fg
Volume XIV |

Towards inclusive mechanization in rice farming: lessons from Central Vietnam

Abstract: This study aims to analyze the benefits and barriers to mechanization application in rice farming in central Vietnam. A mixed methods approach was employed, based on 279 semi-structured interviews with rice farmers, four focus-group discussions and related secondary information. The study used the Perception Index formula and Likert scale items to compare large-scale rice farmers and small-scale rice farmers in relation to their mechanization activities and the associated perceptions. A gap exists between the demand for mechanization and its actual implementation, which comes from different benefits and barriers in rice farming. The differing Perception Index scores on benefits and barriers between two rice farmer groups suggest that production scale plays a crucial role in shaping the level of mechanization, as well as farmers’ perceptions of its advantages and barriers. The differences in rice farmers’ characteristics, habits, customs, and rice farming features have introduced new benefits and barriers to mechanization.

Volume XIV |

The spatiality of the terroir. The development of wine regions in the light of regionality in the case of Hungary

Abstract: This study aims to examine the development of wine regions/PDO districts based on regionalism. To achieve this, we have thoroughly analyzed the historical development of wine regions from antiquity until the present. We have placed particular emphasis on those areas that were among the first to embark on the path of legally regulated development. Due to our involvement, we have focused primarily on the development of the Tokaj wine region and, through it, the Hungarian wine regions. The various types of national regulatory systems served as the basis for the European Union’s origin protection system. Through a detailed analysis of domestic regulations, we have attempted to demonstrate that the system’s immaturity has led to a rather annoying situation, which is difficult and incomprehensible for consumers to follow and understand. Moreover, even official bodies use the terms in a confusing manner. Terroir, as an important viticultural and wine-geographic concept, is linked to regionalism at the level of its local foundation, according to our approach. In the final part of the study, we extended the theoretical issues of regionalism to the interpretation of wine regions and PDO districts. The various region concepts can be used to interpret the development of wine regions and provide assistance in understanding their development. In our case, homogeneous regions specializing in grape and wine production have such a profound and pervasive impact on the functioning of the region that they clearly demonstrate the region-forming role of the sector.

Volume XIV |

Dynamics of accommodation structures and tourist flows in Băile Felix-Băile 1 Mai and Băile Herculane: a comparative statistical analysis

Abstract: This study examines the long-run co-evolution of accommodation supply and tourist demand in two major Romanian spa destinations – Băile Felix-Băile 1 Mai (Bihor County) and Băile Herculane (Caraș-Severin County) – over 2001-2024. Using annual official statistics from the Romanian National Institute of Statistics – Tempo Online (Institutul Național de Statistică, 2025), we compare primary series for accommodation structures, existing accommodation capacity (bed places), accommodation capacity in function (place-days), tourist arrivals, and overnight stays. We further derive three integrative indicators: average capacity per establishment (as a proxy for supply fragmentation), average length of stay (overnight stays/arrivals), and accommodation capacity utilisation (overnight stays/capacity in function). To contextualise destination roles within their regions, we also compute resort shares within county totals for key supply and demand measures. Results indicate a common structural shift toward a more fragmented accommodation base and a strong compression of average length of stay toward short-stay tourism by the end of the period. Both destinations exhibit synchronised demand disruption in 2020 followed by recovery, but with different post-shock profiles and utilisation trajectories: Băile Herculane starts as a high-utilisation system in the early 2000s, while Băile Felix-Băile 1 Mai sustains comparatively stronger utilisation through most of the 2010s, with convergence in recent years. The findings highlight that, under a short-stay regime, utilisation outcomes depend critically on calibrating operational capacity to demand absorption and on strategies that translate arrivals into overnight volume.