Resources

Currently the resources of Spa tourism PLA have not been listed. An inventory of Learning Area resources will be a useful step once the project is running. Initially though, resources to start the project have been thought to be the working time of the members of each organisation, plus what each organisation can offer in terms of expertise and in-house material goods and physical space within present development programmes and budgets.

To facilitate this process, a Technical Form for describing resources in a Tourism Learning Area is provided below.
Resources can be initially be divided into:

• Working Group Start up Resources
• Tourism Learning Area Physical, Technical and Financial Resources

Measuring, managing and improving on the resources a TLA has at its disposal are necessary tasks of a coordination body. Human, Physical, Technical and Financial Resources. Need to be quantified and qualified and kept up to date.

Working Group Start up Resources

• Commitment of initiator
• Commitment of coordinating partners
• Funding Applications in process

Tourism Learning Area Human Physical, Technical Financial and Natural Resources

The approach to filling in this form is to start to list all the fixed premises where formal learning experiences occur, then expand on the sources of more mobile and informal learning experiences.

1. Human Resources

Population description

• Numbers
• level of education
• economic classifications

  2. Physical Resources:

General Description of built infrastructure:

• Access routes
• Premises (number of fixed educational locations, educational facilities)

4. Financial Resource Potential

  A policy grid for potential fund identification is given below.

	Area	Source of funds	Action required	Reference source
	National	Széchenyi Terv	Monitor project announcement and prepare application	Palyazatfigyelo www.pafi.hu
		Regional Operativ Program		Government-based information resources, i.e. www.meh.hu , www.gkm.hu
	Regional	Regional Development Funds		Regional Development Agency websites
	International	Private Sector Funds

4.1. Tourism Learning Area Governance Papers Policy Grid

The following policies can be explored to see what budget lines are available for resourcing the PLA coordination, and strengthening the Learning Resources in the region.

Learning Areas Governance Papers Policy Grid

Name of Policy Document

Target group SMEs /Micro enterprises

Co-ordination

Target group Workforce individuals

Administrative / Geographical Level

Global

UN (CSD 2002) WSSD Plan of Implementation

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

European

DG EaC R3L Initiative (2003)

X

X

X

DG E&C Grundtvig Programme 2001-06

X

X

DG Regio Innovation Strategy 2005

X

X

X

DG Enterprise DG Employment Working together for the Future of European Tourism (2001)

X

X

X

X

X

DG InfoSoc Elearning 2005

X

X

X

Sec Gen SD Strategy 2001 Better regulation Package (June 2002)

X

DG Enterprise Basic Guidance for the Orientation of Sustainable Tourism (Nov 2003 )

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

National

Office of the Prime Minister (MEH): 1 st  National Economic Development Plan Education Chapter (2003) Turisztikai Munkaterv 2002-2006 (Tourism Work Plan 2002-2006 with specific emphasis on Health Tourism) Ministry of Economy and Transport (GKM), HU National Tourism DevelopmentStrategy

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

GKM: Legal Framework of Tourism (See also: EU Legal Framework in Tourism)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Regional

Local

5. Natural Resources

• Geothermal Resources Survey

Summary of Learning Area Experiences

Over the past few years the European Commission has gathered a lot of valuable information from all over Europe on how to improve the performance of the tourism and education sectors. Within the Commission, DG Enterprise's Tourism Unit is implementing a project that will bring together the broad processes of education and tourism using a systematic concept called a Learning Area. The idea is being applied to the tourism sector, so that the quantitative and qualitative development of stakeholder performance can be achieved by well-informed and motivated people, working together within coherent and effective educational and sectoral governance processes.

To achieve this, seven provisional learning areas are being established in different countries to see how the system will work in reality. The East-Central Hungary Spa Tourism Learning Area is one of these areas.

Hungary is a treasure of thermal springs, discovered during Roman times, 2000 years ago. These thermal and medical waters have been gradually discovered by Hungarians and some time foreigners (Turkish occupation) also left its fingerprints on the spa culture. The history of many thermal baths dates back to Ottoman rule in Buda. The Pashas of Buda are assumed to have started building several baths in 1550 so that, should there be a seige, there would be a baths in a protected area within the town walls.

Hungary 's thermal water stock is significant even on the global level, and it is unique in Europe . Most mineral and thermal waters contain dissolved minerals too, and therefore these waters have medicinal effect, i.e. they are suitable for bathing and drinking cures. At the moment, Hungary has more than 1,000 wells producing thermal water over 30 °C, of which most of the wells produce water with medicinal effect.

Thermal waters in Hungary are present in almost every regions of the country. Budapest is famous for the healing power of its thermal springs. It is the only metropolis in the world with more than 100 thermal springs across its territory which feed about 50 baths. Another rich area is the Great Plain, in East Hungary , where thermal springs may be found almost everywhere

The real good time for spa culture in Hungary may be dated back to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy period, followed by many ups and downs, until the spa tourism came again to the spotlight of tourism strategist in the past decade.

Most of the nations SMEs launched their spa services activity after the privatisation process, i.e. from 1992 onwards, followed by a successful spa facility development programme under the Szechenyi terv period from 1998. Such an important sub-sector needs well trained personnel both at enterprenerial, managerial and employment level, in order to service tourists at their satisfaction, hence, the reason for setting up a Learning Area in the Spa Tourism. We hope you will find this initiative interesting and we ask you to contribute to our project at your best possible knowledge.

Our Spa Tourism Learning Area will provide adequate guidance and information to not only Hungarian, but other spa tourism providers in Europe.