Abstract This study examines the effect of the subsidies given to firms through the Rural Development Programme (RDP) for Mainland Finland in Finland during the 2007–2013 period. In order to understand the impacts that this programme had, the study uses counterfactual modelling to analyse what forms of subsidies impact job creation in supported firms. The results showed that subsidies from the RDP had a positive impact on the development of subsidized firms and thus, the RDP was a key instrument for the renewal of the countryside and the promotion of rural viability in Finland.

Olli Lehtonen

European Countryside

Do the Subsidies of the Rural Development Programme Increase Employment in Rural Firms? A Counterfactual Impact Evaluation from Mainland Finland

农村发展计划补贴是否增加了农村企业的就业？来自芬兰大陆的反事实影响评估

Abstract The primary aim of adult training for job seekers is to help participants reintegrate into the labour market as soon as possible. The high unemployment rate and the low employment rate in the examined area (Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county) led the Hungarian Government to retrain job seekers. The aim of the study is to examine the spatial pattern of training for registered job seekers and its effectiveness in helping them to find a job in the primary (or secondary) labour market. The research was carried out using secondary data, provided by the Ministry of Innovation and Technology and the National Employment Service in Hungary. Our research has highlighted the territorial links between human resources, adult learning and job opportunities. Adult training and public employment opportunities had a strong impact on the development of the labour market.

Barbara Le-Dai

Gábor Koncz

Dávid Hajdú

Katalin Lipták

The Role and Territorial Characteristics of Adult Training on the Integration of Registered Jobseekers into the Labour Market in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County (Hungary), 2010–2020

2010-2020年匈牙利索博尔奇-索特马尔-贝拉格县成人培训在注册求职者融入劳动力市场中的作用及地域特征

Abstract The aim of the paper is to contribute to the scientific discussion on the transmitting, coordinating role of meso level governments in regional development focusing mostly on rural areas. We can distinguish between the power position of rural local governments and communities and the strongly networked urban areas that tend to govern themselves according to different leadership models and logic. Rural, municipal governments and agents are working under assymetrical power relations and rely on the interventions of the „upper level” for assistance. The paper, besides the theoretical literature review, includes empirical elements based on empirical research conducted (first in all Hungarian counties (2018) and after focusing on Baranya county between 2020 and 2022) to illustrate how the weak legal, political and social position and administrative capacity of county self-governments hinder such a role, and why it would be necessary to strenghten the coordination and interest representation at meso-level (Pálné, 2019; NKFIH no. 132294). The county governments have a long history, depending on the centralized or decentralized model of governance in the given period. Hungarian counties have recently been tasked with the mission of regional development, especially in rural areas, but as our preliminary results indicate, rural municipalities have not benefited so much from this new role. Despite Baranya being one of the poorest Hungarian counties dominated by rural small municipalities, the empowerment and embeddedness of county governments hardly enable the enforcement of rural priorities and representing the interest of municipaliities within a dominantly centralized regional development system. The paper intends to offer a theoretical approach rather than a policy analysis, however, the concluding chapter formulates some ideas on the directions of future reforms arguing for the necessity of re-decentralization in Hungary.

Ilona Pálné Kovács

What Can Hungarian Counties do for the Countryside?

匈牙利县能为乡村做什么？

Abstract The hunting tourism product is based on various hunting game and other types of services (accommodation, food, transport, educational services, cultural and recreational activities). This study reveals four factors that influence choosing a hunting destination and satisfaction with consuming tourism services. The study aimed to analyze the relationship between hunting tourism products quality and overall tourist satisfaction and to examine the measurement model for hunting tourists’ satisfaction. This scale focuses on specific elements of hunting tourism products and contributes to a better understanding of the quality of hunting tourism offers. Using the CFA, the reliability and validity of the hunting tourism satisfaction scale (HUNTSS) were confirmed on the sample in Serbia, and this scale was validated as a reliable four-factor model which could be assessed for future research improvements. Results of SEM showed the influences of four factors of hunting tourism products on overall satisfaction.

Milosava Matejević

Ivana Blešić

Markéta Kalábová

Vladimir Marković

Milutin Kovačević

Snežana Besermenji

Branislav Stankov

Examine Structural Relationships Between Hunting Tourism Product Quality and Tourist Hunters’ Satisfaction

探究狩猎旅游产品质量与游客猎人满意度之间的结构关系

Abstract Seasonality, meaning that the vast majority of tourist locations do not distribute arrivals evenly throughout the year, in tourism, it is widely regarded as one of the most crucial problems for the majority of the world’s destinations, particularly in terms of sustainability. Nevertheless, despite its importance and that this unbalanced nature has become one of tourism’s most distinguishing characteristics, we can say that no globally comparable international measurement of seasonality is currently available. Based on the abovementioned phenomena, the main objective of the present study and research is to detect and analyse the tourism seasonality of a case study area, the Sopron-Fertő destination (Hungary), using multiple methodologies such as the Gini index, a representative consumer questionnaire and expert interviews. The analysis demonstrates seasonality in tourism demand between 2008–2021, based on which implications on product development and new directions and challenges, influenced by the most recent impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, are revealed and suggested.

Attila Barcza

János Csapó

Mátyás Hinek

Gergely Marton

Levente Alpek

Examining Seasonality in Tourism with Special Reference to the Recent Effects of Covid-19 – The Case of the Sopron-Fertő Tourism Destination (Hungary)

考察旅游业季节性特征及其近期新冠疫情影响——以匈牙利索普朗-费尔特旅游目的地为例

Abstract This article describes the extent and nature of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the activities of communitybased organisations in rural Poland. The analytical foundation of the study is the research carried out in 2021 on a sample of three hundred and thirty-three rural NGOs. The negative and positive impact of the pandemic on the activities of these organisations were noted. Negative phenomena include a significant slowing down of existing tasks, abandonment of the completion of projects, an exodus of volunteers and active members. The bottom-up organised activity of the rural third sector during the pandemic also brought about noticeable positive phenomena: a widening of the activity field of organisations by new dimensions, an expansion of the cooperation network of rural organisations, and a significant increase in the appreciation of civic activity as a result of the speed and flexibility of self-help activities.

Wojciech Knieć

Tomasz Marcysiak

Elwira Piszczek

Polish Rural Non-Governmental Organizations During the Covid-19 Pandemic

波兰农村非政府组织在新冠疫情期间

Abstract Most EU policy documents highlight the need to ensure and contribute to the achievement of the multifaceted goal of social sustainability. In this framework, the paper investigates tokenism, a common phenomenon of crucial importance for rural development, although not widely studied. The paper focuses on a scoping literature review to analyse the forms of tokenism affecting the territorial development practices and which factors can prevent this phenomenon. More specifically, recent scientific papers dealing with tokenism, social capital, rural areas, and decision processes were analysed to shed light on the various underhand practices in which tokenism occurs and possible limiting factors. The results show the role played by adopting participatory approaches and by some variables (e. g., trust, influence, involvement, civic engagement, information) in reducing the phenomenon of tokenism. It is important to highlight how improving the local amount of social capital represents a key factor positively affecting the success of territorial development strategies. The originality and the value of the present study lie in the fact that notwithstanding tokenism is analysed by several authors, to the best of our knowledge, there are no studies focusing on the relationship between tokenism and territorial development.

Naomi Di Santo

Antonio Lopolito

Roberta Sisto

Tokenism in Territorial Development: Enabling Factors and Mitigation Measures

领土发展中的象征主义：促进因素与缓解措施

Abstract The aim of this paper is to assess the development of business activities in the Czech countryside in the period from 2008 to the present and to show possible limitations and perspectives of this area. The research was conducted by analysing economic entities located in rural municipalities in the peripheral areas of Western Bohemia. The assessment is based on the use of the Public Database of the Czech Statistical Office (statistics on economic entities, number of economic entities, number of economic entities created in 2008–2020) and a dataset on economic entities defunct in 2008–2021 provided by the Czech Statistical Office. We have analysed the economic entities by geographical location, size of municipality and industry specification. We use analysis of variance to assess whether the population size of a municipality has a statistically significant effect on the number of economic entities per 100 residents of the municipality, and we use visualization cartographic methods, density maps and cartograms to assess spatial differentiation. We have found that the nature of business activities in the study area is changing along the lines of urban locations, but, due to a number of factors, many rural economic entities are in a more economically precarious position.

Veronika Vorobljevová

Marie Novotná

Development of Business Activities in Peripheral Parts of Rural Areas, Western Bohemia

西波西米亚农村地区边缘地带商业活动的发展

Abstract The paper aims to study the use of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) farmers’ networking activities to overcome challenges in the development of their business. MAPs are mostly cultivated in small farms located in rural territories. This presents many challenges in different dimensions of business development through the value-chain, namely in commercialization. That is why networking and collaboration with other actors may have an important role, by providing the scale and critical resources towards business success and value-chain sustainable development. The paper draws on a purposefully collected set of data on a network of Portuguese producers of MAP, organized under the EPAM project. The data was collected through a questionnaire and quantitatively analyzed in order to understand: i) how MAP farmers perceive the importance of networks for the development of their businesses? ii) How are networks enabling farmers with different profiles to develop their businesses? The results confirm the importance of networks for the development of these businesses, namely with other firms. However, it is possible to identify some diversity in the assessment of the role of those networks, both by taking into consideration the location of the farms and their positioning in the value-chain. The study contributes to a better understanding of how networking contributes to overcome barriers in the sustainable development of an agri-food value-chain, by stressing a variety of networking proposes and partners and the existence of differences across types of firms.

Cristina Sousa

Maria de Fátima Ferreiro

Small, Smart and Sustainable: Networking to Develop the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Value-Chain in Portugal

小、智能与可持续：通过网络化发展葡萄牙药用与芳香植物价值链

Abstract This paper examines the dreams for the future of young adults in Midden-Noord-Brabant and Zeeland, the Netherlands. Through 274 qualitative surveys and focus groups with 12 participants, it explores their dreams for the future, the obstacles they foresee in realising these dreams, and the influence of these obstacles on their stated life plans. The findings reveal a preference for areas outside settlements in residential dreams. Limited housing and career opportunities are identified as foreseen obstacles. These obstacles shape participants' stated life plans, which become more urban-oriented. Removing these obstacles can facilitate the realisation of rural residential dreams and promote rural areas as attractive areas to settle for new generations.

Maarten C. J. Koreman

Rural Residence: Dreams for the Future and Foreseen Obstacles by Young Adults From the Netherlands

农村居住：荷兰年轻人对未来的梦想与预见的障碍

European Countryside scope: ecology of rural landscape, rural sociology, demography and gender, multi-functional rural development, agriculture and other branches, rural geography, rural borderland, rural and agro-tourism, rural settlement, small towns as centers of rural micro-regions, rural planning and architecture.

The scope of the journal "European Countryside" includes: ecology of rural landscapes, rural sociology, demography and gender studies, multifunctional rural development, agriculture and other related fields, rural geography, rural borderlands, rural and agro-tourism, rural settlements, small towns as centers of rural micro-regions, and rural planning and architecture.

《European Countryside》期刊的范围包括：乡村景观生态学、乡村社会学、人口统计与性别研究、多功能乡村发展、农业及其他相关领域、乡村地理、乡村边境、乡村与农业旅游、乡村定居、以及作为乡村微区域中心的小城镇、乡村规划与建筑。

期刊	European Countryside
ISSN	1803-8417
h-index	22
Journal Impact	1.25
国际分区	GEOGRAPHY(Q3)