Alföld Slow Association
The Alföld Slow Association currently connects 26 settlements in Békés County: Almáskamarás, Békés, Békéssámson, Biharugra, Csabaszabadi, Csanádapáca, Ecsegfalva, Elek, Csorvás, Doboz, Gádoros, Gyomaendrőd, Gyula, Kamut, Kardoskút, Kevermes, Kétegyháza, Kondoros, Kunágota, Lőkösháza, Méhkerék, Mezőkovácsháza, Nagykamarás, Sarkad, Újkígyós, Vésztő.
More information
The English word 'slow' means unhurried, leisurely. The slow movement began making its mark in the 1980s, starting with slow food in 1986 in Italy, followed by the emergence of the citta slow (liveable city) movement, also in Italy. The liveable city movement targets towns with populations under 50,000, requiring them to meet strict conditions by fulfilling half of the 72 criteria. Currently, it has 307 members across 33 countries, with Hódmezővásárhely being the only member in Hungary. Slow tourism is not alternative tourism but rather a counterpoint to fast mass tourism, originating from the slow movements. In the 2014 first issue of the scientific journal Tourism Bulletin, Brigitta Pécsek published a study titled 'Accelerating Time, Slowing Tourism: Modelling Slow Tourism'. According to the author, the model of slow tourism is based on four main pillars: 1. Locality: local gastronomy, local businesses, local workforce, local culture. 2. Experience-focused: non-standardised offerings, selective attractions, active activities, shared experiences. 3. Sustainability: profitability, minimal profit outflow, environmentally friendly investments, small ecological footprint, longer stays. 4. Social well-being: consensus-based decision-making, population retention, increasing well-being, community cohesion. (Source: Brigitta Pécsek: Accelerating Time, Slowing Tourism: Modelling Slow Tourism, Tourism Bulletin, 2014, Issue 1, pp. 3-9.) Recognising the potential of these movements for regional development, Zoltán Szebellédi, the former mayor of Újkígyós, initiated the establishment of the Alföld Slow Association in 2018, together with the mayors of Almáskamarás, Csabaszabadi, Csorvás, Doboz, Kétegyháza, Kondoros, Kunágota, Lőkösháza, the director of Gyulai Turisztikai Nonprofit Kft., and Budapest Metropolitan University.
The Association's Vision
Rural, sustainable, and self-sufficient living becomes a value for both residents and tourists.
The Association's Mission and Goals
The Association's primary task is to promote and implement slow tourism and the slow living approach domestically. It aims to spark interest in these topics among local communities and emphasise the importance of achieving specific related objectives.
In this fast-paced world, our goal is to embrace the moment and foster awareness in both lifestyle and consumption, which are also the foundations of health. To achieve this, it is essential to support and strengthen local and domestic producers, involve tourism enterprises, and encourage their participation.
Organising conferences, meetings, and training sessions on topics such as slow food, slow cities, slow tourism, sustainability, liveable settlements, and vibrant communities is a key priority.
Planned Activities
- Strengthening cooperation at local and regional levels.
- Organising conferences, events, and programmes on slow (slow living) topics.
- Developing a certification system with our own logo.
- Providing training for businesses at the local level.
- Carrying out marketing tasks for members.
- Creating and distributing publications.
- Enhancing liveable settlements.
- Showcasing local uniqueness, collections, museums, and heritage inventories.
- Helping reduce the ecological footprint of settlements, businesses, and individuals.
- Promoting awareness and mindfulness.
- Preserving traditions and collecting, protecting, and showcasing national, ethnic, and local values.
- Operating a website (www.alfoldslow.hu).
- Collaborating with other slow movements and associations.
- Creating joint projects.
We Welcome as Members:
- Settlements (with a population of less than 50,000) whose leaders are committed to sustainable development and strengthening local businesses.
- Higher education institutions that see the next generation as the driving force of progress.
- Tourism organisations and stakeholders who value the principles of sustainability.
- Companies, entrepreneurs, and primary producers who produce or utilise local products in their operations.
- Individuals who believe that life can be lived differently.
Membership Fee
The annual membership fee is as follows:
- For local governments as regular members: 10 HUF per resident, based on the population as of 31 December of the previous year;
- For associations, higher education institutions, and public education institutions: 30,000 HUF;
- For individual supporting members: 5,000 HUF;
- For legal entities or organisations without legal personality as supporting members: 30,000 HUF.
Target group
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Adult-friendly
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Couples
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Seniors
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Friends
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Multigenerational programs