science popular tourism resources; (4) service conditions, including infrastructure (communication, power supply, water supply), service conditions (accommodation and other services), and equipment conditions; and (5) location conditions, including accessibility and traffic conditions (road conditions, convenience, safety).

**Figure 1.** Distribution of areas of Guangzhou University Town.

#### 2.2.1. Size and Capacity

The tourism environmental capacity was determined according to the area capacity method considering theories in ecology, environmental protection, tourism, sociology, economics, and education, and national regulations and relevant norms, which determine tourism environmental capacity (e.g., Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China) [57–62]. The three methods of estimating tourism environmental capacity are the area capacity method, the route capacity method, and the chokepoint capacity method. Each of these methods are more applicable to different tourism scenic areas and tourism environments. Therefore, when conducting tourism environment capacity estimation, it is necessary to first determine the type of tourism functional area or tourism environment and then determine the basic parameters according to the characteristics of different tourism environments. Science tourism in Guangzhou University Town includes ten famous universities, cultural monuments from the Han and Tang dynasties to the present day, and other high-quality resources. The attractions are mainly distributed in blocks and the touring method is primarily based on land, so it is suitable to use the area capacity method for estimation.

$$\mathbf{C} = (\mathbf{A}/\mathbf{a}) \times \mathbf{D}$$

where C is the daily environmental capacity in person-times, A is the visitable area in m2, a is the reasonable area or minimum area that each visitor should occupy in m2, and D is the turnover rate (time the site is open, or the time required to complete the site)**.**

The area capacity method calculates the daily environmental capacity of the touring area according to the formula based on indicators, such as the tourist area of the science tourism area, space reasonably occupied by visitors, opening hours, and time required for touring.

#### 2.2.2. Environmental Level

Combined with relevant studies [63–66], since the vegetation in the university town is arranged by each university according to the campus pattern and the needs of science popularization, the normalized vegetation index (NDVI), a method of calculating the vegetation coverage degree by combining the red and near-infrared bands according to the spectral characteristics of vegetation, was used to calculate the vegetation distribution of Guangzhou University Town and to assess the greening degree of each science popularization tourist site.

$$\text{NDVI} = (\text{NIR} - \text{R})/(\text{NIR} + \text{R})$$

where NIR is the reflection value in the near-infrared band and R is the reflection value in the red band. The calculated NDVI index is less than 0 for water bodies, 0 for buildings, and greater than 0 for vegetation and these values can be used to classify the land use of Guangzhou University Town into these three types.

#### 2.2.3. Resource Level

The resource level refers to the current science tourism resources in the tourism area. Combining the results of recent research on science popularization tourism resources in China [67] and the characteristics of the object and the scale of the study, the science popularization tourism resources in this study were defined as either facilities with knowledge science popularization value (e.g., science popularization bases, exhibition halls, ecological gardens, and historical and cultural sites) or activities with knowledge science popularization value in fixed places (e.g., student bijou exhibitions, stalls displaying the achievements of associations). Popular science tourism resources are an essential indicator for assessing whether a tourist destination has the value of popular science tourism. The importance of popular science tourism development in tourist destinations with popular science tourism resources is often higher than that in those without popular science tourism resources. If a tourist destination has fewer science tourism resources, it is necessary to invest in tourism development to enhance the value of tourism in the destination.

#### 2.2.4. Service Conditions

Combined with the characteristics of science tourism in Guangzhou University Town and based on the principles of scientificity and operability, this study used catering as an evaluation factor to evaluate the level of service conditions in each block of Guangzhou University Town. Considering that universities differ from traditional tourism industry subjects, some elements from previous studies on science tourism [25,68] were not suitable as reference factors for evaluation. However, since popular science tourism has tourism at its essence, catering was included in the evaluation of service conditions as the evaluation standard. The primary method of the assessment was the use of Arcadia. The preliminary evaluation method used ArcGIS tools to create three levels of buffers on each tourist area and overlay them with the dining area to obtain the distance between each tourist location and the nearest dining area.

#### 2.2.5. Location Conditions

In evaluating the location conditions of science tourism, the convenience of transportation plays a crucial role as it affects tourists' choice of science tourism destination [69–71]. Guangzhou University Town is included in a four-in-one urban transportation system, which includes "Guangzhou highway transportation (Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway and Central City Express Line), rail transportation (Metro Line 4 and Metro Line 7 'cross intersection'), general road transportation, and broadband network information transportation". The diverse transport needs of university towns can be met to the greatest extent possible within these network systems. The university town is ideally located in a central position between some of Guangzhou's major scenic spots, such as the Whampoa Military

Academy, Yu Yin Shan Fang, Bao Mo Yuan, Xiang Jiang Safari Park, Chang Long Happy World, Pazhou International Convention, and Exhibition Center, and Guangzhou Bio Island, making it a unique tourist location. Therefore, this study used GIS to calculate the nearest distance by road from each plot of Guangzhou University Town to University Town North Station, University Town South Station, and Nansha Express University Town Exit to analyze the locational relationship.

#### *2.3. Determination of Evaluation Index Weights and Consistency Test* 2.3.1. Construction of Judgment Matrix

We used the "1 to 3 scale method" [71–76] to construct the judgment matrix, with 1, 2, and 3 indicating that the indicator is equally important, more important, and obviously more important than the other when comparing two indicators; the inverse shows the opposite comparison of the two indicators. According to the evaluation hierarchy model, judgment matrices of the suitability of science tourism sites and the location conditions were constructed. Professors from several schools and organizations, including Guangzhou University, South China Human Geography, Urban Development Research Centre, and Nanning Normal University, were then invited to discuss and determine the final assigned values (Table 2).

**Table 2.** Hierarchical model and index weights for the suitability evaluation of popular science tourism in Guangzhou University Town.

#### 2.3.2. Calculating the Weights of Each Evaluation Index

The nth root of the product of the elements of each row of the judgment matrix were calculated to obtain the square root vector Ti:

$$\mathbf{T\_i} = \sqrt[n]{\prod\_{\mathbf{k}=1}^n \chi\_{\mathbf{ik}\prime}} \left( \mathbf{i} = 1, 2, \ldots, \mathbf{n} \right) \tag{1}$$

where n is the number of evaluation factors and Xik (i = 1, 2, ... , n; k = 1, 2, ... , n) is the judgment value obtained by comparing the relative importance of the ith indicator with that of the kth indicator.

The square root vector Ti was normalized to obtain the relative weight value of each indicator in the layer close to a particular indicator in the upper layer.

$$\mathbf{W\_{i}} = \frac{\mathbf{T\_{i}}}{\sum\_{i=1}^{n} \mathbf{T\_{i}}}, (\mathbf{i} = 1, 2, \dots, \mathbf{n}) \tag{2}$$

#### 2.3.3. Consistency Test

The results obtained using the hierarchical analysis method were tested for consistency across the judgment matrices to ensure the reasonableness and reliability of the results.

The maximum characteristic root λmax was calculated using:

$$
\lambda\_{\text{max}} = \sum\_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{n\text{W}\_{\text{i}}} \sum\_{i=1}^{n} \mathbb{X}\_{\text{i}\textsubscript{\text{j}}} \mathsf{W}\_{\text{j}} \tag{3}
$$

Consistency indicators were calculated using:

$$\mathcal{I}\_{\mathbb{C}} = \binom{\lambda\_{\max} - 1}{} \bigg/ \tag{4}$$

Stochastic consistency ratio RC was calculated using:

$$\mathbf{R\_{C}} = \begin{array}{c} \mathbf{I\_{C}} \\ \\ \mathbf{I\_{R}} \end{array} \Big/ \begin{array}{c} \\ \\ \mathbf{I\_{R}} \end{array} \tag{5}$$

IR is an average random consistency indicator. If RC < 0.100, the judgment matrix passed the consistency test. The RC of the evaluation hierarchy model constructed in this study was 0.000, which passed the consistency test.

#### 2.3.4. Calculation of Suitability Scores

Based on the weights of the obtained evaluation indicators, the scores of the different evaluation factors for each tourism site in the university town were determined. The sum of the indices for each tourism site was derived according to the following formula:

$$\mathbf{A} = \sum\_{i=1}^{n} \mathbf{P\_i} \mathbf{A\_i} \ (\mathbf{i} = 1, 2, \dots, \mathbf{n}) \tag{6}$$

where A is the index sum of the evaluation factors of a tourism plot, Pi is the weight of the ith evaluation factor, Ai is the score of the I evaluation factor, and n is the number of evaluation factors. Once the evaluation factor index and the evaluation factor of each plot were obtained, the potential level criteria could be assigned separately to determine the level of each plot.

#### *2.4. Data Sources*

This study used 2018 index data of Guangzhou University Town obtained from geographic data platforms, including 2018 Guangzhou Landsat 8 remote sensing images obtained from the geospatial data cloud free download, with an accuracy of 30 m × 30 m, fieldwork, and questionnaires. Data on science resources were collected from the official websites of universities during university town and field visits. Data on tourism resources were collected by visiting tourist attractions in the town and recording the opening situation and number of attractions. The dataset contained nearly all the data on science and tourism resources. After researching the distribution of catering, it was found that due to the strict management of the university town, almost all food and beverage outlets were concentrated in several areas, as discussed in Section 3.4.

Interviews with pedestrians were obtained through field research conducted on multiple days from November to December 2020. We counted the number of people at the main entrances and exits of each university during weekends during the same period to ensure the scientific validity of the data. In addition, we randomly distributed questionnaires and collected 120 valid questionnaires through various means. The results of the questionnaire are presented in Section 3.6.

#### **3. Results**

#### *3.1. Comparative Analysis of Daily Environmental Capacity*

The environmental capacity of science tourism in Guangzhou University Town was calculated according considering the minimum area of 601 m2 per visitor as stipulated in the Planning Code for Scenic Areas; the number of visitors that can be accommodated in each plot is shown in Figure 2, with a total capacity of 129,108 visitors per day. The areas with high daily environmental degrees were mainly located in the Central Lake, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou Chinese Medicine and Pharmaceutical, and Sun Yat-sen University plots. The Guangzhou University, Sun Yatsen University, and South China University of Technology plots had advantages in terms

of visitor capacity, whereas the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and the western part of Guangzhou International Innovation City plots had the lowest daily environmental capacity and could not accommodate many visitors, which is a disadvantage for these plots as prospective science tourism bases.

**Figure 2.** The daily environmental capacity of Guangzhou University Town (601 m2 per person).

#### *3.2. Comparison of Environmental Level*

Table 3 of the land-use of Guangzhou University Town shows that the proportions of the areas of vegetation, buildings, and water bodies in Guangzhou University Town are 40%, 52%, and 8%, respectively. The total proportion of green areas and water bodies was 48%. Overall, Guangzhou University Town has high vegetation cover and a high degree of greenery, which is suitable for tourism and leisure.

**Table 3.** Land use of Guangzhou University Town.

The land use of each plot shows that the environmental levels of natural science resources were significantly higher than those of human science resources. The highest percentage of vegetation was found in park-type plots, such as Wan Jutou Wetland, Chikan Wetland, and Bei Gang Wetland, all located in the outer ring. The Guangdong Science Centre, International Innovation City West, and various other universities had lower percentages of vegetation. The plots with the lowest greenery rate were Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, and Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.

#### *3.3. Distribution of Science Tourism Resources*

The science tourism resources table distribution shows that human science tourism resources are the most critical science resource in Guangzhou University Town. The current natural science tourism resources in the university town are scarce and the degree of development is low. The plots of Guangdong Science Centre and Lingnan Impression Park are rich in science tourism resources. They have the lowest development difficulty and investment cost for developing as science tourism bases. The plots of Guangzhou University, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine—Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Central Lake Park, and Xinghai Conservatory of Music—South China Normal University have some science tourism resources. In contrast, the Wan Jutou Wetland, Chi Kan Wetland, and Bei Gang Wetland plots have the lowest science tourism resources and are the least developed and, therefore, have the most severe difficulty in developing science tourism (Table 4).

**Table 4.** Distribution of Popular Science Resources in Guangzhou University Town.

**Table 4.** *Cont.*

#### *3.4. Location of Tourist Sites and Catering Areas*

The catering distribution map (Figure 3) shows that catering areas in Guangzhou University Town are primarily distributed between the central ring and the inner ring, and that the tourist plots located in this zone have good catering service conditions. All university plots have catering areas and, thus, had the best catering service conditions. Among non-university plots, the plot of Central Lake Park, a relatively high-traffic park in the middle of the island adjacent to several universities, had a catering area within 100 m. The second Mausoleum Museum of the Southern Han Dynasty is close to the living quarters of the South China Normal University and the Guangdong University of Industry; as a result, catering areas can be found within 200 m. The Guangzhou International Innovation City West is close to the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and Guangdong University of Industry and, thus, has catering areas within 300 m. Most of the remaining plots, such as Lingnan Impression Park, Wan Jutou Wetland Park, Chikan Wetland Park, and Bei Gang Wetland Park, are located on the edge of the outer ring, but the living quarters of the major universities are generally located between the inner and middle rounds. In addition, several villages with catering areas are located between the center and outer rings, making it difficult to reach catering areas within 300 m from these plots.

**Figure 3.** Distribution of catering areas of Guangzhou University Town.

#### *3.5. Accessibility of Tourist Areas*

The location table of the Guangzhou University Town tourist area (Table 5) shows that Central Lake Park has the best location conditions and is particularly close to the metro station of Higher Education Mega Center south and north. In contrast, the plots of Guangdong Science Centre, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine—Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Wan Jutou Wetland Park, Chi Kan Wetland Park, and Bei Gang Wetland Park were far from the metro station and highway exit, giving them the worst location conditions and making them relatively inaccessible for tourists.

#### *3.6. Synthesis of Evaluation Results and Validation* 3.6.1. Comprehensive Analysis of Evaluation Results

In this study, through field research, data analysis, expert empowerment, and theory on science tourism resources and supporting facilities, such as transportation and catering of universities and tourist attractions in the university town, a three-level system of potential level (level 1), landscape resource category (level 2), and functional type (level 3) was used to evaluate the science tourism sites in Guangzhou University Town. According to the actual situation of the university town, three tourism place potential levels were determined, that is, tourism places with high (Class I), medium (Class II), and low (Class III) tourism potential (Figure 4). Each university town site was scored according to the evaluation mentioned above. Then, the sum of the evaluation factor scores of the university town sites was calculated. The average sum of the sites' scores was used as the criterion for the corresponding potential level. The sum of the scores for each factor was the weighted index sum. Tourist sites with sums of evaluation factor scores higher than 3.1 were classified as Class I, those with scores from 2.4–3.1 were Class II, and less than 2.4 were Class III.

**Figure 4.** Adaptability evaluation results of popular science tourism destinations in Guangzhou University Town.

The results of the suitability assessment of science tourism sites in Guangzhou University Town are shown in Figure 4. The Grade I science tourism sites were the plots of Lingnan Impression Park, Guangdong Science Centre, Guangzhou University, Guangdong University of Technology, Xinghai Conservatory of Music—-South China Normal University, and Central Lake Park. Class II science tourism sites were the plots of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, and South China University of Technology. The remaining plots were Class III science tourism sites. The overall spatial distribution shows a generally higher science tourism suitability score to the west of the central lake than to the east and a rough northeast–southwest symmetry.

#### 3.6.2. Comprehensive Verification of Evaluation Results

Grade I tourist sites had more obvious advantages in terms of science tourism resources and catering service conditions than Grade II and III tourist sites, and these were reflected in several factors with higher weights in the evaluation list, especially the number of science tourism resources.

In addition, the convenience of transportation was an essential factor affecting the rating of science tourism sites. For example, although the plot of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine–Guangdong Pharmaceutical University was comparable to Class I tourism sites in terms of science tourism resources, it is far away from important transportation hubs, such as metro stations and highways, and so did qualify as a Class I tourism site. The overall traffic layout of Guangzhou University Town has three ring roads: an inner ring, middle ring, and outer ring, and the two subway stations in the south and north of the university town are symmetrically distributed. However, the Nansha Harbor Expressway is in the southwest of the island and has a very close traffic connection with downtown Guangzhou; therefore, science tourism sites in the southwest of the island, such as the plots of Guangzhou University and Guangdong Science Centre, had relatively more convenient road transport and their scores in terms of location conditions were relatively higher.

This study found that some Class I tourist sites were not reasonably developed, and that the development of universities is still in the early stages. Field research to different science tourism locations and supporting facilities was conducted on the weekends and 12:00–13:00 noon peak times to study the flow of people and average values from several visits were used. The average peak flows of Central Lake Park, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangdong Science Center, Gogo Xintiandi Shopping Center, and Chikan Wetland Park were 482, 8, 102, 2712, and 2 people, respectively. These results show that the number of people going to universities for tourism activities is much lower than that of other Class I tourist destinations, such as the Guangdong Science Center. This shows that science tourism in universities still needs to be developed and implemented.

In addition, this study conducted a research questionnaire on the current transportation situation, tourism resources, tourism experience, food service, and publicity of the university town from the perspective of having traveled to Guangzhou University Town/living in Guangzhou University Town/not having traveled to Guangzhou University Town, to understand the 120 respondents' awareness and participation. Fifty-five of respondents had visited various science tourism sites, while 17, who had not visited, said they had not heard of any science tourism sites on the island. Sixty respondents thought that the popularity of science tourism in the university town was average and needed to be improved. Regarding travel options to various attractions, 55 tourists who had visited the city said they used buses, subways, and cycling more often to get to the university town. The results shows that the most common duration for popular science tourism is roughly one day, which shows the same trend as other unconventional tourism, such as visiting friends and relatives tourism (VFR) [77]. We suggest that this is because the purpose of traveling is different from conventional purposes. While VFR may not have clear goals for traveling, for popular science tourism, people are determined to learn rather than relaxing. This has been dubbed "travel craving" by some scholars [78].

The overall satisfaction rate for the convenience of transportation on the island was 3.84, indicating that there is still a need to strengthen the construction of public transit and public roads to provide more convenient and fast travel conditions for tourists. In addition, respondents usually dined in commercial areas, such as Gogo Xintiandi (the commercial center) and various dining halls in the university. However, the overall satisfaction with the general dining conditions in the university town was 3.71, indicating that there is much room for improvement in the dining conditions. The questionnaire shows that more people preferred the center of Lake Park, Guangdong Science Center, and Lingnan Impression Park due to their rich tourism resources, various characteristics, and convenient transportation. At the same time, wetland parks, such as Wan Jutou, Chi Kan, and Bei Gang were almost unattended because of their remote location and relative inaccessibility in terms of transportation conditions. Most visitors spend half a day in these science tourism places, with only a few cases of two days or more. Based on this, Guangzhou University Town's science tourism planning should focus more on enriching playable resources to attract more off-island and foreign tourists.

#### **4. Discussion**

#### *4.1. Suggestions for Science Tourism Development*

This paper suggests the following for the development of science tourism in Guangzhou University Town:

#### *4.2. Outlook*

This paper attempted to build a suitability evaluation index system for science tourism in Guangzhou University Town from the perspective of tourism mode. However, there were some limitations. First, many indicators affect science tourism in university towns and the results differ when different indicators are chosen. Second, the evaluation method had some uncertainties. The subjectivity of scoring weights is difficult to avoid and can affect the accuracy of the final evaluation results to varying degrees. Therefore, this requires improvement in subsequent research. Third, the evaluation of the suitability of science tourism is extremely critical in the tourism planning of Guangzhou University Town; however, because of the enormous workload of surveys and calculations, there is much information not readily available, which will lead to errors in the estimation of the number of visitors in the planning period. If this error is too large, construction planning for water, electricity, tourist beds, commercial service facilities, and other facilities becomes meaningless, and the general layout loses its basis. Therefore, it is a demanding and challenging task, but is one of great significance.

As previously discussed, university towns have the potential to be important parts of popular science tourism because they have tourism resources that are suitable for fulfilling the curiosity and demand of many people. Although university towns are built in many cities and some leaders are aware of the value of these university towns, most remain to be developed. Some environmental and social questions also need to be considered because there are not only universities and students in the university town but also villages and residents. The development of science tourism can bring social problems, such as conflicts between students, teachers, residents, and outsiders and insufficient coordination of city administration can lead to environmental damage and the accumulation of rubbish. These issues need to be considered for the development of science tourism at university and nonuniversity tourism sites. Thus, managing this type of unconventional tourism needs great consideration. Moreover, it cannot be ignored that human traffic flow is massively different between holidays and regular times. Therefore, how the government aids merchants during the summer and winter holidays to survive in the off-season should be discussed.

#### **5. Conclusions**

This study used remote sensing data and field investigation to analyze the resource value and environmental level of tourism sites considering five factors: scale capacity, ecological level, resource level, location condition, and service condition. We constructed a set of indicators to evaluate the suitability of the science tourism sites in Guangzhou University Town by combining the hierarchical analysis method and the opinions of experts to assign weights to the five factors. The suitability of the development of science tourism sites in Guangzhou University Town was evaluated through measurement and field surveys, and the main findings were as follows.

locational, and environmental conditions associated with tourism development. The development of science tourism in university towns should optimize the layout of transportation, catering, and other elements while also improving the infrastructure and service level in areas rich in attractions. They are combined with the actual situation in the town of Guangzhou University.

4. Popular science tourism is an essential part of the developing industry of unconventional tourism and Guangzhou University town is rich in resources for this industry according to our survey and dataset. Our questionnaire revealed that people prefer to only stay for one day when visiting university towns. Therefore, we suggest that the most suitable duration for popular science tourism is one day, which shows the same trend as VFR, another kind of unconventional tourism.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, W.G., D.-F.W., F.-X.W.; Methodology, W.G., D.-F.W., F.-X.W.; software, D.-F.W., F.-X.W., Y.L.; validation, W.G.,H.-W.L. and Y.-Q.Y.; formal analysis, W.G., D.-F.W., F.-X.W.; investigation, H.-W.L., C.-F.Z.; resources, W.G., D.-F.W., F.-X.W.; data curation, Y.L., Y.-Q.Y., H.-W.L., C.-F.Z.; writing—original draft preparation, W.G., Y.L., H.-W.L.; writing—review and editing, D.-F.W., F.-X.W., Y.-Q.Y.; visualization, W.G., F.-X.W.; supervision, D.-F.W.; project administration, D.-F.W. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research was funded by Guangdong Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science under the project called "Disciplinary Co-projects for 2020 under the Thirteenth Five—Year Plan" (No. GD20XYJ32); by The Department of Education of Guangdong Province, under the "2020 Research Project under the Thirteenth Five—Year Plan, Special Research area on the Construction of Guangdong—Hong Kong—Macao Greater Bay Area" and "The Silk Road", entitled Evaluation of Popular Science Tourism Sites in University Towns – Taking Guangzhou University Town as an Example" (No. 2020GXJK199), and under the Guangdong Higher Education Teaching Reform Project, entitled "The lesson "Real Estate Management"—Online and offline blended teaching practice and innovation." (No. 462), by Guangzhou University under the "On—campus research projects (research category)" project (No. YJ2021007) and the "Innovation Training Program for University Students" project, titled "Evaluation of Popular Science Tourism Sites in University Towns—Taking Guangzhou University Town as an Example" (No. 311).

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.

**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.

**Data Availability Statement:** Not applicable.

**Acknowledgments:** All authors would like to thank Zhu Hong and his team at Guangzhou University for advice on testing methods and discussions, and staff at parks and shopping centers in the university town, which provided us with much important information.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.

#### **References**

### *Article* **Cemeteries as a Part of Green Infrastructure and Tourism**

**Ágnes Sallay \*, Zsuzsanna Mikházi \*, Imola Gecséné Tar and Katalin Takács**

Institute of Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning and Garden Art (TTDI), Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), 1118 Budapest, Hungary<EMAIL_ADDRESS>(I.G.T<EMAIL_ADDRESS>(K.T.)

**\*** Correspondence<EMAIL_ADDRESS>(Á.S<EMAIL_ADDRESS>(ZS.M.)

**Abstract:** The world's population and the proportion of it living in cities and urban areas has exploded in recent decades. In the European Union, 62% of the population lives in urban areas and 80% in suburban areas, and these proportions are projected to increase further in the coming decades. It has long been researched and proven that 'urban greenery' can play a major role in mitigating the so-called urban heat island effect, and during the COVID-19 pandemic the role of daily recreation has come to the forefront. The combined memorial, recreational, and touristic use of cemeteries can help to ensure their economic management, and thus the long-term preservation of their value. In international tourism the model of managing cemeteries as tourist attractions already exists; however, this is not yet part of conventional practice. In addition to traditional cemetery tourism (e.g., visiting the graves of celebrities or enjoying artistic treasures and values), cemeteries are used as venues for events and sports activities. In Western Europe forest and park cemeteries have been established since the 19th century, and their large green areas and open spaces are a prerequisite for their use as public parks. Thus, the use of cemeteries as public parks is a common if quite specific practice. Our aim with this article is to identify the green space values of Budapest's cemeteries, in addition to their well-known cultural and architectural significance, as well as to define the potential and means of their involvement in tourism-related activities. Another aim of our study is to raise awareness of green cemeteries within the tourism profession as potentially wider tourist attractions. We consider it important to draw the attention of decision-makers to the significance of the greenspace values when preserving or reusing closed cemeteries. Based on our work, other major cities in Hungary can identify and exploit the touristic and green space potential of their cemeteries.

**Keywords:** cemetery; tourist attraction; green space; urban green infrastructure; cemetery tourism

#### **1. Introduction**

The role of urban green infrastructure or urban green areas is growing in cities as a result of population growth and urban intensification. In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the importance of open spaces for the local population, who spend more time in parks and other green spaces available in close proximity to their home. Cemeteries, similar to urban parks, represent an important part of the urban ecosystem, being the remaining semi-natural habitat of many species of plants and animals. However, there is no equivalence between cemeteries and public parks: while their functions and uses are similar in many respects, specificity could be mentioned as well. Cemeteries are part of the urban green infrastructure network, however, their use is limited in both time and in function. Although the use of cemeteries and parks has converged in recent decades, significant differences nevertheless exist between them (Figure 1).

While the use of cemeteries for recreation and tourism purposes is not yet considered conventional, the rise of 'green needs' can be expected to increase their role in the future. On average, four million people visit Budapest cemeteries every year, and on the All Saints' and All Souls' Day the number of visitors can reach 1–1.5 million individuals over 2–3 days.

**Citation:** Sallay, Á.; Mikházi, ZS.; Gecséné Tar, I.; Takács, K. Cemeteries as a Part of Green Infrastructure and Tourism. *Sustainability* **2022**, *14*, 2918. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052918

Academic Editors: Anna Rita Irimiás, Dallen J. Timothy and Gábor Michalkó

Received: 31 January 2022 Accepted: 23 February 2022 Published: 2 March 2022

**Publisher's Note:** MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

**Copyright:** © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

However, no general statistics are available on the number of visitors coming to cemeteries with targeted touristic and recreational aims.

**Figure 1.** Differences between the functions of cemeteries and public parks (edited by the authors).

The value of cemeteries for the tourism sector lies in both the cultural aspects they offer and in the vegetation and green spaces that frame their physical realities, which can offer many services. "There are many types of cemeteries. As many as man and his follies," writes Károly Eötvös [1] (p. 175). The layout, the use of materials, and the way of commemoration can vary from simple wooden headstones to massive stone carvings and sculptures. In Hungary, there are several legendary cemeteries where families commemorate their deceased relatives according to special traditions, and these sites have become tourist attractions. In Szatmárcseke (HU), the graveyard with its nearly 600 dark headstones representing a man's head or a man lying in a boat is a unique sight [2]. In Balatonudvari, near the national road crossing the village, the local cemetery is protected due to its heart-shaped tombstones carved in white limestone [3] (Figure 2). The cemeteries in the region of Ors ˝ ég (a cultural landscape area in Hungary near the Slovenian border) are a reminder of a unique burial tradition in the country. In Kercaszomor and other settlements in this region there exist some old and unique wooden headstones that were once erected for Calvinist deceased. This tradition is now extinct, and cemeteries with these sights are today only a tourist attraction [4]. In Hajdúböszörmény, in the former Calvinist graveyard known as the Nyugati Cemetery, we can see typical 19th century gravestones with their boat-shaped headstones [5].

In addition to cemeteries that are special due to their burial traditions, there are other tourist attractions related to memorial places in the country: the Historical Memorial Site of the Mohács Battle, the Budaörs Military Cemetery and Peace Park (Deutsch-Ungarischer Soldatenfriedhof) [6] (Figure 3), the British Military Cemetery in Solymár, the Turkish memorial tomb of Gül Baba in Budapest (Gül baba türbéje) [7], and the Old Christian burial chambers site in Pécs, which is on the Unesco World Heritage List [8].

#### *1.1. Theoretical Background*

In previous works, the authors have dealt with religious tourism [9,10] and the development, structure, and history of cemeteries [11–13]. This study now focuses on the role and potential of cemeteries for recreation and tourism. To this end, we conducted a literature review on cemeteries and recreation and cemeteries and tourism.

#### 1.1.1. Cemeteries and Recreation

"Today, cemeteries are more than a place of reflection.  A cemetery is a green open area [15], a "garden" with architectural and sculptural elements. It performs an ecological function and it is a permanent element of the landscape. It offers a chance for survival to many species of plants and birds, especially in cities, and natural "monuments" are often found among the many trees [16]. Because of

their characteristics and location, throughout history cemeteries have often had a secondary function in addition to their primary one [17,18]. In the Middle Ages, church graveyards were often the central points in cities, and were the sites of fairs and festivities as well as being used for local parliaments, trials, preaching, miracle play performances, folk rites, executions, and demonstrations; however, the cemetery has always been a place of solemnity.

**Figure 2.** Heart-shaped gravestones in the cemetery of Balatonudvari. (Photo: Imola Gecséné Tar, 2016).

**Figure 3.** Tourists in the German–Hungarian Military Cemetery in Budaörs. (Photo: Imola Gecséné Tar, 2018).

The majority of historical cemetery complexes are park-type areas, and are endowed with recreational facilities: clean air, silence, limited urbanization, aesthetic landscape features, and favorable climatic and bioclimatic conditions [16]. Visiting cemeteries can therefore be an opportunity for recreation. "It can be a place to get one's thoughts rested and let them stretch themselves out. So, it is very good mentally. Yes, good to the eye and good for the head." (man in his 40s visiting the Old Town Cemetery) [17] (p. 1). As cities become denser, green spaces are in danger of decreasing. Evensen et al. [19] (p. 76) argue that "in densified parts of cities the cemetery may be the closest greenspace accessible for every-day use" [20] (p. 2). This may have consequences for how urban cemeteries shift from being burial spaces to becoming spaces for recreation [17,18].

#### 1.1.2. Cemeteries and Tourism

In the twentieth century, people began to travel to sites associated with death out of curiosity rather than because of their philosophical or spiritual connotations, thus initiating the origins of dark tourism. Dark tourism is the act of travel and visitation to sites, attractions, and exhibitions that have a connection to real or recreated death, suffering, or the seemingly macabre as a main theme. Tourist visits to former battlefields, slaveryheritage attractions, prisons, cemeteries, particular museum exhibitions, Holocaust sites, and disaster locations all constitute the broad realm of 'dark tourism' [21].

Cemetery tourism (thanatourism) is a specific sub-section of dark tourism that is becoming increasingly popular [22]. Tourists wander through burial grounds with the aim of discovering the artistic, architectural, historical, and scenic heritage that often abounds in cemeteries. The changing perception of cemeteries from a place for burial towards a cultural heritage space provides several opportunities for tourism. It enables the community to explore the development of products and services that help the destination to gain new income while preserving its heritage [23].

Cemeteries are more than just resting places for the dead; they serve a practical purpose, serve as historical markers, reflect cultural values, and impress visitors with their gorgeous designs and much more. Many people find cemeteries particularly interesting for these and other various reasons. Most cemeteries welcome the public free of charge, and many offer thematic maps, brochures, smartphone apps, audio tours, or guided tours that highlight notable graves, statues, monuments, chapels and other architectural structures of the site [14]. There are many books that have been written on the topic in recent years, for example, Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography, by Douglas Keister; Beautiful Death: Art of the Cemetery, by David Robinson and Dean Koontz; and Your Guide to Cemetery Research, by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack. Today, many tourist guide books include cemeteries which may attract different groups of travelers and inspire the development of newer cemeteries.

One of the 45 European Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe is the European Cemeteries Route, certified in 2010. The European Cemeteries Route refers to cemeteries as 'places of life', environments that, as urban spaces, are directly linked to the history and culture of the community to which they belong and where people can find many of their references [24].

#### 1.1.3. Summary of the Literature Search

Based on the literature review, we have summarized the possible functions of cemeteries, which are shown in Figure 4. Many people see cemeteries as somber places with little connection to the local environment and community; however, we believe this could not be further from the truth. Cemeteries bring families together and provide insight into local history.

We have analyzed in detail the role that cemeteries can play and the needs they can meet for both local people and tourists. The basic and primary function is burial and commemoration. All other functions can only be carried out with this in mind and subordinate to it. The secondary function is linked to the recreational needs of the local

population through the preservation of local natural and architectural assets. The tertiary function is to satisfy the needs of tourist visits.

#### *1.2. Presentation of the Sample Area: Green Infrastructure and Cemeteries of Budapest*

In the Middle Ages, the greenspace areas of Pest and Buda developed in a similar way to those of other European cities. Within the castle walls and the city-enclosing walls, castle gardens, manorial gardens, and many small kitchen gardens were erected, while outside the walls the large meadow fields and forests enriched the landscape. The medieval cemeteries were located within the town, around the churches.

Hungary's development was severely set back by a century and a half of Turkish occupation during the 16–17th centuries. Despite this, Pest and Buda developed gradually, although in different ways. Within the walls of Buda's castle the free open spaces had been used up, and both the expansion of other urban areas and property rights were regulated according to political and military defense. In contrast, after the Turkish dominance there was more intensive development at Pest, with construction and a greater pace of transformation, although at that time civil governance was far away from creating public green spaces or parks [25]. In the area of today's Budapest the practice of burial around churches had ceased after the Turkish conquest, and cemeteries similar to the present ones started to be developed in different parts of the city.

In the 18th century, due to the large number of newcomers the development of the suburbs around Pest began. At that time, few public spaces were created in the densely built-up urban areas. With the advance of civilisation, the demand for public green spaces rose, just as in other European cities. As more and more city dwellers became increasingly detached from their peasant life, they were keen for recreation and leisure. Thus, the city mayor proposed the creation of a new forestry zone, which later became the first public park in the capital (today's Városliget), as well as a promenade (Városligeti allee) connecting the urban areas to the new recreational zone. This provided a pleasant open space for the entertainment of the citizens of Pest and its surroundings. In Buda the royal gardens were open to the public, although on a limited basis, and new pleasure gardens (Városmajor, Horváth garden) were created in the late 18th century. In addition to gardens, the linear axes, alleys, promenades, and walkways played an important role in the early days of the development of public open greenspace [25,26].

The regulations on the removal of cemeteries issued in 1777 led to the opening of several new cemeteries in Buda and Pest. Two new cemeteries were opened in Buda, though both were closed at the end of the 19th century [27] (pp. 4–5) [28] (p. 235). In Óbuda, the cemetery surrounding the parish church ceased to exist in 1744. Instead, two new cemeteries were opened in 1780, along with one for the Jewish population of Óbuda [27] (p. 7). In the 18th century there were several cemeteries in Pest, and from the second half of the 18th century onwards new cemeteries were established outside the city walls. In

the 1790s the first central cemetery in Pest, the Váci Road cemetery, was opened; it was eliminated around 1910. There was a Jewish cemetery next to it as well [27] (pp. 8–10).

In 1846 the Pest City Council decided to replace the old cemeteries with a large central cemetery. The Kerepesi cemetery (now National Graveyard on Fiumei Road) was opened on 15 June 1847. In 1885 the entire ensemble was declared an ornamental graveyard. In 1874, the City Council handed over a part of the Kerepesi cemetery to the Israelite community. Burials took place in the separate Jewish cemetery section in Salgótarjáni Street until 1950, and it has been preserved as a closed protected cemetery. In 1972 a tender was launched for the arrangement of the cemetery and the landscaping process, which is ongoing today. Today this cemetery has a special status as a national pantheon, although it continues to be possible to carry out public burials there [27] (pp. 10, 14, 16, 31), [28] (pp. 235–236, 238–239).

The Parliament of 1872 voted for the unification of Pest, Buda, Óbuda, and Margaret Island. The newly unified capital sacrificed for the development of its metropolitan character, following the European (Viennese and Parisien) models by removing its rural character by building new residential areas, representative axes, squares, and public institutions. In 1873, the afforestation of Gellért Hill was started. After the construction of the Chain Bridge, the Buda Hills as green open spaces have become accessible to the citizens of Pest and increasingly popular as a recreational destination. On the other hand, the hillsides were gradually urbanized by new villa areas, replacing traditional orchards and vineyards damaged in the Phylloxera epidemic [25].

Several new large cemeteries were opened in the merged capital. In Buda, the Németvölgyi cemetery was opened in 1885; it was intended to be an ornamental graveyard for all time, similar to the Kerepesi cemetery. Despite this intention, the cemetery operated for an unusually short period. The Németvölgyi Orthodox Jewish cemetery, which was opened in 1890 and used until 1961, stands on a small plot of land surrounded by a high fence. In 1894, the Farkasréti cemetery was opened in Buda, which is still in use today; it is the resting place of many famous Hungarian people. The Farkasréti Jewish cemetery is wedged between the two parts of the Christian cemetery [27] (pp. 5–6, 53, 58). A new public cemetery and a new Israelite cemetery were opened in Óbuda; however, these have now been closed down [27] (p. 7). In Pest, the expansion of the Kerepesi cemetery became impossible with the opening of the Jewish cemetery on Salgótarjáni Road, and a site for the new public cemetery had to be found elsewhere. On 1 May 1886 the New Public Cemetery of Rákoskeresztúr, Hungary's largest cemetery at 207 hectares, was opened. In 1891 the Kozma Street Jewish cemetery, Hungary's largest Jewish graveyard, was established next to the New Public cemetery, with the Rákoskeresztúr Orthodox Jewish cemetery adjoining it on the northern side [27] (pp. 32, 35, 44) [28] (p. 236).

The Fortepan photo collection contains photographs from the beginning of the 20th century until the change from the Soviet regime in Hungary in 1989, thus, the cemeteries in Budapest have been photographed beginning in the early 1900s. When we reviewed these photos, we found that the oldest photo analyzed was taken in 1900 in the National Graveyard, formerly called as Kerepesi Cemetery. There is a difference in the use of the two cemeteries from the very beginning: in case of the National Graveyard, the archive contains almost exclusively pictures of the burials and graves of famous people, while in the Farkasréti Cemetery it is the funeral motifs that appear in large number, of which the most striking is a horse-drawn hearse. For both cemeteries there are almost no photographs that do not show some form of vegetation, usually tree alleys or massive woody vegetation in the background. In the case of the Farkasréti cemetery, there was one photograph where the spatial structure and alleys were clearly recognizable (see Figure 5) in addition to the main motif of the funeral process.

**Figure 5.** Alleys such as this one define the structure of the Farkasréti cemetery (Photo: Fortepan/Horváth Miklós dr, ID N◦129338, Date: 1955).

At the turn of the 19–20th century the function and use of public parks evolved, with crowds from various social levels, coming to walk, play skate, and seek active or passive outdoor recreation. At this time, the general condition, maintenance, appropriate use, and thus popularity of the green spaces in the capital were all outstanding. Many public parks as well as the largest urban parks were enriched and transformed with newly integrated functions such as early childrens' playgrounds [25]. In 1910 the Óbuda cemetery, which is still in use today, was opened, and a Jewish cemetery was opened next to it in 1922 [27] (p. 68). In 1919 the Budapest Municipal Cemetery Institute (Budapest Székesf˝ovárosi Községi Temetkezési Intézet), the predecessor of the existing Budapest Funeral Institute (Budapesti Temetkezési Intézet, BTI) began its operations. From 1949 onward, the cemeteries previously owned by the Catholic church were taken over by the capital [28] (pp. 236, 239).

Budapest gained its current extension in 1950 when several surrounding small villages were annexed to the capital and the present-day outlying districts were formed. The previously independent municipalities had their own cemeteries; therefore, in 1950 Budapest possessed 87 cemeteries [28] (p. 236). In the 1950s, several small cemeteries were closed. Most were liquidated, although some cemeteries were reopened in the second half of the 20th century; in some cases, urn cemeteries were built on their sites. Those former village cemeteries that were suitable for expansion remain in operation today [12].

After the Second World War and from the 1950s onwards, development and settlement of housing estates began in earnest, along with the creation of significant public greenspace. At that time, these residential areas had a wide range of functions as public green spaces and a very high green surface ratio. On the other hand, the number of touristic developments in the urban forests increased dramatically [29]. After the change of regime in 1989 the structure of the city became more dense and the role of green spaces, including cemeteries, became more important, mainly due to the loss of former industrial areas and their conversion into office buildings and housing estates (Table 1).

Today, there are fifteen public cemeteries and four Jewish cemeteries in use in Budapest (Figure 6, Table A1). The public cemeteries are managed by the Budapest Funeral Institute, with the exception of the National Graveyard on Fiumei Road (Kerepesi cemetery). Due to its special status, this latter has been managed by the National Heritage Institute since 2016. The operating Israelite cemeteries are managed under ecclesiastical care. The closed cemeteries are partly municipality-owned and partly church-owned, and their management is mostly unresolved.

**Table 1.** The changing role of cemeteries and other urban green spaces (by authors, 2021).

**Figure 6.** Overview map of functioning cemeteries in Budapest. Cemeteries managed by BTI (Budapest Funeral Institute) [30]. Functioning cemeteries (green): 1. Angeli Road Urn Cemetery, 2. Cemetery in Budafok; 3. Cemetery in Cinkota; 4. Cemetery in Csepel; 5. Cemetery in Pesterzsébet;

6. Farkasréti Cemetery; 7. Old Cemetery in Kispest; 8. Cemetery in Kispest; 9. Cemetery in Pestszentl˝orinc; 10. Megyeri Cemetery; 11. National Graveyard on Fiumei Road (from 2016 managed by NÖRI); 12. Óbudai Cemetery; 13. Cemetery in Rákospalota; 14. Tamás Street Urn Cemetery; 15. New Public Cemetery in Rákoskeresztúr; 16. Cemetery in Csömör (outside the administrative boundaries of Budapest). Closed cemeteries (red): 1. Cemetery in Rákosszentmihály; 2. Véka Street Cemetery; 3. Cemetery in Albertfalva; 4. Ganz Street Cemetery; 5. Nagyk˝orösi Road Cemetery; 6. Göcsej Street Cemetery; 7. Bocskai Street Cemetery.

#### *1.3. Green Infrastructure Network of Budapest and the Role of Cemeteries in the Capital Today*

In Budapest, as in other major European cities, the effects of climate change are increasingly noticeable and are expected to intensify in the coming decades. Forecasts indicate an increase in the number of heatwave days and tropical nights, which will make everyday life much more difficult for city residents [31].

The so-called urban heat island effect is a microclimatic phenomenon in large cities, where the temperature in built-up urban areas is significantly higher than in the suburban and rural areas surrounding the city. The causes of this phenomenon are complex; the most important are:

Around 65% of Budapest's territory (34 thousand ha) is covered by green space and vegetation, and almost 2% of the city's territory is parkland; 40% of these green areas are managed by the Municipality of Budapest (420 ha), while the rest are owned or maintained by the district municipalities. Nearly 6000 ha, or 11% of the city's territory, is forested. The distribution of green spaces in Budapest is not even; in some inner-city districts (VI, VII) there is less than 1 m2 of public park per inhabitant, while in the suburban districts there is good coverage of green spaces thanks to park forests. In Budapest, there is an average of 25 m2 of forested parkland and only 6 m2 of public park or garden per inhabitant. There is uneven use of green spaces, with well-positioned parks with cultural and historical value being constantly overcrowded [35].

Cemeteries play a dominant role in the urban structure due to their large surface area and, as a result of their function, their typically high proportion of green space. In addition to their memorial function, cemeteries represent a significant green space value, their green spaces being a key element of the capital's green space system [36] (Figure 7).

Both functioning and closed cemeteries are an important part of the capital's green infrastructure network. Cemeteries play an important role in the green infrastructure network of Budapest both because of their size (467 ha) and because of their high proportion of green space. The proportion of green space in cemeteries is well above the 40% defined in the OTÉK (Országos Településrendezési és Építési Követelmények, the National Town Planning and Building Requirements), even if the vegetation on the graves is not taken into account. The National Cemetery on Fiumei Road is the second-largest cemetery in Budapest, with the highest green cover (67%) [37]. For the cemeteries in operation, the Green Space Intensity Value ranges from 58% (Budafok cemetery) to 91% (New Public Cemetery), which is very high for the city. This value is largely influenced by the large mature trees in the cemeteries. Both the proportion of green areas and the ZFI value are higher for closed cemeteries; however, in many cases they are affected by the presence of weed species due to lack of maintenance, which negatively affects their use and value.

**Figure 7.** Chestnut tree alley in the National Graveyard on Fiumei Road (Photo: Imola Gecséné Tar, 2021).

Green spaces in cemeteries provide a range of ecosystem services to the population, such as improving air quality, enhancing the local climate, and providing aesthetic and recreational value [38]. In Hungary, the recreational use of cemeteries is not considered conventional; however, many people take advantage of the recreational opportunities offered by cemeteries. In addition to commemorative structures, almost all cemeteries have valuable mature tree species, tree lines, and rich biodiversity, which makes cemeteries an important part of biodiversity conservation [39,40]. In many cemeteries, both cemetery managers and visitors are already making serious efforts to preserve biodiversity; for example, in Farkasréti cemetery, bird feeders and bird boxes have been installed in several places (Figure 8).

The use of cemeteries as public green spaces contributes to the green coverage of the capital. The Action Area X of the Radó Dezs˝o Plan, approved in 2021, concerns the cemeteries of Budapest, with the objective of "Protection, quality renewal and continuous professional maintenance of green infrastructure; development of an ecological approach to burial; efficient development and co-planning of public cemeteries; recreational use of functioning cemeteries; public use of closed cemeteries; temporary use of disused cemeteries as green spaces." The main tasks related to the achievement of these objectives, which are relevant to the present research, are "Better use of the recreational potential of existing cemeteries; public use of closed cemeteries; temporary green infrastructure use of disused cemeteries" and "Promotion of alternative burial methods; designation of urban areas suitable for forest burial" [35] (p. 62). The Capital intends to complete the planned improvements to the cemeteries by 2027.

**Figure 8.** "Bird feeder" in Farkasréti cemetery (Photo: Ágnes Sallay, 2021).

#### *1.4. Touristic Activities in Cemeteries*

For thousands of years, cemeteries have had the fundamental role of providing a burial place for the deceased and a place of remembrance for the bereaved. This primary function has been complemented in recent decades by secondary and tertiary functions such as providing adequate green spaces for local climate, recreation, and tourism [41]. This expansion of functions has implied a number of conflicts; how can all these traditional and new functions be managed in parallel? How can the primary needs be fully satisfied alongside the secondary and tertiary functions? Can the duty of remembering the deceased persons in cemeteries be reconciled with tourism? In many cases, the human need to say a dignified farewell to the dead has been eroded during the COVID-19 pandemic, traumatizing society and increasing the demand for cemetery use. The lockdowns due to the pandemic have affected the way cemeteries are used, with many people finding cemeteries a suitably quiet place to relax and remember their loved ones; even if they were not buried in the cemetery, they could visit in proximity. For those cemeteries where the green assets and vegetation were well established, the cemetery has become a place to meet nature (Figure 6).

In many places throughout Western Europe, the daily recreational use of cemeteries by the local population has become a general need and constant demand; in addition to the traditional walking activities in cemeteries, other forms of exercise such as running (in many places with separate tracks available on site), silent sports such as yoga, and dog walking are allowed under regulated conditions.

Among the tertiary touristic functions, guided walks are the most widely accepted, with visitors introduced to the values and stories of the cemeteries, mainly built heritage and grave marker interpretation. The natural or green values of cemeteries are rarely highlighted; rather, the guides include ideas about the flora and fauna of the cemeteries in

Budapest Funeral Institute

other guided walks, for example in Highgate cemetery. Other tourism-related uses have been raised and implemented in different cemeteries; theater performances and concerts are more and more commonly organized, although these activities divide society and often provoke opposition from the local population, for whom the cemetery is a place of remembrance. There are various guided tours in the largest cemeteries of Budapest, where visitors can learn about the local history, the gravestones, and the famous people who rest in these cemeteries (Table 2). However, there are only a minority of guided tours that interpret the cemeteries as green spaces, presenting their living flora, and there are very few guided walks especially offered for children.

**Table 2.** The topics of guided walks in the largest cemeteries of Budapest (author's table with use of [42–44] sources).

The touristic use of cemeteries in Western Europe was already evident in the early 2000s. The Südwest-Kirchhof in Stahnsdorf, in the immediate vicinity of Berlin, is one of the first representatives of a landscape-style forestry cemetery, and the third largest in Germany. The cemetery, which was almost abandoned at the end of the Second World War, was the subject of a strategic plan, a programme drawn up in the early 2000s by the cemetery's advocacy association. After recognising the cemetery's cultural, historical, and artistic importance along with its natural value, the primary objective was to bring it back into public consciousness while introducing new ways of usage. Attracting community programmes, frequent invitations of the press, and a widespread sensitisation and awareness to unique burial opportunities have brought the result that the cemetery has now been reborn. It has become a popular destination for Berliners, as have, the cemetery gardens in the city center, which are operating as active elements in the green space infrastructure as a place for recreation. The function of the funeral chapel has been extended to include cultural functions such as conferences, exhibitions, and concerts. The cemetery employs volunteers and trainees who contribute to the success of the actions through their maintenance, research, and guide work. The cemetery's management has discovered and uses the opportunities offered by the media and the internet; periodic press conferences on the cemetery's cultural and historical significance, its artistic values, its current events, and even a promotional film have all been regularly created [11,45].

In terms of touristic use, the Central Cemetery of Vienna (Zentralfiedhof Wien) is a particularly successful example. In addition to the traditional use of the cemetery for burial and commemoration purposes, a number of improvements with diverse goals have been made in recent years:

The cemetery has responded to emerging digital needs as well; anyone can take part in a self-guided walk with a QR code (Hearonymus programme), and if required, visitors can find out information about the available burial places from a digital database. Visitors can even open a digital memorial link for a deceased loved one, with the possibility of storing commemoration materials, photos, and videos about them.

All these improvements to the Central Cemetery of Vienna have been carried out in close and regular consultation with the public, taking into account their opinions and requests, to the great satisfaction of the people of Vienna as shown by the fact that the cemetery was awarded the "best place in Vienna prize" in 2020 [46].

Following foreign trends, alternative ways of using cemeteries have already appeared in Hungary. The best example of this is the National Graveyard (Fiumei Road Cemetery), where visitors can take part in numerous thematic walks which introduce them to the stories of emblematic persons buried in the cemetery and of other people with interesting background histories. A more 'sporting' form of visit is exists where tourists can sign up for a bike tour of the cemetery. In this largest cemetery of Budapest, it is common to see mums walking with baby strollers, young people picnicking or studying, or sportsmen exercising, running, or cycling. Because the cemetery was designed and executed as a large green park area from the beginning of its creation and is planted with many valuable trees and alleys, the recreational popularity is not surprising. The urban wildlife established in

this cemetery is quite rich, and the site is comparable to a large-scale arboretum with its 56 hectares. It is important to mention the Memorial Museum operating in the National Graveyard, where visitors can learn about different aspects of Hungarian cemetery culture and burial traditions through permanent and temporary exhibitions [13].

#### **2. Materials and Methods**

This research focuses on the cemeteries of Budapest, analyzing them based on data collected during site visits and a research process employing relevant photograph and map sources. The theoretical foundations were established through literature sources on the following topics: (1) cemeteries–recreation and cemeteries–tourism relationship; (2) green spaces–green space infrastructure and the history of cemeteries in Budapest; (3) tourism activities in cemeteries–opportunities and foreign models. The main questions of our study were then formulated as follows: (1) what are the motivations of visitors for visiting cemeteries, and what are the values of each cemetery related to visitor motivations? and (2) what are the cemetery visiting habits and needs of the Hungarian population?

To answer the first question, we used literature sources to prepare an aggregation of cemetery visitor motivations followed by a survey of the attractions associated with these motivations in each cemetery. Visiting a cemetery can be either the main purpose of a trip or a secondary purpose, as a complementary part of it. As cemeteries have a wide range of attractive aspects, there are many motivations for visiting them; using the work of Tomaševi´c (2018) [47], Moreno (2018) [48] and Pécsek (2015) [49] as a starting point, we defined the following motivation categories based on literature research and our own experience:

	- (i) Graves of famous people (kings, presidents, politicians, artists, writers, poets, actors, scientists, etc.)
	- (ii) Architectural curiosities (emblematic constructions, crypts, mausoleums, etc.)
	- (iii) Sculptural curiosities
	- (iv) Places of interest, or a place of personal interest (e.g., the cemetery is featured in a film or a book), ideal for practicing a hobby (e.g., photography, painting)
	- (v) A "must see" place, i.e., it is on the World Heritage List or on Tripadvisor

To answer the second question, we conducted a questionnaire survey in September–November 2021 among the population of Hungary with the intention of uncovering their cemetery visiting habits. In Hungary, the number of visits to cemeteries associated with All Saints' Day and Day of the Dead is high [50]; therefore, the questionnaire was distributed during this

period. We hoped this recent experience would increase the response rate and lead to more accurate answers. The questionnaire was completed in electronic form and was available online at https://forms.gle/PaZcbcRFidn4G1wKA (accessed on 1 November 2021). We wanted to know how often people visit cemeteries and for what reasons. We asked what activities not related to the basic memorial functions of cemeteries respondents considered to be acceptable.

The structure of the questionnaire can be found in the Appendix B. The questionnaire consisted of certain main questions and diverse supplementary questions. The main questions directly addressed the research topic, while the supplementary questions were asked in order to increase the reliability of the information obtained. For this reason, these latter were general demographic questions used to determine gender, age, education, etc. The questionnaire included open, semi-closed, and closed questions. In the case of the closed questions, respondents were asked to tick one of the pre-selected options. Semi-closed questions included an 'other option' category next to the offered ones, which allowed respondents to complete the list themselves if they did not find a suitable prewritten answer(s). Another example of a semi-closed question is where, in addition to yes/no answers, respondents were asked for the reasons behind their choice. For open questions, respondents were given the opportunity to formulate their answers in their own words.

The sampling was completely random. No attempt was made to limit or influence completion or to narrow down the pool of respondents. The aim was to obtain as wide a range of ages and interests as possible filling out the questionnaire and to determine the overall aspects of the typical visit. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we distributed the questionnaire online through professional and personal platforms, websites, and social media. The survey was successful, as 213 people completed it. Our objective was achieved in that the respondents were diverse in terms of gender, age, place of residence, education, and employment background.

In order to increase the reliability of the survey, another questionnaire was included for those who organized or led visits to cemeteries (Appendix C). This was used as a control, as some of the questions overlapped with the questionnaire for the general public. From these responses we gained better insight into the opportunities and problems from a tourism-specific point of view.

#### **3. Results**

With appropriate promotion, urban cemeteries could become an integral part of urban green tourism, as has already been the case for cemeteries abroad, e.g., in Paris and Prague. Visitors to urban cemeteries spend relatively long periods of time, even several hours, at these sites. The offered leisure activities, such as walking, photography, etc., contribute to a positive visitor experience. The traditional authenticity of cemeteries in terms of their extension, spatial structure, architecture, landscaping, artistic value, and local historical background, is sufficient to maintain their tourist appeal and visitors do not expect major improvements to infrastructure or attractions. Thus, from the visitor point of view, cemeteries do not require any major investment to enhance their attractiveness other than promotion of their highlights and conservation of their existing value (Figure 9).

#### *3.1. Results of Research on Visitor Motivations*

Visiting a cemetery might be the main purpose of traveling or a part of regular touring, or a primary or secondary motive for traveling, and might be driven by emotions of variable intensity. During our research we identified eight motivating elements in visitors to Budapest cemeteries. We identified the potential tourist attractions within each motivation category; then, through written sources, maps, and field visits, we identified which cemeteries in Budapest have which tourist attractions (Table 3).

**Figure 9.** Guided walk in the National Graveyard on Fiumei Road (Photo: Imola Gecséné Tar, 2021).

**Table 3.** Visitor motivations, with related attractions and values in the cemeteries of Budapest (edited by authors, 2021).

It is important for cemetery managers, travel agency staff, and tourism organizations to use standardized classification categories in order to target and reach visitors with the right interests. An important role in promotion should be TripAdvisor ranking; the high position of cemeteries as places to visit in several destinations proves the significance of cemeteries as tourist attractions. Cemeteries should make a proper and thorough analysis of all possibilities in order to increase their attractiveness and accessibility as well as awareness about their cultural, historical and natural importance. Further research could be aimed towards practical implementation of the cemetery concept as a tourist attraction with a focus on travel agents and local authorities and on enhancing their understanding of cemeteries as tourist products which can enable them to create new programs and find new markets.

#### *3.2. Results of Questionnaire Survey*

The results of the two questionnaire surveys are presented separately in the following subsections.

#### 3.2.1. Results of Visitor Questionnaire Survey

The majority of respondents were aged between 25 and 60 years (25–40 years 21.6%, 40–50 years 31.5%, 50–60 years 26.8%), female (83.6%), with a university/college degree (84%) and living in Budapest (54.9%) or in the Budapest agglomeration (14.6%). According to our survey, 37.1% of respondents visited a cemetery only once a year and 15.5% even less frequently; 29.1% visited quarterly, and 13.6% monthly.

First, we wanted to know whether the frequency of respondents' visits had changed due to the pandemic closures. For the majority (73.2%), there was no change; 23.9% visited cemeteries less frequently, and only 2.8% visited more often. Those who went to the cemetery more often than before were asked why. They were given the option of indicating more than one answer and were given the option of giving an individual answer; 32% expected to find peace of mind from their visits, 28% increased their knowledge by visiting the cemetery, 24% were able to walk and move around the cemetery at a reasonable distance during the closure period, and 18% had a cultural programme.

The purpose of the visit was explored from several perspectives: (1) Why do people usually visit cemeteries? and (2) Do they visit cemeteries during their travels? In both cases, several answers were possible, and individual answers were possible as well. The answers were quite varied. The primary purpose of the visit was "to visit the graves of my loved ones/relatives", at 81.7%; 21% and 27% of respondents, respectively, chose "to remember the deceased" (not necessarily in the cemetery where they are buried), "to visit the graves of famous people" (Figure 10), "to see the statues and buildings in the cemetery", and "to walk around, to relax". Individual responses included an interest in cemetery culture, walking the dog, chestnut/peanut picking, learning about the history of the village, peace and quiet, and greenery.

Of the respondents, 35.7% did not visit cemeteries during domestic trips. The rest (based on multiple choice) mainly visited the graves of relatives and friends (36.6%). Visiting historical sites (28.2%) and the graves of famous people (24.4%) were popular as well. The interest in visiting works of art (17.4%) and vegetation (17.8%) in the cemetery were almost the same, while 10.8% said they visited buildings/construction. Individual responses included "just looking around", "for the atmosphere" (tranquility + green), "to visit cemeteries that are unique/special in some way", "for cultural purposes", "to learn about local history", "as a tourist attraction", and "for the gravestones/inscriptions".

Fewer people visited cemeteries when traveling abroad, with 44.6% of respondents not visiting cemeteries. The majority of people who visited cemeteries abroad went to historical sites (35.2%) or to the graves of people they know (26.3%). Individual responses were dominated by the desire to learn about the cemetery culture of other countries and to visit unique/special/noteworthy cemeteries, as well as by the desire for green space and a peaceful atmosphere.

**Figure 10.** The tomb of János Arany in the National Graveyard on Fiumei Road (Photo: Imola Gecséné Tar, 2021).

Of the respondents, 40.8% had visited a cemetery for recreation. In addition to walking (74%) and sightseeing (74%), reading (5.2%) was the most common activity (multiple choice). Individual responses varied widely in their choice of activities, including photography (statues or Halloween), sports (running, cycling), guided walks, birdwatching, and concerts.

Of the survey respondents, 31.9% had attended a cemetery-related event. Based on individual responses, these includes any kind of commemoration (national holiday, World War II, Day of the Dead), wreath-laying, and guided walks. An equal number of respondents attended theater events and concerts. Only 10.8% participated in an event unrelated to the basic function of the cemetery. These included interesting events such as a photo lessons, drawing, nature walks, "the night of nightingales", book readings, exhibitions, and concerts, of which the latter two were the most frequently mentioned.

Well-kept cemeteries are important to visitors (92%), and this influences the time they spend there (65.7%). In terms of vegetation, the presence of trees/woods is considered the most important (93%, based on multiple choice), while shrubs (61.5%), grassy areas (60.6%) and flower beds (53.5%) play a significant role.

To conclude the questionnaire, we asked respondents what conditions they thought should be met in order for a cemetery to be suitable for recreation. Several answers could be ticked, and individual comments were possible. Of the answers we offered, the highest-ranked was green space (79.3%), followed by good accessibility (57.3%), open space between graves (57.3%), and a closed cemetery (11.7%). Among the individual responses, several respondents said that they did not consider cemeteries suitable for recreation. However, there were many constructive suggestions. Respondents felt it was important that recreational activities should not in any way interfere with the primary function of the cemetery and those who go there to commemorate the deceased. Several respondents mentioned basic infrastructure elements such as water supply, toilets, lighting, benches, waste bins, and security. They stressed the importance of being close to nature and the view, tidiness, well-kept graves, and the existence of quality green spaces. The creation of a park-like greenspace and memorial garden as a recreational area could be an important aspect of cemetery planning in the future. However, the first and most important thing to do is to change attitudes.

#### 3.2.2. Results of Guide Questionnaire Survey

The questionnaire for tour guides was filled in by seven respondents, most of them contracted guides for the managing companies of Budapest's cemeteries (NÖRI and BTI), which provide regularly-conducted guided walks in the cemeteries they manage (namely, National Graveyard on Fiumei Road, Jewish Cemetery on Salgótarjáni Road, Farkasréti Cemetery, Óbuda Cemetery, and Budafok Cemetery). The responses clearly showed that guided tours of cemeteries are in increasing demand among Budapest residents and tourists alike. Visitors go on guided walks mainly due to the cultural aspects of graves and memorials of famous people buried there and the stories associated with them, and additional attractions such as artistic sculptures and buildings make for a very charming experience. The wildlife, both flora and fauna, in the cemeteries are an additional attraction that adds color to the walks. During touristic use of cemeteries, the operators pay particular attention to ensuring that the main functions of the cemeteries are not compromised; thus, guided walks are organized during periods when burials are not in operation. During the guided walks, several companies use equipment such as earphones to provide adequate audibility while ensuring that loud speech does not disturb people visiting and caring for the graves of their loved ones.

Cemetery guides declare that the tourist potential of these facilities depends largely on the maintenance level of the green spaces which, especially during the growing season, provides an attractive background for the graves; in the summer, the shade of the trees makes the walks more pleasant for visitors. The development of appropriate infrastructure is essential for touristic exploitation; accessibility, parking, and restrooms are needed in sufficient quantities and quality. In the local metropolitan context of Budapest, a need for gift shops and catering facilities has not yet been formulated by visitors.

In addition to the primary functions of cemeteries, professional guides consider thematic walks and cultural activities (e.g., exhibitions, concerts) as possible secondary uses for memorial parks and graveyards.

#### **4. Discussion**

The responses to the two questionnaires show that people in Hungary are not yet open enough to attending activities in cemeteries other than attending and caring for the graves of their deceased relatives or commemorating honorable persons. This is somewhat contradicted by the fact that many people and a wide variety of programmes have taken part in cemeteries, which shows that people are not closed to the possibility. A change in attitude, as mentioned by one of the respondents, may be a reason for that, as we may currently be in an early phase of slow transformation. However, the variety of organized programmes listed in the questionnaire responses shows that cemetery managers are open to new potentialities. The Budapest Funeral Institute is explicitly open to challenges, although they are aware that changes should be made slowly and steadily, as sudden reforms can have the opposite effect [51]. A free small train tour has been organized in the Fiumei cemetery to complement the already-existing irregular school lessons. While the Day of the Bells took time to become established, people gradually accepted the idea of alternating childrens' programmes with light music and instrumental concerts in a cemetery.  It is home to the Museum of Funerary Art, Hungary's only specialized collection of funerary and memorial art. The crematorium in Csömöri Graveyard has a café where relatives can 'wait' for their loved ones to be buried in peace.

Our research clearly shows that the advanced types of cemetery tourism forms in Hungary belong today to the unconventional category. The touristic use of cemeteries is a non-conventional tourism industry sector because cemetery visitors mostly visit graves without using registered tourism services, but they still strengthen the tourism service industry by travelling to the site and using other services near the cemetery. Meanwhile, the responses indicate that this issue should be discussed and convenient options and solutions acceptable to all parties should be explored.

Nevertheless, we can state that there exists real cemetery tourism in Hungary. Not only do cemeteries in the capital increasingly appearing on the list of tourist attractions; those in the countryside with an interesting history and local graves of famous Hungarian

people do as well. According to Gábor Móczár, Director General of the National Heritage Institute (NÖRI), the main activity of facilities such as the National Graveyard is no longer to provide burial services; it is rather to present the diverse cultural values and promote dignified remembrance. For foreigners, the biggest attraction in cemetery tourism might be exploring and enjoying the local works of art. In June 2021, the NÖRI joined the Association of European Significant Cemeteries, a European network of historic and thematic cemeteries that includes the two cemeteries they manage (the National Graveyard on Fiumei Road and the Jewish Cemetery on Salgótarjáni Road). At the same time, the managing institution has joined the European Cemeteries Route, a more operational European cooperation community in terms of mutual travel programs, funding, and professional contacts, which has put Hungary on the map of European cemetery tourism in this respect [52]. A free app called FiumeiGuide has been developed which, in addition to presenting 150 priority highlights in the graveyard, currently allows users to plan their own personalized thematic tour.

The answers to the main questions of our study were provided by the capabilities and constraints identified during our research on the touristic use of Budapest cemeteries.

and litter issues, or by tourists/visitors disturbing mourners and commemorators with their constant presence, talking, or general loudness. Solutions could include the preparation of visitor management tools, planning the movement of visitors in advance, better managing the potential negative impact of visits, and avoidance or mitigatation of negative consequences. Passive exhibition techniques appropriate to the character of the cemetery may be good practice for visitor education, although in most cemeteries only an overview map of the cemetery layout is displayed. There are rarely any signs or printed materials (brochures, guides, and more detailed special publications) providing information on the specific values and attractions of the cemeteries and visualizing their locations. For larger cemeteries, it is necessary to develop thematic itineraries for guided tours or self-exploration walks. During self-guided tours, visitors can follow a pre-edited brochure along the way.

#### **5. Conclusions**

Based on our research, we can conclude that cemeteries, as green open spaces in major cities, play a highly-important role in urban greenspace systems and infrastructure such as local climate control, daily recreation, and tourism services. Cemeteries provide profoundly essential ecosystem services for both the residents of surrounding urban areas and for visitors. Among the ecosystem services provided by cemeteries, their regulating services have a main role in the adjustment of climate issues, while their cultural services contribute to the preservation of traditional and cultural heritage aspects as well as to the recreational and touristic function of these sites.

The green surfaces of cemeteries are traditionally defined by tree alleys which delimit the pathways separating the burial plots, as well as by grassland areas and flower beds between the graves; these are, as a whole, important for visitors. As the vegetation becomes older and larger in well-established and maintained sites, the shading effect of trees becomes increasingly important, as they provide tolerable urban climate conditions for visitors in the summer. Large cemeteries with mature trees can have temperatures during the summer several degrees lower than in the surrounding areas, providing a pleasant resting place for visitors. Our questionnaire research clearly shows that the level of maintenance and care for the vegetation in cemeteries is essential for both visitors and tourist guides, two target groups whose opinions must not be neglected.

Despite the recognised green value of urban cemeteries, the presentation of their seminatural vegetation and habitat is unfortunately little-developed in Hungary, although this could help to diversify guided walks and even enlarge environmental education functions in these cultural complexes. However, any tourist development should prioritize the fundamental needs of the local population, namely, unhindered commemoration and care of graves. Hopefully, in the short term and with the right development accompanied by public education, remarkable cemeteries with significant green spaces can play a satisfactory role in future green tourism in urban areas in Hungary.

The use of cemeteries for tourist purposes must remain in balance with their traditional memorial function. We have examined the possible tourist exploitation of different types of cemeteries (e.g., closed/inactive or active cemeteries, gridded, and landscape-style cemeteries) within an ethical framework (Figure 7). We have found that in addition to their architectural and artistic value, the green surface intensity of a cemetery largely contributes to their wider potential for tourism uses.

The greenspace potential of a cemetery consists of several factors. If the vegetation cover and plant use are adequate, the ecological importance of the area is evident. However, only cemeteries with a sufficient size and maintenance level are suitable for other green space functions such as recreation purposes. Cemeteries with a smaller area may be suitable for daytime recreation, while cemeteries with a larger surface area can be visited from a greater distance, similar to urban public parks. It is important to note here that the primary memorial function of cemeteries should not be compromised, which is why closed cemeteries are more suitable for recreation than functioning cemeteries. It is important to mention that, even in a closed cemetery, recreational activities should be allowed only after

due consideration. Walking, reading, and quiet contemplation do not disturb a functioning cemetery; however, certain sports activities and noisy programmes that attract large crowds are not even conceivable in a closed cemetery. Some non-intensive sports (e.g., running, yoga) or cultural events that attract fewer people and do not result in damage either physically or spiritually may be allowed in a closed cemetery.

The recreational and touristic use of cemeteries are partly interconnected, as the green potential of a cemetery determines the interest in the cemetery (e.g., visits for botanical values). In terms of tourist use, priority should be given to those cemeteries in Budapest that can already offer other attractions in addition to their primary function. A cemetery is most attractive for tourism if it has suitable potential beyond its original function, i.e., visitors seek out its special architectural, natural, or artistic values, the burial places of famous people, or sites of cultural and historical interest.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, Á.S. and ZS.M.; methodology, Á.S. and ZS.M.; writing—original draft preparation, Á.S., ZS.M., I.G.T. and K.T.; validation, Á.S., ZS.M. and I.G.T.; formal analysis, K.T.; investigation, Á.S., ZS.M. and I.G.T.; resources, Á.S., ZS.M. and I.G.T.; data curation, ZS.M.; writing—review and editing, Á.S., ZS.M., I.G.T. and K.T.; visualization, Á.S., ZS.M. and I.G.T.; supervision, Á.S.; project administration, Á.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** The dissemination of research outcomes was partly supported by The Hungarian Tourism Association Foundation (MTSZ).

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.

**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.

**Data Availability Statement:** Not applicable.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.

#### **Abbreviations**

#### **Appendix A**

**Table A1.** Operating cemeteries in Budapest: an overview table (by authors, 2021).

#### **Table A1.** *Cont.*

#### **Appendix B**

Questionnaire on the use of cemeteries (visitor questionnaire) I. Questions about the respondent:

II. Questions on cemetery visiting habits:

III. Has the frequency of your cemetery visits changed due to the pandemic closures?

IV. If you went to the cemetery more often during the closures, what was the reason? (multiple answers are possible)

• I expected spiritual comfort from the visits

V. What is the purpose of your visit to a cemetery? (multiple answers are possible)

VI. Do you visit cemeteries when you travel in your home country? (you can tick more than one answer)

VII. Do you visit cemeteries when you travel abroad? (you can tick more than one answer)

VIII. Have you ever visited a cemetery for recreational purposes?

IX. If yes, what were you doing there? (multiple answers are possible)

X. Have you ever participated in a cemetery-related event (e.g., commemoration, other ceremony)?

If yes, what was it?

XI. Have you ever participated in an event not related to the cemetery's core function (e.g., concert, exhibition, bird ringing activity, etc.)?

XIII. Is the time spent in the cemetery influenced by the current physical condition of the cemetery or by the abundance of green spaces there?

XIV. What kind of vegetation do you consider important in a cemetery, apart from the plants on the graves?

XV. What conditions do you think must be provided by a cemetery to be attractive for recreation? (multiple answers are possible)

#### **Appendix C**

Questionnaire for tourist guides on the use of cemeteries I. In which cemetery do you usually organize guided tours?

II. How often do you organize guided walks?

III. Do you organize guided walks specifically dedicated to the cemetery/ies or as part of a more complex tourist programme?

IV. How many people visit cemeteries with you each year?

V. What age group of people usually takes part in your organized walks?

VI. What are the main elements you are showing during your walks? (multiple answers are possible)

VII. During guided trips abroad, are you taking groups to a cemetery?

VIII. Is the maintenance of a cemetery important for your interpretation as a guide?

IX. What kind of vegetation do you consider important for guided walks in a cemetery, apart from the plants on the graves? (multiple answers are possible)

X. Is the time spent in the cemetery being influenced by the current condition of the cemetery or by the amount of green space?

XI. What services would be needed in cemeteries for guided groups? (multiple answers are possible)

XII. Would you organize any events in the cemeteries that are not strictly related to the primary function of the cemetery?

XIII. If yes, what would it be?

• concert

XIV. What conditions do you think must be provided by a cemetery to become a suitable place for recreation? (multiple answers are possible)

#### **References**

## *Article* **The Changes in the Demographic Characteristics and Spatial Structure of Tourism Demand in the West Balaton Region's Spa Cities**

**László Könnyid 1, Zsuzsanna Váradi 1,\*, Zsombor Nagy 2, Noémi Ilyés 3 and Orsolya H. Horváth 4**

**Abstract:** The last two years, the period of the pandemic, have brought a significant change in the tourism of Hungary, which has been developing unbroken until then. The year 2019 broke all the peaks that were interrupted by the pandemic. This particularly affected our spa towns of international significance, including the examined settlements, Hévíz and Zalakaros. The aim of the study is to show what changes have taken place in the development of the number of visitors in the cities that have been based mainly on foreign traffic until then, what territorial reorganization has taken place in terms of sending areas, and what new target groups with modified attitude have emerged. In this study, we analyzed in detail the databases of the National Tourist Data Center, which has been operating since July 2019, and the monthly database of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. The special, so-called unconventional tourism is carried out on the one hand by the methodology of statistical data collection and on the other hand by the explored tourism behavior. According to our results, it is clear that due to the domestic traffic, a completely new target group (age group and status) appeared in the two spa towns, their sending areas affected the metropolitan suburban zones, and the target group was high-status, younger guests. In our opinion, this offers a new opportunity for spa towns to generate more sustainable, future-oriented guests with a focus on local values, creating a new supply structure and image, as well as messages.

**Keywords:** medical tourism; Hungary; postcovid; change of tourism supply; sustainable way; change of visitor flow

#### **1. Background**

The need for sustainable tourism arose long before the COVID-19 global epidemic. As early as 2005, United Nations published a guide on sustainable tourism, which still provides the basics of the sustainable goal developments of the World Tourism Organization. The guideline—written within the framework of the United Nations Environment Program—addresses policy-makers and calls attention to creating sustainable tourism development projects and policies in order to protect the environment and local areas from overconsumption and exploitation [1]. Thus, the focal points of the World Tourism Organization's work regarding sustainable tourism development are the following: Optimal use of the environment, maintaining healthy ecological processes, respecting the host communities, and ensuring viable economic operations [2]. The United Nations also designated the year 2017 as the International Year for Sustainable Tourism Development in order to encourage the policy-makers to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The threat of over-tourism seems real and more pressing than ever, even in the light of the coronavirus epidemic. Moreover, the epidemic—as a magnifier—actually exacerbates

**Citation:** Könnyid, L.; Váradi, Z.; Nagy, Z.; Ilyés, N.; Horváth, O.H. The Changes in the Demographic Characteristics and Spatial Structure of Tourism Demand in the West Balaton Region's Spa Cities. *Sustainability* **2022**, *14*, 10531. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su141710531

Academic Editors: Anna Rita Irimiás, Dallen J. Timothy and Gábor Michalkó

Received: 4 April 2022 Accepted: 11 August 2022 Published: 24 August 2022

**Publisher's Note:** MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

**Copyright:** © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

the problems that already existed regarding the tourist's overconsumption. While the lack of tourists meant economic difficulties and hard times for international tourism, it also gave the opportunity for locals to regain back their living space. There was already a tension between the ambitious tourism development projects and the long-term sustainability, and a lot of the development projects left out social relations. When these kinds of projects met with failed regulations of natural resources, that made the situation even worse. The role of globalization in tourism growth is unquestionable. The unlimited access to information, the modernization of transport, free markets—that led to the expansion of international hotel chains—and the significant demand for touristic services had a huge impact on tourism growth [3]. UNWTO's Tourism Dashboard shows incredible growth between 2009 and 2019. While in 2009, the UNWTO registered 897 million international tourist arrivals, in 2019, this number was 1466 million [4]. 2009 is an important year, as according to UNWTO, this was the year when international tourism receipts exceeded the number of international tourist arrivals permanently [5]. Not to mention the non-conventional aspects of tourism mobility like one-day visitors, VFR tourism, which can hardly be detected in tourism statistics and is difficult to measure.

The rapid urbanization, affordable travel and visa services, technological advances, and new business models are all behind this rapid and monumental growth [5]. The cheap flight tickets and constantly growing air transportation made the exotic destinations more reachable, and new consumer trends have appeared too. The considerable demand for touristic services accelerated development and made long-haul and foreign travels extremely popular.

The constantly increasing demand exceeded the level of sustainable tourism development. It is a legitimate question whether the socio-economically more vulnerable settlements, and especially the people living there, can actually benefit from the increasing demand. Different strategy-making levels have detached tourism as an economic sector from socio-economic and environmental impacts. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was already a call for more sustainable, smart, and local cities. Sustainability has gained greater importance as it contributes to today's cities by making the lives of residents easier and offering sustainable and responsible management of natural resources [6]. This backs up an argument about the carrying capacity of a tourism destination: What is the maximum number of visitors that is acceptable without destroying the environment and bothering local communities [7]? Carrying capacity is linked to the tourist activities done within the region. These impacts have to be within the ecological carrying capacity of the given territory [8].

The economic contribution of tourism has become so significant that the collapse of the industry has pointed out some serious problems that the COVID-19 pandemic could change in terms of sustainable tourism development. On the other hand, these changes should have been done long before the crisis, as the excessive growth means more vulnerability in the case of those countries and settlements where the main source of revenue is mass tourism.

The pandemic brought lockdowns, social distancing, travel bans, flight cancellations, and numerous health and safety risks, which obviously decreased the number of travels. The pandemic shows signs that it could bring long-term changes in the industry and reimagine sustainable and responsible tourism [9]. Achieving sustainable tourism and, at the same time, maximizing growth is always a challenge [10] as usually, the cheap and convenient options are not the sustainable ones. It is also important to note that the tourism sector also significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions [11].

Due to the lockdowns and difficult travel regulations during the pandemic, the demand for domestic products has emerged. Tourists who usually choose long-haul and foreign travel routes were forced to travel within the country borders. This phenomenon led to more rational consumption. Tourism consumption starts when the traveler leaves his permanent home until he arrives home [12]. It would be naive to expect rational behavior regarding sustainability from tourists who spend their free time, which often ends up in unreasonable decisions regarding the type of transportation, accommodation, shopping, and sightseeing. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the younger generation still considers that the waste situation, pollution, use of non-renewable resources are the main challenges that sustainable tourism faces [13]. Domestic travels—forced by the crisis—resulted at least in less air pollution. Nevertheless, distance is a critical factor in tourism. Variables such as gender, time factor, education, number of children, seasonality, and weather, largely determine the distance of the travels [14].

In the case of a small country like Hungary, where domestic flights do not exist, it seems to be more environmentally friendly. Achieving high-value tourism is an old desire in Hungary's tourism, which means attracting high-spending tourists and increasing the revenue from tourism expenditure instead of increasing the number of tourists. This could result in much more sustainable growth.

The Hungarian Tourism Agency is a governmental organization responsible for the development and public administration of tourism in Hungary. The organization's main mission is to gain competitiveness of Hungary as a tourism destination and to promote the country in order to be more attractive for international, domestic, and business travelers. The Hungarian Tourism Agency defines the tourism development strategy, supervises the utilization of EU funds and domestic budgetary sources dedicated for tourism development and manages the tourism brand of Hungary [15]. As part of the governmental tasks, the organization issued the National Tourism Development Strategy in 2017, which includes all the guidelines regarding the tourism development in Hungary until 2030. The strategy was updated in 2021 due to the COVID-19 circumstances, and the National Tourism Development Strategy 2.0 version was born. The strategy places a strong emphasis on sustainability and responds to the ever-changing trends in tourism. Due to the destination approach, territorial aspects are also prominent, providing a framework for defining the profile of each touristic region. This also helps specific regional branding. According to the strategy's vision, by 2030, the tourism sector in Hungary will be the driving force for sustainable economic development by achieving quality experience, innovative solutions, and a strong national tourism brand. The strategy dedicates a whole chapter to sustainability as a strategic direction, in line with international standards. One of the long-term goals is the introduction of a trademark developed along sustainability criteria that is widely applicable in the tourism sector. Sales efficiency is essential for sustainable growth. In addition to this, professional marketing activities are indispensable to exploit the potential of domestic tourism. Data-driven and targeted marketing is needed as it is extremely important to restore demand as soon as possible after the significant decline in tourism as a result of the epidemic crisis [16].

It can be clearly stated that tourism has many social and economic effects and advantages. This is especially true for the field of spa and health tourism, that generates longer stays and, therefore, high expenditures. Spa and health tourism is extremely important in countries like Hungary, which are on the one hand, weak in natural resources but, on the other hand, rich in natural thermal water. Under the territory of Hungary, there is a presence of 70% of thermal water, which is a remarkable gift. There are many settlements spread across Hungary that are blessed with thermal water that differ in terms of size, accommodation facilities, and faculties.

This study reveals two different dimensions of tourism typology. One of them are the characteristics of the receiving areas (Hévíz and Zalakaros), and the other are the characteristics of the visitors on the demand side. According to Candela and Figini [17], it is debatable that the destinations are at the core of the tourism system, and they also argue that choosing a destination is at the center of decision-making. Health tourism, that is examined in this study, is one of the most popular tourism products in Hungary, which can be spotted in those settlements where thermal water is available. Analyzing its generated effects is quite important in the context of the changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies have already examined the socio-economic changes in the case of bath regions, e.g., the case of Kehidakustány, another well-known spa settlement in Hungary. It turned out that those cities which are successful in health tourism have the possibility to

gain a higher level of income, which results in a major economic role [18]. Obviously, higher income also contributes to the social development and satisfaction of the local society.

#### **2. Data Collection and Research Methods**

Our study uses quantitative methods based on secondary analysis of tourism statistics. There are several possible methods for measuring tourism demand. In the case of Hévíz and Zalakaros, which are typically multi-day destinations with a relatively long stay of the guests, accommodation statistics provide reliable information on the volume of tourism demand. The primary source of the examined data is the National Tourism Data Center (NTAK) database. The digital platform operating under the supervision of the Hungarian Tourism Agency allows the anonymous traffic statistics of all accommodation establishments in the country to be displayed in real time. From the data received directly through the accommodation management software, analyses are made to make the data-driven decisions needed to support the tourism profession. NTAK also has a significant role in the whitening of the tourism sector, as the territorially competent local governments and the National Tax and Customs Office also have an overview of the data areas that are relevant to them. The NTAK receives statistical data from the individual accommodation management, catering and ticketing software. For our study, we obtained data gathered between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021. To present the accommodation offer of Zalakaros and Hévíz, the capacity data of the accommodations registered in the NTAK digital platform (number of accommodations and offered rooms), which operates with complete coverage in the two settlements. To examine the characteristics of tourism demand, guest traffic data were aggregated according to the age groups and place of residence of guests, in the case of both Zalakaros and Hévíz. Regarding the applied methodology, it was a challenge that the NTAK database would be completely operational only from the beginning of 2020, therefore, the analysis examining the multi-year perspective is based on the freely available database of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (CSO), which is limited to changes in the volume of tourism traffic and does not cover the demographic and geographical characteristics of domestic demand. As, unfortunately, there are no detailed data on the spatial pattern of domestic demand for the period before the Covid, other alternative methodological approaches are warranted to investigate this in the future.

#### **3. Study Area**

The research focuses on two Hungarian spa towns—Hévíz and Zalakaros—due to their international importance. They are located in the western part of Lake Balaton Touristic Region, the most important tourist destination in Hungary (Figure 1). The tourist area of Lake Balaton has the largest accommodation capacity after Budapest (60,600 rooms) and, accordingly, the most visited rural tourist area, with a total of 5874 thousand guest nights, of which 67.38 percent are domestic, 32.62 percent foreign (31% German, 11% Czech, 11% Russian and 10% Austrian). Its main tourist products are waterfront holidays and thermal baths (source: CSO 2019). Lake Balaton has appreciated in recent years, and by the summer of 2021, we could see the operation of the previous successful years almost entirely.

The area has a quite good location and geographical position: The accessibility of the area is mainly determined by the E71 (M7) motorway and Hévíz-Balaton Airport, which is of exceptional importance for the West-Balaton destination, but the north-south transport possibilities need to be improved.

**Figure 1.** The sample area of the research.

Hévíz, as a small town, has approx. 4800 inhabitants, with international secondhome owners—mostly German and Russian—as well. The basis of tourism in Hévíz is the world-famous and unique Lake Hévíz and the medical tourism services based on it. The lake has a water surface of 44,400 square meters and is the world's largest naturally warm, biologically active spa lake. The medicinal water erupts from the spring crater at a depth of 38 m, its average summer temperature is 33–35 ◦C, but it does not fall below 23 ◦C in winter, so it is suitable for outdoor swimming all year round. The water contains sulfur, alkali bicarbonate, slightly radon ingredients, which can primarily cure various rheumatic, musculoskeletal, and gynecological diseases [19]. The central spa was built in 1795 on the initiative of Count György Festetics, the owner of the area. In recognition of the development, Hévíz was declared a spa settlement in 1911. On 1 January 1952, the Hévíz State Spa Hospital was established in the buildings of the spa, which is now the St. Andrew's State Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Hospital. Due to this, Hévíz has become the largest spa in the country for the treatment of musculoskeletal rheumatic diseases. In 2015, Hévíz created its own trademark for the accreditation of therapies based on the healing effects of Lake Hévíz. Institutions that have the necessary professional, medical background, and medical infrastructure for the treatment (e.g., spa pool, weight bath, mud packer) are entitled to wear the trademark. There are currently nine certified spa hotels under the trademark that provide treatments under sanitary conditions under medical supervision. The last 30 years saw a greater development than ever before: Many new restaurants and hotels have been built. Recent spa and accommodation developments have aimed to increase the quality of care for patients recovering here.

Zalakaros—with approx. 2100 inhabitants—has also become one of the most important Hungarian international spa destinations. The flourishing of the settlement can be clearly linked to the construction of the spa. In 1962, during the hydrocarbon exploration in Zala, hot thermal water was found in the settlement. The spa opened in 1965, and the settlement underwent a significant development, the plans for the development and arrangement of the village and the recreation area were completed in a decade. The year of 1975 was decisive, when the building of the indoor bath was handed over, so the seasonal nature of the bath in Zalakaros ceased to exist and the basic conditions for the medical utilization of the thermal water were established. In the following years, the spa continued to expand, and new pools were built, significantly increasing the water surface. In 1978, the Granite

Spa was declared a recognized spa. The spa developments of the last 10 years have focused on the needs of the guests with children, families and young adults looking for wellness and adventure bathing, pushing the development of medical products into the background. In parallel with this, the capacity of tourist accommodation has been constantly increasing, new hotels and private accommodation have been established in the settlement.

#### **4. The National Significance of the Two Cities, Based on Visitor Traffic and Capacity Data**

The region of Western Balaton is one of the most visited destinations in Hungary. Hévíz and Zalakaros are the two most important spa resorts in the country in terms of available accommodation services. There were 653 accommodation establishments in Hévíz in July 2021, offering a total of 3920 rooms, while in Zalakaros, there were 2332 rooms available. The offer of both settlements is dominated by hotels, with more than half of the capacity being supplemented by private accommodation and other accommodation. Despite the fact that the attractiveness of both settlements is focused on medicinal water, the two settlements address fundamentally different target groups. Hévíz is an internationally known spa town with a significant foreign tourist turnover (675.3 thousand), while Zalakaros was the number one medical tourist destination in the country in terms of domestic tourism in 2019, with 508.1 thousand domestic guest nights. In the years before the epidemic, more than half of Hévíz's guest traffic was generated by foreign tourism, while in Zalakaros, less than a quarter of the guests were foreign (Figure 2).

**Figure 2.** Volume index of the number of guest nights registered in commercial accommodation establishments between 2010 and 2020. Own editing based on the CSO Information Database.

#### **5. Impact of the COVID-19 Epidemic on Tourism in the Region**

Before presenting the changes caused by Covid, it is worth looking at the state of the Hungarian tourism sector and the two settlements before the pandemic started. The 2010s were about the prosperity of the Hungarian tourism industry, with a steadily increasing performance year by year. Concentrating on the two settlements examined, the guest turnover of Hévíz increased by more than a fifth, the growth of the tourism performance of Zalakaros exceeded 60% in the period between 2010 and 2019. In 2020, the Covid epidemic hit the Hungarian tourism sector hard, causing serious economic and social changes, especially in areas with a strong tourist profile, such as the West Balaton region. The negative effects

of the epidemic on tourism performance were severe in both settlements. According to the data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, the number of foreigners visiting Hévíz fell by almost a fifth in 2020 compared to 2019, but there was also a decrease of about 40% in the case of domestic demand. In Zalakaros, the foreign guest turnover decreased by almost 70%, while the number of domestic guest nights decreased by about 30%. Due to the drop in demand and the uncertainty surrounding the conditions of international tourism, the spa settlements had to reach new target groups after the lifting of the epidemiological restrictions. In our analysis, the national, demographic, spending, and territorial characteristics of the volume of guest traffic in Hévíz and Zalakaros for the period following the outbreak of COVID-19 are presented.

#### **6. Results**

In 2020, compared to previous years, a drastic decline in foreign demand could be observed, and based on turnover data, the number of foreign guests returned only partially to the two settlements in 2021. In the case of Hévíz, with the loss of the previously dominant foreign target groups, domestic demand gave approximately two-thirds of the guest nights in 2020 and 2021, while the share of domestic demand continued to grow in Zalakaros, which has traditionally been strong on domestic guests (Table 1).

**Table 1.** Share of domestic and foreign market in guest turnover (%).

Source: Own editing based on the CSO and NTAK databases.

The common feature of the guests of the two settlements is the high proportion of guests using wellness and health tourism services (MTÜ, 2016). In addition to the similarities, however, the two spa towns address significantly different target groups. Nearly two-thirds of Hévíz's guests are people over the age of 45, whose main motivations are rest and health. In contrast, Zalakaros is characterized by a younger group of guests, with more than 60% of guests in Zalakaros under the age of 45. A significant proportion are couples between the ages of 35 and 45, who often arrive on long weekends, and those who go on family vacations to Zalakaros. The twenty-year-olds are underrepresented in both settlements. It can also be said that the demographic characteristics of foreign and domestic demand are significantly different for both settlements. In the case of foreign markets, well-defined target groups can be observed (Figure 3).

The base of Hévíz's foreign target market is provided by the senior age group, which can be characterized by a long stay and is looking for high-quality health tourism services. Two-thirds of the income from foreign tourism of accommodation establishments in Hévíz is related to people over 55 years of age, mostly people over 65 years of age. In Zalakaros, however, foreign guests are mainly couples between the ages of 35 and 44, who are primarily attracted by wellness services. More than half of Zalakaros' income from foreign tourism can be attributed to this age group. The group of foreign visitors to the two settlements is not homogeneous, different foreign target groups can be identified on the basis of nationality, length of stay, demographic characteristics, and spending habits.

The German market provides a significant part of the senior population visiting the area. The German seniors visit both settlements in large numbers, spending six to seven days at the destination. As the only place in Hungary, one of the dominant target groups of Hévíz is the Russian guest group, which is mainly a group of solvent, middle-aged, and elderly couples with a long stay. Russian demand is quite concentrated in Hévíz, there is no interest in the wider region. The number of Russian guests has been declining in recent years. By far, the German and Russian guests spend the most on accommodation. Due to the geographical proximity and the good value for money of the destination, many people

come to the area from the border areas of Austria. In the case of the Czech and Slovak guests, it can be clearly observed that the older age groups visit Hévíz, while a higher proportion of people between the ages of 35 and 44 visit Zalakaros. Guests from the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia are not only looking for premium accommodation, they have a significant need for mid-range services as well. Czech guests are characterized by average, Slovak and Polish guests by low unit spending, although the number of active families with medium and higher status is increasing from the Czech and Slovak sending markets. The stagnation or moderate decline of the sending markets (Germany and Russia), which provide the largest volume of guest traffic in the region, may be offset by the growth of these markets, which have additional potential and are less concentrated in Hévíz and visit the wider destination in large numbers (Table 2). Other countries sending a significant number of guests include Ukraine, Switzerland, and Romania, which also have growth potential. In the pre-Covid period, groups of visitors from outside Europe, mainly from China and Israel, which generated a significant amount of traffic in Hévíz, almost completely disappeared from the region in 2020 and did not return in 2021.

**Figure 3.** Guest turnover by age groups in Hévíz and Zalakaros, 2021. Source: Own editing based on the NTAK database.

It is important to emphasize that the specific expenditure of foreign guests is significantly higher than that of domestic guests. In the case of Hévíz, the expenditure per guest was 87.3% higher in the case of Zalakaros and 41.2% higher among foreign guests in 2021. The greatest contrast is in the comparison of foreign and domestic seniors. Foreign guests over the age of 65 spend 2.5 times as much on average in Hévíz and 2.2 times in Zalakaros as Hungarian guests. The difference is much smaller among the younger age groups. Data from recent years, on the other hand, show that this long-standing finding that foreign visitors are highly profitable for caterers appears to be declining on the basis of data from recent years. Partly as a result of the epidemic situation and state measures to encourage domestic tourism, a large number of solvent Hungarian guests have appeared, and their returning guests may be of strategic importance to the spa settlements.

**Table 2.** Top 5 sending market in Hévíz and in Zalakaros, 2021.

Source: Own editing.

Domestic demand is becoming more and more important in the tourist traffic of the West-Balaton destination, which is significantly more diverse in terms of demographics than foreign visitors. Among the domestic tourists of Hévíz, in addition to the traditionally large number of seniors, the 35–44, 45–54, and 55–64 age groups also come to the spa settlement in similar numbers. The over-55 age group stays almost exclusively in hotels, while the share of private accommodation and other types of accommodation is high (30–40%) for the younger age groups. Regarding the spending per guest, a significant difference can be identified between the groups of guests under 35 (HUF 43,329) and those over 35 (HUF 54,758). There is no significant difference in the comparison of the 10-year age groups of those over 35 years of age. In the case of Zalakaros, the largest proportion of domestic guests are between the ages of 35 and 44 (30%), while the second largest age group is under the age of 18. It is clear from the data that Zalakaros is a typical destination for domestic family holidays, mainly during the summer months of the season. Families do not only stay in hotels, almost 20% of them choose private accommodation. In the age group between 35 and 44, another solvent target group arriving without children can be identified, which is characterized by high specific spending (HUF 73,289) compared to the other age groups, which is catching up to the spending intensity of foreign guests. The number of visitors to this target group increased almost one and a half times in Zalakaros in 2021 and 2020, while the number of visitors with families did not change significantly based on the number of registered guests under the age of 18. In the summer of 2021, the capacity utilization showed values above 80%, domestic demand in 4- and 5-star hotels was able to make up for the lost foreign guest traffic in the summer. This is the young and middle-aged group, who presumably travel abroad, are characterized by high spending, are less price sensitive, but chose domestic destination in the summer of 2021 due to the uncertainty caused by Covid. On the other hand, domestic demand showed moderate interest in lower-category hotels. Pre- and post-season traffic lagged behind, thus strengthening the seasonality that used to be generally less common in spa towns.