called local products, which are very fashionable and "trendy" these days, as they say. People are looking for something unique, good quality, with homemade flavours. We have to take advantage of this. We have three ideas – I say "we" because the members of the association are now planning together.

One is that we have heard that the national park also has a local product programme, a trademark, as they say, and we would like to join it. Our products can further enrich their range, and their better-known name will also be good for us, so we can help each other.

Our other idea is to organise a small festival for our products. Of course, we're not talking about large events, as this small village wouldn't be able to handle that, just a small one here on our farm (there's enough space here), but involving everyone's pantry. Depending on the season and what is in season – in spring, Mini Cherry Festival, then Mini Peach Festival, Mini Plum Festival, Mini Pumpkin Weekend – we have already tried these, we process these fruits and vegetables, prepare dishes with them, and our winemaker friend from nearby brings delicious wines to go with them. At these times, not only our farmyard is filled with life, but the whole village, and recently other farmyards have also "opened up", with people eating, drinking and having fun everywhere. Then we will continue with this little by little, with more and more products – it would be good to have one every month – and then there will be music and dancing too. A real little village party. But there will never be crowds, we'll make sure of that. Maybe one day there will be competition for places at our little festivals… Juliska muses.

The third is that there is a woodcarver in the neighbouring village, and we are having him make identical cupboards for everyone, whether they have a guest house, produce goods or do embroidery – so everyone will have one of these cupboards, and it will contain all their products, and everyone's pantry will have a place in it.

Reporter:

It really is one miracle after another. However, many people say that without water, relaxation is not relaxation.

Juliska:

Yes, I know that too. But you can't have thermal baths everywhere… And you don't need to. But thanks to my latest idea, which was recently completed, you can now enjoy wellness here too…

Reporter:

How?

Juliska:

There's real peasant wellness here. You can bathe in a large tub – modern, of course, but it fits right in here. Outside in the courtyard, you can enjoy the beautiful view. And only friends and relatives enjoy a bath together. You can also add herbs or essential oils to the water, depending on your preference. And then there's the massage. I mentioned earlier that I have a large vegetable garden. Well, part of it is planted with herbs. Between the beds, I made a barefoot massage path, covering the path with different materials every two metres, so that walking on it barefoot gives you a real massage experience. It's better than a beauty salon, and children especially love it.

Reporter:

This place is truly a gem of peace, tranquillity, fine flavours and family hospitality. But the village itself has also become a gem as a result. All it took was a "leaven", a creative personality who saw the potential in the ruins and realised their dreams step by step. She set a good example, inspired others and built a community. Together, many people have transformed a small village into a thriving little settlement. Come here, experience this little village and spread the good news far and wide!

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//

BibTeX EndNote Mendeley Zotero