Tourist Attitudes toward Heritage of a County in Western Hungary

Abstract

Preserving and passing on folk traditions and gastronomic culture to the next generation has always been an important task of elderly people in every single historic period. The main goal of this study is to provide a clear picture of travelers’ attitudes toward gastronomy and cultural values in a western Hungarian county. The presence of the Szigetköz Nature Park and some World Heritage sites (like Fertő-Hanság National Park and Abbey of Pannonhalma) requires responsible tourism planning that is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. When conducting quantitative research (survey based on questionnaires), special attention was paid to tourists’ knowledge of gastronomy values and architectural, cultural, and natural attractions. Four hypotheses were formulated in this study. The data collection took place between 1 September 2023 and 30, October 2023 (N = 666). The sample is not representative since the respondents were randomly selected. As opposed to previous studies, the most important novelty of this research is that tourists’ visits to different destinations were assessed while previous studies mainly focused on the interests of tourists.

1. Introduction

This study aimed to determine if there is a correlation between demographic factors and visits to heritage sites. We wanted to determine if primary national heritage sites could be classified based on tourists’ willingness to visit these places. This issue has already been analyzed in several studies.

There is a wide scale of local values and attractions that serve as internal resources of heritage tourism. It is obvious that tourism specialists have to “analyze the system of all geographical, environmental, historical, cultural, social and economic values which settlements and regions have”. It is also necessary to review the factors that have an impact on the use of these values [1].

1.1. World Heritage Elements/Sites as Parts of the Cultural and Natural Heritage

Protected areas and World Heritage sites are also included in heritage. In our research, we focus on some types of these sites.

According to Cernea [2], social participation and local initiatives are important criteria for the success of developments. NPAs (natural protected areas) are created worldwide, with the objective of preserving physical processes, habitats, and natural environment or cultural heritage, such as the cultural traditions of a community. However, these areas are also sources of tourism and territorial development [3].

The designation/nomination of certain sites as World Heritage Sites (WHSs) dates back to 1972. Since then, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has bestowed this distinction on sites that have some cultural or natural heritage that is worth being preserved for future generations. World Heritage also involves heritage tourism, which “draws on the living and built elements of culture and refers to the use of tangible and intangible past as a tourist resource” [4]. Its attractions include cultural landscapes, built heritage, and traditions. Several areas of the investigated county comprise such protected territories, the sustainable use of which affects both gastronomic culture and built heritage.

1.2. Unique Values in Hungary

Among the values in Hungary, we focused on the resources recorded and classified in a national register. According to Káposzta et al. [5], Hungary has unique natural and cultural values in Europe. Therefore, tourism plays a crucial part in the national economy. Based on the work of Kassai et al. [6], the rating system of Hungaricums (special Hungarian values that represent the high performance of Hungarian people) significantly contributed to the enhancement of the reputation of the examined regions and to a certain extent to the improvement in the recognition of the country as well. According to their studies, these domestic resources and products should be further exploited in the future.

1.3. Special Values of the Examined Area

In our study, we investigated the County of Győr-Moson-Sopron, which is a northwestern county of Hungary, bordering Austria and Slovakia. The Benedictine Archabbey of Pannonhalma and the Fertő/Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape are rated as World Heritage Sites of the county where there are some other regional tourist centers with cultural attractions as well, like Győr, Sopron, and Mosonmagyaróvár. Lake Neusiedl, lying in the Neusiedl National Park, is used for public bathing and navigation/sailing. Two more nature parks also enrich the cultural landscape. The river branch system of the “Little Hungarian Plain” (Danube) is in the territory of the Szigetköz Nature Park. The wine region of Pannontáj-Sokoró Nature Park with Pannonhalma is part of the Transdanubian Uplands. In our research, we analyzed tourists’ attitudes toward the selected attractions of the county (county values, natural environment, Hungaricum, and Hungarian national values.

1.4. Research Objectives

Some studies related to WHS status (e.g., [7,8,9,10]) investigated the socio-economic impact of heritage tourism, with special regard to tourist attitudes and site management. However, these analyses did not address the demographic context, which is paid special attention to in our study. Several studies segmented tourists visiting heritage sites according to their motivation [11,12,13,14]. The focus of our study was on socio-demographic correlations and the classification of values, not on motivations. Adie et al. focused on demographic factors, specifically on World Heritage sites in their research [15].

We revealed in our study that there is a connection between socio-demographic factors and tourists’ inclinations to visit preferred attractions. It is worthwhile to focus on age and gender in tourism studies written about heritage sites because it helps to achieve sustainable values. The classification of attractions helps work out/define the PR content and product segmentation.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Attitude

Attitude has been defined in the literature in a number of ways. Attitude is derived from the Latin word aptus, meaning aptitude or conformity to something. Aptitude (Latin) means a subjective or mental state of readiness for activity.

According to the Basic Dictionary of Foreign Words, attitude is “A behaviour, manner as a state of mind, attitude, action, conduct, position” [16]. “Based on the definition given in the Tótfalusi Dictionary, the Hungarian Descriptive Dictionary defines the term of attitude as county values” [17]. According to Mészáros et al. [18], attitude is “...an evaluative attitude..., it is a cognitive representation that summarizes the evaluations of an attitude object”. Attitudes are learned by acquiring cognitive, emotional (affective), and behavioral (conative) components. “Attitude is a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor” [19]. With regard to the attitudinal analysis, it has been found that experience creation is a core element/concept of contemporary tourism, which is more essential than service value creation [20]. Liu et al. report that scientists have identified attachment to place as another manifestation of the attitude in which responsibility for the preservation of natural heritage plays an important role [21]. Attachment to place fosters the desire for meaningful interactions with the local environment. According to Jeong and Kim [22], visitors’ positive feelings and emotions are of great importance in expressing their satisfaction. Meng et al. write that nostalgia is an emotional factor in tourism, which is regarded as a component of the attitude [23].

In our research, we analyzed the territorial factors of heritage sites in due consideration of cultural, gastronomic, natural, and attractive experiences. We considered it an important aspect that heritage values can be distinguished based on tourists’ attitudes. Gastronomy is a privileged tool for approaching the cultural heritage of a place [24], and we believe that culture has an impact on culinary delights. Chang et al. report that, on one hand, food provides taste and sensory satisfaction, on the other hand, it becomes a channel for experiencing and becoming familiar with the culture of a settlement [25]. The validation of cultural heritage is an important element of sustainability because this process makes a significant contribution to the preservation of past and present values for future generations [26].

2.2. Cultural and Natural Heritage

In our opinion, tourism can build on these local cultural values in the examined area. In the study of Csurgó and Smith, interviewees believe that cultural heritage lays the foundation for the development of local tourism [27]. Thus, we also examined the cultural values of the region in our research in due consideration of tourists’ points of view. Heritage encompasses the contribution of societies to the understanding of historical aspects [28,29,30]. The initial point is heritage tourism, an experiential activity in which travelers can interact with and consume heritage resources [31]. Based on the data issued by the World Tourism Organization, almost 40% of all international travel is linked to heritage and culture, and the demand for them is growing at a rate of 15% annually [32].

A clear understanding of tourist preferences and attitudes will help destination marketing organizations (DMOs) refine existing attractions and design new ones as well as recommend efficient marketing strategies [33]. In their research, Adie et al. [34] reviewed the factors influencing tourists’ satisfaction in the case of natural heritage sites. They found that value association and experiences are the most important factors. On the basis of the above, we determined the most essential natural values and analyzed if they could be separate factors.

2.3. Gastronomic Heritage

Tourists do not only try to become familiar with a cultural destination, but they also want to gain sensory experiences. In this sense, gastronomy and its ties to tourism have become a key aspect in the analysis of tourist destinations, with a special focus on culture and heritage [35]. According to Lin et al. [36], gastronomy constitutes a significant part of cultural heritage and the identity of tourist destinations. Therefore, we also analyzed the awareness of local gastronomic values in our research.

According to research by Rachão et al. [37], the creation of experiences, interaction between tourists and locals, as well as satisfaction with tourism staff affect the level of active participation in food and wine tourism.

In our study, we relied on previous analyses of tourist destinations [38,39,40], gastronomic festivals [41], and gastronomic markets [42]. Hjalager classified travelers into four different groups: recreational, existential, diversionary, and experimental gastronomy tourists [43]. The five segmented groups defined by McKercher et al. [39] are as follows:

• Non-culinary tourists;
• Unlikely culinary tourists;
• Possible culinary tourists;
• Likely culinary tourists;
• Definite culinary tourists.

Examining the attitude of tourists toward wine, Thompson and Prideaux established three tourist groups: (1). Food and wine tourists: tourists who are interested in regional food and drinks; therefore, they consider it important or very important to taste regional food and drinks. (2). Hesitators: tourists who cannot decide whether tasting regional food and wine is essential or not. (3). Tourists without any interest in local food and drinks: tourists who have no gastronomic motivations for visiting a destination and regard it as completely unnecessary to taste local food and drinks [44]. In their research, Pérez-Priego et al. [45] distinguished three different groups of tourists according to their attitudes toward local gastronomy. They have different kinds of inclinations and different levels of gastronomic knowledge. Martín et al. [46] came to the conclusion that tourists’ prior knowledge of local food is one of the most relevant factors, which determines if travelers belong to the group of “gourmets” or “non-food tourists”.

2.4. Tourist Experiences in Heritage Tourism

In due consideration of several aspects, more researchers looked into tourists’ impressions of heritage tourism.

Çiftçi and Çizel believe that experience quality is of great importance for tourists and shapes their attitudes in every single respect [47]. As for the creation of offers meeting market expectations, it is essential to understand the experiences and behavioral intentions of tourists who visit heritage sites and destinations [32,48]. Regarding consumer experience, Brodie et al. [49] and Hollebeek reported a positive relationship between increasing engagement and satisfaction [50]. Based on the analysis of the interviews, Rasoolimanesh et al. [51] also concluded a study concerning heritage that explored whether visitor engagement, authenticity, and destination image positively influence the memorability of the visitors’ experiences. In terms of payment, the results from Ge et al. [52] suggest that tourists are more likely to pay for recreational services than for the use of natural attractions.

Our research is supported by Prayag et al. [53], who state that there are a lot of studies about the motivations of visitors triggering them to go to heritage sites, but the types of tourists visiting these sites have been less investigated so far. Koufodontis and Gaki found that macro-level features do not play a significant role, while micro-level factors remarkably influence the knowledge of tourists and locals about UNESCO designation [54]. As for the attitude of tourists toward cultural attractions, Alexandros and Jaffry claim that travelers are willing to contribute to the improvement in the quality of information disclosed about cultural heritage sites. They support the use of audiovisual materials onsite and the smart management of tourism congestion [55]. Prayag et al. analyzed the motivations of heritage tourists. According to their results, there are two motivation clusters: “General tourists” and “Heritage tourists” [53]. Pursuant to the research of Csurgó and Smith, tourists also support the development of destinations in Hungary (Őrség), e.g., through their demand for local and authentic experiences (e.g., festivals or popular gastronomic programs) [27]. Based on the above results, we examined if heritage elements are eligible for classification by taking their importance into account as perceived by tourists.

3. Materials and Methods

In this research, we used quantitative methods. Research data were gained between 1 September and 30 October 2023. The survey aims to examine how well people know the culinary, natural, and architectural heritage of the County of Győr-Moson-Sopron. The main goal of this study was to reveal attitudes shown by tourists during their travels. When performing our quantitative research, we analyzed the respondents’ willingness to travel and visit tourist attractions, their specific expenditures, and their intention to participate in various events. The sample is not representative, although all Hungarian counties were involved in the survey. The respondents were randomly selected from Hungary and Slovakia (near the Hungarian border). The formal questionnaire was divided into three parts. The expenditure made by the responders was measured in HUF (Hungarian currency) on a nine-point Likert scale, (from HUF 2000 to over HUF 10,000), and their travel willingness was assessed using a four-point Likert scale. Architectural, natural, and cultural heritage as well as participation in gastronomic events were measured on a 4-point Likert scale. A score of “one” meant clear refusal based on the analysis of the interviews, and a score of “four” represented the highest possible level of appreciation. Issues such as decision-making, distances, and information about events were assigned to the first block (seven questions) like participation in gastronomic events in the County of Győr-Moson-Sopron (five questions), visits to cultural attractions (eleven questions), visiting natural heritage sites (five questions), becoming familiar with the architectural heritage (thirteen questions), and leisure activities (nine questions). All in all, nineteen questions were asked. In addition to demographic data (age, gender, education level, residence, and income), the questions of the questionnaire can be divided into three groups. In the first block, the respondents’ knowledge of the gastronomy of the County of Győr-Moson-Sopron, decision-making, obtaining information, and travel distances were reviewed. In the second block, the travel habits of tourists and their participation in gastronomic programs were analyzed. In the third block, the prioritization of built, cultural, and natural heritage as well as leisure activities was examined.

First, we performed data reduction (principal component analysis). From the forty-one dependent variables, we obtained seven clear factors for the analysis. These factors are indicated in

Table 1. Reliability.

Dependent Variables	Cronbach’s Alpha
Fishing in Kisalföld	0.904
Attending the Spirit Days in Győr	0.899
Attending the Chocolate Days in Győr	0.898
Attending the “Győrkőc” Festival	0.898
Attending the Csobolyó Folk Dance Ensemble show	0.897
Attending the Wine Days in Győr	0.897
Attending the Baroque Wedding Show in Győr	0.896
Visiting Lake Fertő	0.896
Visiting the 5 Temples Festival in Győr	0.896
Walking tour	0.895
Visiting the castle in Mosonmagyaróvár	0.895
Visiting the Castle of Győr	0.895
Visiting the Wine Region of Sopron	0.895
Visiting the city center of Sopron and the Fire Tower	0.895
Attending the 4 Seasons Festival in Győr	0.895
Visiting the Pannontáj-Sokoró Nature Park	0.894
Visiting the Fertő-Hanság Nature Park	0.894

.

The age groups were established based on the age bands defined by the Population Research Institute of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office: children, followed by adults between 15 and 59 years, and elderly people (60 years and older). “The group of adults is usually broken down into two further classes: 15–39 for younger adults and 40–59 for older adults”.

Cross-tabulation analyses suggest that the target group of middle-aged people is the most receptive to natural and cultural attractions in the area. The gastronomic knowledge of each age group was investigated. An important aspect of the review was the gender-based analysis of the attitude toward religious attractions. The research provided useful information for the sustainable development of tourist segmentation at tourist destinations.

The data were processed via an IBM SPSS 25.0 in which unary operations (descriptive statistical analysis, situation indicators, average, mode, dispersion measures, standard deviation, and variability), and factor and correlation analyses were performed. The reliability of the questionnaire (exemption of random errors) and consistency were tested with Cronbach’s Alpha. All possible combinations of the questions in the questionnaire were assessed. The coefficient of reliability can be a number between 0 and 1; the closer the coefficient is to 1, the more reliable the data of the survey are. If the coefficient is between 0.9 and 1, the data are excellent; between 0.8 and 0.9 the data are good; between 0.7 and 0.8, the data are acceptable; between 0.6 and 0.7, the data are acceptable; between 0.5 and 0.6, the data are weak; and a coefficient below 0.5 is considered unacceptable [56]. These data are shown in Table 1.

When formulating the hypothesis, we focused on gender and age groups among the socio-demographic data because we wanted to determine whether these dependent variables influence tourists’ attitudes toward tourism and built and natural heritage or not.

This study seeks to find the answers to the following hypotheses:

H1: 

Middle-aged people have the greatest willingness to travel to heritage sites (natural, architectural, and folk art) in the County of Győr-Moson-Sopron.

H2: 

Gastronomic heritage is best known by middle-aged people.

H3: 

Men and women are equally interested in the religious heritage site of Pannonhalma.

H4: 

In terms of heritage, architectural heritage and folklore also appear as a separate factor of tourism.

4. Results

The male population was represented on a level of 34.1%, while the female part accounted for 65.9% of the total sample. As for the age, respondents were divided into three groups. Respondents belonging to the young generation (between 16 and 39 years) represented 73.7% of the sample, middle-aged people (40 to 59 years) 23.0%, and elderly people (over 60 years) constituted 3.3%. Most of the respondents had high-school graduation (60.7%), followed by people having a master’s or bachelor’s degree (21.6%, including doctoral degree), and persons having attended elementary school, only (3.3%). As far as the participants’ residence types, most of the respondents live in towns (63.0%), followed by suburban areas (33.2%), and the Hungarian capital, Budapest (3.6%). These data are shown in

Table 2. Distribution of the test sample.

Variable	Person	Distribution (%)
Sex
Male	227	34.1
Female	439	65.9
Age
Youngsters (between 16 and 39 years)	491	73.7
Middle-aged (between 40 and 59 years)	153	23.0
Elderly (over 60 years)	22	3.3
Education level
Higher education	143	21.6
Secondary	410	60.7
Primary	113	17.0
Residence
Capital	24	3.6
Town	420	63.0
Suburban area	222	33.3

.

4.1. Descriptive Statistics

A total of 5 of the 13 architectural heritage sites are linked to religion. The buildings of the Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma have had UNESCO World Heritage designation since 1996. On average, 3.13 people visit this heritage site. The Roman Catholic church in Szany is visited by 2.20 people on average.

4.2. Natural Heritage

As far as natural heritage is concerned, Lake Fertő is the most popular among those who filled in the questionnaire: 3.11 on average; the least popular site is the 700-year-old oak tree in Hédervár with an average of 2.44.

4.3. Cultural Heritage

Tourists would rather attend the Baroque Wedding Show in Győr than the performance of the Csutora folk dance group in Szigetköz.

4.4. Leisure Activities

Fishing in the county is the least preferred activity and guided walking tours in cities are the most popular.

4.5. Gastronomy

As for gastronomy, food is more favored than drinks.

In the survey, 666 respondents were asked to complete the questionnaire and all of them were validated. Three different age groups were defined based on biological criteria. Young respondents belonged to the group consisting of people between 16 and 39 years, the second group was middle-aged respondents between 40 and 59, and senior respondents belonged to the third group.

4.6. Personal Characteristics

Sex: there is no significant difference between the representatives of the two sexes in terms of knowledge about special regional food. The same applies to the expenditures. Religion is more important to women than men, who are more interested in abbeys and churches (significant differences). Regarding active tourism, only in cycling is there no difference between the sexes (sig.: 0.199). But in the case of the other dependent variables, a significant difference is found (only in the case of fishing, the average of men is higher (2.50) than that of women (2.15)). Rowing on the Moson Danube has a significance of 0.004, riding in Hédervár shows a significance of 0.003, and guided walking tours in cities have a significance of 0.000.

Age: There is a significant difference between the age groups regarding the willingness to travel: middle-aged people are more interested in traveling, followed by elderly people, and youngsters rank third. The same applies to the expenditures. The gastronomic values of all three landscape units are known to the senior (oldest) age group, followed by middle-aged people and youngsters.

Education level: Education does not affect how well-informed tourists are about the events.

Willingness to travel to the events: Regarding education and age, there is no significant difference: x² = 55.700. d = 12. sig.: 0.000. after x² = 14.424. d = 4. sig.: 0.006. In terms of residence and gender, there are no significant differences.

In our research, we segmented tourists based on their willingness to participate in tourism and gastronomic activities and analyzed the resulting profiles. Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) > 0.6 and the p-value in Bartlett’s test is less than 0.01 (p < 0.01). It shows that the scale is suitable for continuous factor analysis. Moreover, when the coefficient is above 0.60 (0.817), the questionnaire has a high level of reliability and continuous analysis can be retained. Factor analysis is one of the possible methods of multivariate statistical analysis; it defines the structure and generates more data (data reduction) so that factors carry as much information as possible. Only variables with an eigenvalue higher than 1 were reviewed. The SPSS 25.0 program created five variables from the original set of forty-one variables. During the factor analysis, the rotated matrix had seven main components. It reached the required elbow level of 60.0% (65.825%), which is accepted in social sciences. This main component allows 40.715% of the total variance. For the second factor, we found seven dependent variables. This main factor enables 7.880% of the total variance. In the third factor, there are five dependent variables, and the main factor explains 5.159% of the total variance. In the fourth factor, five variables can be found, which allow 3.631% of the total variance. In the fifth factor, four variables explain 3.248% of the total variance. In the sixth factor, four variables can be differentiated, which explains 2.771% of the total variance. In the seventh factor, there are two variables, which explain 2.421% of the total variance.

There are no differences between gender and gastronomic events. Folklore museum x² = 9.839. d = 3. p = 0.020. Local sightseeing x² = 17.58. d = 3. p = 0.001.

H1: 

Middle-aged people have the greatest willingness to travel to heritage sites (natural, architectural, and folklore heritage) in the County of Győr-Moson-Sopron.

Since the Chi-square is 0.006 (x² = 14.424. d = 4. sig.: 0.006), it is significant, which means that H0 is rejected. There is a significant difference between the age groups and their willingness to travel.

Table 3. Cross-tabulation.

			Distance Encoded			Total
			Under 20 km	Between 21 and 40 km	Over 51 km
Generations	Youngsters between 16 and 39 years	Count	127	148	212	487
		Expected count	119.9	134.6	232.5	487.0
		% within generations	26.1%	30.4%	43.5%	100.0%
	Middle-aged (between 40 and 59 years)	Count	30	30	93	153
		Expected count	37.7	42.3	73.0	153.0
		% within generations	19.6%	19.6%	60.8%	100.0%
	Elderly (over 60 years)	Count	6	5	11	22
		Expected count	5.4	6.1	10.5	22.0
		% within generations	27.3%	22.7%	50.0%	100.0%
Total		Count	163	183	316	662
		Expected count	163.0	183.0	316.0	662.0
		% within generations	24.6%	27.6%	47.7%	100.0%

shows the willingness of respondents to travel, showing that all all three age groups prefer to travel over 51 km. Accordingly, hypothesis H1 can be accepted because the mean of middle-aged people is the highest (5.31), which means that they are willing to travel up to 40 km to visit a destination. The mean values of elderly people and youngsters are almost equal: in the case of elderly people, it is higher (4.86). As for the youngsters, this figure is 4.84. This means that youngsters are willing to travel up to 30 km to see a destination. As for the results of our primary research, it is obvious that these figures are similar to the findings of Antón et al. [57], with a mean between 30 and 44, as well as the results gained by Remoaldo et al. [58], with a mean between 26 and 45 years. The same applies to Huh et al. [59], who established a mean between 38 and 47.

H2: 

The gastronomic heritage is well known among middle-aged people.

We examined if there are any regional differences in tourists’ knowledge of gastronomic values. There is a significant difference regarding the age groups in all three regions. Elderly people know Szigetköz best (

Table 4. Descriptives.

			N	Mean	Std. Deviation	Std. Error	95% Confidence Interval for Mean		Minimum	Maximum	Between Component Variance
							Lower Bound	Upper Bound
The gastronomic traditions of Szigetköz	Youngsters between 16 and 39 years		491	2.95	1.200	0.054	2.84	3.05	1	5
	Middle-aged (between 40 and 59 years)		153	3.16	1.193	0.096	2.97	3.35	1	5
	Elderly (over 60 years)		22	3.68	1.129	0.241	3.18	4.18	1	5
	Total		666	3.02	1.204	0.047	2.93	3.11	1	5
	Model	Fixed effects			1.196	0.046	2.93	3.11
		Random effects				0.173	2.28	3.76			0.046
Gastronomic traditions of Rábaköz	Youngsters between 16 and 39 years		491	2.34	1.121	0.051	2.24	2.44	1	5
	Middle-aged (between 40 and 59 years)		153	2.71	1.180	0.095	2.52	2.89	1	5
	Elderly (over 60 years)		22	3.23	1.270	0.271	2.66	3.79	1	5
	Total		666	2.45	1.158	0.045	2.37	2.54	1	5
	Model	Fixed effects			1.140	0.044	2.37	2.54
		Random effects				0.248	1.39	3.52			0.099
Gastronomic traditions of Sopron and its neighborhood	Youngsters between 16 and 39 years		491	2.30	1.105	0.050	2.20	2.40	1	5
	Middle-aged (between 40 and 59 years)		153	2.46	1.118	0.090	2.29	2.64	1	5
	Elderly (over 60 years)		22	3.05	1.362	0.290	2.44	3.65	1	5
	Total		666	2.36	1.125	0.044	2.27	2.45	1	5
	Model	Fixed effects			1.117	0.043	2.28	2.45
		Random effects				0.165	1.65	3.07			0.043

). In our opinion, age plays an important role in the knowledge of gastronomic traditions. As the oldest age group knows the foods of each landscape unit (Szigetköz with a mean of 3.68, Rábaköz having a mean of 3.23, and Sopron showing a mean of 3.05), this hypothesis has to be rejected. Each region demonstrates a significant difference as shown in

Table 5. ANOVA analysis.

		Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
The gastronomic traditions of Szigetköz	Between groups	15.260	2	7.630	5.333	0.005
	Within groups	948.523	663	1.431
	Total	963.784	665
The gastronomic traditions of Rábaköz	Between groups	29.229	2	14.615	11.243	0.000
	Within groups	861.828	663	1.300
	Total	891.057	665
The gastronomic traditions of Sopron and its surroundings	Between groups	13.920	2	6.960	5.576	0.004
	Within groups	827.593	663	1.248
	Total	841.514	665

.

H3: 

Men and women are equally interested in the religious heritage offered by Pannonhalma.

We wanted to determine if gender and visits to religious heritage sites showed any significance. Since the Chi-square is 0.000 (x² = 26.920, d = 3, sig.: 0.000), which indicates significance, H0 needs to be rejected because of the mean accounting for 2.37 in the case of men and 2.55 in the case of female respondents (

Table 6. Cross-tabulation.

			Visit to the Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma				Total
			I Will Not Visit It	Maybe, I Will Visit It	I Will Visit It Once	If I Could, I Would Visit It More Times
Your gender	Female	Count	20	34	205	180	439
		Expected count	24.4	44.8	217.5	152.3	439.0
		% within your gender	4.6%	7.7%	46.7%	41.0%	100.0%
	Male	Number	17	34	125	51	227
		Expected count	12.6	23.2	112.5	78.7	227.0
		% within your gender	7.5%	15.0%	55.1%	22.5%	100.0%
Total		Count	37	68	330	231	666
		Expected count	37.0	68.0	330.0	231.0	666.0
		% within your gender	5.6%	10.2%	49.5%	34.7%	100.0%

and

Table 7. Chi-square tests.

	Value	df	Asymptotic Significance (2-Sided)
Pearson Chi-Square	26.920 a	3	0.000
Likelihood Ratio	27.508	3	0.000
Linear-by-Linear association	22.886	1	0.000
N of valid cases	666

^a 0 cells (0.0%) have an expected count of less than 5. The minimum expected count is 12.61.

).

H4: 

Architectural heritage sites also appear as a separate tourism factor.

As shown in

Table 8. Factor analyses.

	Component
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Factors
Attending the Csutora Folk Dance Show in Szigetköz CV (county values)	0.836							Heritage sites (architectural heritage, folklore, and untouched nature)
Visiting the Bokréta Folk Dance show in Szany CV	0.807
Visiting the Csobolyó Folk Dance show CV	0.782
Attending the Rába Folk Dance Ensemble show CV	0.781
Visiting the church in Szany CV	0.771
Visiting the chapel “Holy Cross” in Mosonmagyaróvár	0.727
Watching the artificers in Bősárkány (mat processing) CV	0.677
Admiring the 700-year-old oak tree in Hédervár CV	0.661
Visiting the Carmelite church in Győr	0.653
Visiting the Premonstratensian Abbey in Csorna CV	0.638
Attending the Five Temples Festival in Győr	0.617
Visiting the cathedral in Győr CV	0.614
Attending a performance of the Ballet Ensemble of Győr CV	0.537
Visiting the Moson Danube floodplain	0.413
Visiting the Eszterházy castle in Fertőd		0.790						Castles and parks
Visiting the city center of Sopron and the Fire Tower CV		0.748
visiting the Széchenyi Castle in Nagycenk		0.616
Hiking tours and guided walking tours in the city castle		0.614
Visiting the Fertő-Hanság Nature Park NE (natural environment)		0.585
Visiting the castle in Mosonmagyaróvár CV		0.568
Walking tour in the city		0.521
Attending the Wine Days in Győr. Fröccs–H (Hungaricum)			0.848					Gastronomy
Attending the Spirit Days in Győr			0.782
Wine-tasting in the Wine Region of Pannonhalma HNV (Hungarian National Values)			0.750
Visiting the Wine Region Sopron CV			0.650
Visiting the Chocolate Days in Győr			0.505
Visiting the “Győrkőc” Festival CV				0.689				Urban programs
Attending the Baroque Wedding in Győr CV				0.672
Visiting the castle of Győr CV				0.574
Visiting the 4 Seasons Festival in Győr				0.570
Visiting the Vienna Gate Square in Győr				0.457
Visiting the Szigetköz Nature Park					0.711			Countryside
Visiting the Pannontáj-Sokoró Nature Park					0.705
Visiting the wine cellars in Táp					0.592
Visiting a country house in Tényő					0.591
Fishing in Kisalföld						0.632		Activities
Riding in Hédervár						0.621
Rowing on Moson Danube						0.563
Cycling in Szigetköz						0.551
Attending a match of Audi ETO KC CV							0.477	Experience
Visiting the Water Adventure Park and Spa in Győr							0.457
Own values	40.715	7.880	5.159	3.631	3.248	2.771	2.421
% variance explained	20.535	14.008	7.921	7.335	6.794	6.200	3.032
% variance cumulative	20.535	34.543	42.464	49.799	56.593	62.793	65.825
Cronbach’s Alpha	0.950	0.883	0.857	0.801	0.878	0.756	0.556
Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling	0.956

Extraction method: principal component analysis. Rotation method: Varimax with Kaiser normalization. Rotation converged in 5 iterations. Bartlett’s test of sphericity: Chi-squared = 21,549.99. d = 946 sig. (0.000). Extraction method: principal component analysis; rotation method: Varimax with Kaiser normalization. Cronbach’s Alpha: internal consistency.

, the first factor includes those respondents for whom folklore, architectural, religious, and natural heritage of the region is important. Thereby, hypothesis 4 can be accepted. As a result, seven clear factors were created (

Table 9. Names of the factors.

Factors	Name
1.	Heritage (folklore, architectural heritage, and unspoiled nature)
2.	Castles and parks
3.	Gastronomy
4.	Urban programs
5.	Countryside
6.	Activities
7.	Experience

).

5. Discussion

Based on interest in cultural heritage, different authors identified different age groups based on the socio-demographic variables, which were reviewed in our research. Zhang et al. [60] identified tourists between the ages of 21 and 35 as people showing the greatest interest in heritage tourism; Antón et al. [57] identified tourists between 30 and 44; Remoaldo et al. [58] identified people between 26 and 45; Huh et al. [59] found travelers between 38 and 47 to be most interested in heritage tourism; while Correia et al. [61] and Ramires et al. [14] described people above 45 as highly enthusiastic about heritage tourism. Our research findings are confirmed by the socio-demographic studies of Antón et al. [57] with an age group composed of people between 30 and 44. The research of Remoaldo et al. [58], with an age group comprising travelers between 26 and 45 years, and the study of Huh et al. [59], with an age group having people between 38 and 47, also support our findings. However, Adie [15] has shown in his research that this correlation does not apply to World Heritage sites. In our research, we also did not find any significance in terms of age groups and Pannonhalma.

However, the above-mentioned researchers did not look into the travel distances that tourists cover to visit particular sights and attractions. When examining hypothesis H1, it is obvious that our analysis also encompassed the travel distance as an essential factor. The mean of middle-aged people is the highest (5.31). This suggests that they are willing to travel up to 40 km to visit a destination. It has been shown that demographic analyses can be extended to the travel distance as well. A new finding of the research is the definition of the heritage scope, which can be taken into account when planning and working out travel packages. When examining the gastronomic heritage (H2), we found that there is a discrepancy in the demand approach of the previous research. In our research, tourists’ knowledge was analyzed, in contrast to Ramires et al. [14] who focused on the interests of travelers. In our opinion, the knowledge of gastronomic values and heritage is a primary aspect because it determines the content of the communication strategy. Perez-Galvez et al. [42] investigated the role of food perception in generating tourist satisfaction, but they did not pay attention to the gastronomic knowledge of tourists. Our study is supported by the research of Martín et al. [46], who subdivided the gourmet and non-food segments on the basis of prior knowledge but did not assign this correlation to any age group.

Several authors have examined the connection between gender and cultural attractiveness among socio-demographic variables. The researchers obtained different results that partly differ from our findings related to gender (H3), which suggests that women have a higher preference for cultural destinations (Vong and Ung [62]; Nguyen–Cheung [63]; Remoaldo et al. [58]; Ramires, et al. [14]). Other studies have come to the same conclusion about men (Correia et al. [61]; Antón et al. [57]; Chen and Huang [64]; Adie and Hall [15]). In Adie’s research, both sexes have a significant role in World Heritage tourism. In our research, we analyzed the intention of visiting religious heritage sites in due consideration of gender in contrast to the above-mentioned researchers who examined cultural heritage. We have shown that the socio-demographic review of religious heritage is of particular importance. Gender segmentation helps to improve marketing communication by highlighting the female groups.

Some authors, such as Zhang et al. [60], have defined factors, e.g., historical period, rarity, size of the cultural heritage site, and scenic character. Unlike the above-mentioned study, we classified the factors according to the interest shown toward the topics (H4). In our research, we have shown that new factors can be defined according to the strength of tourists’ intention to visit the heritage sites. In addition to demand segmentation, information also helps to position heritage products.

6. Conclusions

In our research, we investigated the demand of tourists for visiting the tourist attractions of a county in western Hungary (Győr-Moson-Sopron). Hungary’s population is 0.13% of the world’s total population, with Hungary ranking 93rd in the list of countries by population in 2023. A total of 68.3% of the population is urban, and the median age in Hungary is 42 years. The population of the County of Győr-Moson-Sopron is 471,309, of which 230,136 are male and 24,123 female [65].

The destination was chosen because of its rich natural and architectural heritage. The presence of the Szigetköz Nature Park and the World Heritage sites (Fertő-Hanság National Park, Pannonhalma Abbey) require responsible tourism planning that is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. An essential aspect of sustainability is the knowledge of tourists’ characteristics and the highest possible consideration of these features in marketing. Great emphasis on sustainability has to be made in order to control tourist traffic and avoid mass tourism.

We examined if there is a significant connection between age groups in terms of their willingness to learn about natural and cultural attractions. The findings of the research show that the target group consisting of middle-aged people is the most receptive to the information of these attractions. They represent a wide group, which can be used for segmentation purposes, where great emphasis should be put on meeting family needs. Considering that the younger target group is looking for activities and special experiences, the older age group is more receptive to heritage visits. Our research findings are supported by the socio-demographic studies of Antón et al. [57], who found that the older age group consists of tourists between the ages of 30 and 44. According to Remoaldo et al. [58], this age group is composed of people between 26 and 45 years; according to Huh et al. [59], between 38 and 47. The above-mentioned findings are confirmed by the research of Adie et al. [15], which shows that visits to heritage sites are associated with age groups, but visits to World Heritage sites are not. We confirmed the correlation that target groups of heritage sites and World Heritage sites are different in this respect. In the case of the target marketing of heritage sites in counties, it is possible to focus on middle-aged people to a larger extent than in the case of Pannonhalma. The target group is willing to travel up to 40 km to visit regional sights and attractions. Accordingly, tourists coming from places lying east of the county border should also be considered. The new findings of this study have important practical implications for the identification of destination areas. For this reason, Pannonhalma, a World Heritage Site in the region, could be a primary destination for cross-border (e.g., Slovak) target groups in international tourism.

The next result and novelty of this research are linked to the age-related knowledge of gastronomic heritage. In this respect, significance was found in the age group composed of elderly people in the county. In contrast to Ramires et al., and similarly to Martin et al., gastronomic attitudes were examined based on the travelers’ prior knowledge. In the case of younger and primarily middle-aged target groups, we learned that more emphasis should be put on raising awareness of traditional products. For elderly people, it is only necessary to revive traditions because they have a basic knowledge of regional food and drink specialties. Another result of the research is that two target groups can be addressed specifically regarding religious heritage in terms of gender. In contrast to the findings of the above-mentioned researchers, female target groups showed great interest in the Abbey of Pannonhalma.

Based on the interest shown by the tourists, seven factors of attraction were identified in the destination in question, namely heritage sites, castles and parks, gastronomic culture, urban programs, countryside, activities, and experience. As for product segmentation, it is proposed to offer the target groups programs that include the above-mentioned factors. According to Table 8, cultural and built attractions are the most important. Cultural heritage (folk dance) has the highest factor scores, so it is the most relevant factor in the survey, followed by built heritage (castles) and their parks. Gastronomy ranks third.

Future prospects of this research include performing K-means cluster analysis using the results of the factor analysis. When drawing up the research plan, the results of the quantitative research will have to be complemented by the findings of the qualitative research, in which views of managers (structured interview results) of the service sector will be compared with the results of our quantitative research.