Brief description of the area

The Balaton Uplands Action Group covers an economically and culturally diverse territory spreading over a vast area. It includes sixty settlements and affects 5 statistical micro-regions (Balatonfüred, Ajka, Veszprém, Tapolca, and Sümeg). Within the Action Group there are three small areas distinguished from geographical and economical aspects as well as regarding co-operation networks:

in the southern area, facing Lake Balaton, with a touch of mediterranean atmosphere are typical of tourism, wine-making, the pleasant climate, natural and man-made environment are the key factors of further development. Many settled from local cities temporarily or permanently bringing material and relation capital and new attitudes with them and appreciate local values. However, there is a significant social and economic gap between the banks and the “hinterland”, probably this is where the willingness to co-operate is the lowest, therefore resources often remain unutilized.

The area laying further north became known as “The Valley of Arts” as well as the adjacent villages surrounding Ajka and Veszprém has an atmosphere rather resembling that of Bakony Hills. In addition to agriculture and sylvculture there are important industrial zones (many new small enterprises have settled on the ruins of old industrial infrastructure) and natural values, cultural tradition, and tourism are remarkable too. Due to the co-operation inspired by the Valley Festival and other community programs the co-operation and local development potentials among settlements, civil stakeholders and economic players are on a much wider basis.

Sümeg micro-region is the poorest within the Local Community. The rate of unemployment and those in disadvantageous social situation is rather high. Recently LEADER + program helped to enhance entrepreneurial co-operations and established high civil activity in the region and the new attitude that has spread as a result of the work completed provides very good basis for further development. Sümeg is an important tourist and service centre with many world-famous historic buildings and cultural events that also serve as foundation for many other tourist service providers in the vicinity.

These three areas are organically connected and their various capacities and opportunities in terms of rural development complement one another. Cultural traditions, festivals (on top of Valley Festival there are wine festivals, castle programmes on Sümeg and Nagyvázsony, and many other small events), several historic buildings (castles, abbeys, peasant houses, palaces), the climate, Lake Balaton, the wonderful natural environment all provide a good basis for sustainable and soft tourism.

The tradition of wine-making and other products, opportunities and potentials in agriculture, sylviculture, agro-environmental management, and nature protection, and the high quality industrial production in particular areas make our economy complete. Nevertheless the most important resources for development are local development capacities and the co-operation network just being established and based upon local democracy and wide participation, which we hope to help us establish our common identity and extend our opportunities.

Our region in numbers

Number of permanent residents is 43 312. Population: males 49.3 %, females 50.7 %. The rates of males were higher in 25 settlements. Within the action group territory (in 2006) 392 live births and 593 deaths were registered, which underlines natural decrease in population (-201 persons). The most live births were recorded in Sümeg (63 babies). Csabrendek, Nemesvámos and Úrkút, among other medium settlements, showed great records of 27, 23, and 20 live births, respectively, in 2006). Within the ACS territory the number of live births per 1000 population slightly exceeded 9. The number of deaths of 593 per 1000 population is 15.54. Natural decrease in population can be observed in the territory, whereas it shows positive tendencies in 13 settlements. Migration in 2006 had positive balance of 29 persons (1168 transmigrations, 1197 immigrations). 29 settlements had positive migration balances. Migration into a settlement often entails positive energies to the local community; the immigrating intellectuals’ proficiency and activity have positive effect on the settlement’s life. Effective change in population in the entire action group in2006 dropped by 172 persons compared to figures of the previous year. Compared to year 2005 the number of residents not only decreased in Sümeg by 67 in 2006, but also in Úrkút, Nagyvázsony, and Tótvázsony. Population grew in 25 settlements.

Besides transmigration unfavourable age structure in the population and low rate of working age population are also key problems. In 60 settlements the active generation between 14-59 years represent 64.22% of the total population. The same rate in Szőc amounts to as low as 42% and just hit 50% in Óbudavár and Zalameggyes too. Primarily the rate of population of working age is the highest in villages near the county town Veszprém and around Sümeg. In Tagyon, with very low population though, the rate of those in active age is beyond 70% and is far above 2/3 in Nemesvámos, Nagyvázsony, Veszprémfajsz, Csabrendek, and Ukk. Within the action group’s territory the rate of those over 60 is 1/5. The share of senior citizens in Szentantalfa (14%), Veszprémfajsz, Tótvázsony, Nemesvámos, and Csabrendek is even smaller. The share of the underaged (under 14) is nearly 15%. Small settlements such as Óbudavár, Zalameggyes, Szentantalfa, Rigács, and Vigántpetend the share of the underage is between 20%-25%, which is much better than the average.

Within the action group’s territory in 2006 there were 4720 registered enterprises, of which over 90% were micro enterprises. The latest data available on active enterprises is from 2004: they amounted to 3156. Three-quarter of the 4720 registered enterprises were individual entrepreneurs, the rest was business associations. Due to the problems burdening the entrepreneurial sector the mass of some 3500 individual entrepreneurs virtually have moderate economic potential. Less than half of individual entrepreneurs work full time. Almost half of business associations are limited liability companies and about one third is limited partnership.

Although rural characteristics dominate the territory of the action group, the closeness of Lake BalatonLake Balaton 85% of them centralize in and around Balatonfüred and Kapolcs. There are 200 companies in the trade in Csopak, but even in Tihany and Zánka their numbers exceed 100. Among settlements with no direct link to the lakeside Monostorapáti has the largest number of enterprises in the trade. prevails. Primarily in terms of national classification of business activities most enterprises operate hotels and restaurants. 27% of all registered business associations operate in this particular sector. Owing to the nearness of

Enterprises operating hotels and restaurants represent the majority of accommodation facilities available in the region. Lodging capacities focus in the Balaton Uplands: Csopak (1346 commercial, 2342 private lodings), Zánka (2952 only in the Children and Youth Centre, 893 in the village), Balatonakali (1991, 850, respectively), Tihany (1800, 1478, respectively). Private lodging facilities dominate in small villages off the lakeshore; capacities for persons: Monostorapáti: 560, Kapolcs: 322, Lovas: 222, Taliándörögd: 187. Most of those enterprises are private individuals who provide services as individual entrepreneur, except for Sümeg, where there are commercial accommodations for almost 500. The lodging capacity within the action group’s territory can accommodate a total of almost 9000 in private and over 12000 in commercial sector.

About one-fifth of the enterprises provide services such as real estate transactions, economic services.