A sorozatban eddig megjelent kiadványok

The development of information and communication technology: An empirical study
Péter Sasvári

Information and communication technology (ICT) can be regarded as a universal technological system, which is closely linked to all of the previous systems and creates new, more complex technological systems. ICT’s main characterizing function is to assure acquiring, storing, processing, delivering, distributing, handling, controlling, transforming, retrieving and using information.
The rich literature of the information society discusses its diversified functions in detail. During my analysis, I have taken the information society as a normative future plan for Hungary, and I have also been looking for the answer of what progress has been made in building the information society in the studied Hungarian economic sectors. In this paper I examine the following issues to what extent we can speak about the information society in Hungary nowadays; what is the development level of the information society in several economic sectors and company sizes compared to each other and to the member states of the European Union; how this development level can be measured and calculated; how the development level of information and communication technology increases in certain company sizes; what trends can be observed in the development process of the individual economic sectors and various company sizes.
I extend my examination to the static, momentary state of the development level of ICT devices used in various economic sectors as well as to their dynamic analysis, expected pace of growth and their qualification.
 

Issues of the regional processes of tourism with special regard to Northern Hungary
Zsolt Péter

‘Tourism is one of the most significant categories of foreign trade. Its turnover is the first after that of fuels, chemical and automobile industry products in the world.’ ‘Tourism is continuously growing except for some shorter periods of time.’ ‘The economic, social and environmental effects of tourism are significant in many developed regions of the world; its typically positive role in the regional economies is undisputed.’

We can often come across statements similar to the above quotations in introductions to the literature on the topic. However, the spatially differentiated presentation of attributes of tourism such as “growing”, “developing”, “significant”, “dynamic” and “positive” does not happen in most cases.

In my work I have come to the conclusion that the majority of planning documents give priority to tasks associated with tourism development, even in the case of regions, that presumably cannot attract a significant number of tourists.

Is it realistic that the leaders of settlements and regions treat tourism development as a priority?; do some (mainly extraordinarily underdeveloped) regions even view tourism as (the only) opportunity for advancement?

In my opinion not every region possesses a (potential) tourism supply that could result in significant positive effects. This does not mean that a good idea, a committed expert, enterprise or local government cannot bring about a fundamental change in the tourism position; however, in order to learn the opportunities for growth in tourism, the available and potential success factors need to be explored. This study aims to do just that, in the hopes that it can contribute to realistic expectations and useful strategies for the advancement of tourism in the region of North Hungary.