The refurbishment process of the Hungexpo exhibition venue to the value of HUF 55 billion is nearing its end; by the end of the spring, the area of more than 70,000 square metres which will host the ‘One with Nature’ World of Hunting and Nature Exhibition between 25 September and 14 October next year will be fully renovated, Zoltán Kovács, the government commissioner responsible for the implementation of the world exhibition and the related series of events said on Monday at a background discussion about the exhibition.

He added that Hungexpo was being refurbished not only due to the world hunting exhibition as next year it would host other major events as well, including the International Eucharistic Congress next September.

Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén said they could realistically expect as many as a million visitors, including two thirds from within Hungary, to the world exhibition. He took the view that even if tourists were unable to come to the exhibition from abroad, this visitor number could still be achieved. In Hungary there are 670,000 anglers and hunters, and family members included, as many as 1.5 million people are in some way connected to hunting or fishing, he said, adding that the organisation of the world exhibition will also boost tourism.

Mr Kovács said it is important to pay attention to hunting because without it there is no sustainable nature management; wherever it is banned, the balance of nature becomes upset, and certain species are pushed to the brink of extinction. “The world exhibition to be held on the 50th anniversary of the 1971 world exhibition will present us with an opportunity to talk about the fact that without regulated hunting based on strict professional foundations there is no sustainable game and nature management,” he said.

He also mentioned that the world exhibition will be held officially not under the auspices, but with the support of the Bureau of International Expositions (Bureau International des Expositions, BIE); the agreement concluded with the organisation will be followed by a government-level agreement sometime in September or October. They will cooperate with all organisations operating in the field, and during the twenty days of the exhibition they will hold five conferences and international symposia, the government commissioner said.

Visitors will be able to view an exhibition of Hungarian and international trophies where dioramas presenting the habitats of animals and world-record trophies will take them closer to these values of nature, and they will also be able to acquaint themselves with traditional hunting methods such as falconry, coursing, hunting with muzzle-loading rifles and archery. One of the main attractions will be the Hungarian exhibition which will cover the history of 1,000 years of the Carpathian Basin, while the European Taxidermy Championships will be a major spectacle as well.

Three fair-type events will also be held; in cooperation with FeHoVa, the Fishing, Hunting and Arms Exhibition and Hungexpo, there will be a workshop focusing on arms, horses and dogs, another one about agriculture and foodstuffs, while a third workshop will deal with innovation, showcasing 21st century technologies in the spirit of sustainability. There will be a number of cultural programmes, while venues in the countryside will also be involved, partly with events organised in preparation for the exhibition.

Mr Semjén stressed that hunting and nature conservation rely on one another; regulated and sustainable hunting guarantees the maintenance and balance of the game stock. “What a pair of secateurs is for the gardener is a rifle for the hunter,” he said.

He added that the supporters of sustainable hunting are supporters of nature conservation. We can maintain the ecological balance if there are habitats, and the chamber of hunters are responsible for the most extensive habitat development project. “Nature conservationists and hunters are in the same boat,” he stated, adding that they must cooperate in order to maintain biological diversity.

He took the view that organised hunting also boosts tourism. Organised hunting trips for foreigners provide a major source of income for Hungary, while they are also beneficial for various other fields of tourism, in particular, for the population in the countryside, he said.

He also highlighted that they would like to organise a country promotion in conjunction with the event which – in addition to the values of hunting – also showcases the country’s natural values. This, too, will have a significant tourism-boosting effect, with long-term benefits.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)