The China-CEE Tourism Cooperation project aims to become an active participant of the Chinese “One Belt-One Road” foreign trade strategy, Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga said following the second high-level symposium of the initiative, which includes China and 16 countries from the Central and Eastern European region. A Memorandum of Understanding on joining the project was signed following a strategic forum in Bled, Slovenia.
As Mihály Varga stressed, the fact that the objectives of China’s foreign trade strategy are in line with the goals of the initiative justifies the effort to join the project. The “One Belt, One Road” strategy places special emphasis on, among others, supporting the tourism goals of nations along the Silk Road, developing joint tourism routes and products as well as on organizing international sports events.
Mihály Varga pointed out that China has become the most significant tourism source country in the world and international tourism organizations are predicting further dynamic growth in China’s outbound tourism. That is why it is important for CEE countries participating in the cooperation project that was launched one year ago, the Minister added, to be effective in calling the attention of Chinese tourists to the region as a common destination.
In Hungary, there are already visible results of the project’s efforts, as last year the number of Chinese guests at Hungarian accommodation establishments was 20 percent higher than in the previous year and they spent there more than 160 thousand tourism nights, up by 16 percent year-on-year. Thanks to a direct flight, tourism growth has since then even accelerated: according to preliminary data, in the first half of 2015 the number of Chinese guests soared by some 35 percent and that of tourism nights gained some 30 percent at Hungarian accommodation establishments.
At the event, Deputy State Secretary for Tourism Ádám Ruszinkó emphasized that the aim to further increase the market share of CEE countries in the world’s largest tourism market with the largest amount of tourism spending requires – in addition to attractive, multi-country routes and efficient joint promotion campaigns – the upgrading of direct flights from China to destinations in the Visegrád Four, the Balkans or the Baltic region.
Hungarian Tourism Ltd CEO Péter Faragó also presented a 2016 strategy aimed at launching new flights and developing regional routes and tourism products.
(Ministry for National Economy)
