Although Hungarian tourism bunf never fails to mention the country’s half-dozen UNESCO World Heritage sites, several villages in the renowned Tokaj-Hegyalja region reportedly see the prestigious title as more of a hindrance than a help, reports Népszabadság. The strict environmental and cultural regulations that come with UNESCO status are reportedly holding back villages like Tállya (pictured) from developing in directions outside winemaking and tourism, sectors many residents are struggling to make a living from in a region high in unemployment. Tokaj mayor and chairman of the Tokaj World Heritage Association János Májer dismissed the arguments as “hysteria,” counterpunching that the success of the region was dependent on the “vision of local leaders and entrepreneurs.” He added that UNESCO did not prohibit construction of factories per se and mentioned that the region stood to benefit from billions of forints in subsidies off the back of the title. That’s if Tokaj’s notoriously heavy traffic doesn’t put paid to its status first, of course.
