ABSTRACT
During the last millennium, Hungary has had an important and intensive relationship with Austria. Sopron is one of the best examples: situated in the attraction zone of Vienna, it has played a special historical role from the 16th century up to present days. During the last decades, Sopron has become one of the most visited tourist destinations in Hungary. Lake Fertő, located close to Sopron, has been the greatest swamp in the region through modern times; nowadays it is inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The System of Tourism Development Act CLVI in December 2016 brought a remarkable change in Hungary. Development of tourism became the key element. The destinations became the frame for developing tourism instead of tourism regions.
This study investigates the territorial unit of Sopron-Fertő as a new official destination, using official data about tourism to prove whether it is a coherent destination or not. Can the settlements of this new destination be characterised by a single feature?
As for the results, from all of the 16 settlements, only three: Sopron, Hegykő, and Bük, play a dominant role as a target settlement. They are among the top 50 settlements in Hungary based on the number of guest nights. The destination is not regarded as a coherent region, based on statistical data, the possibilities in transport systems, and the number of sights.
