Hungarian government: European Capital of Culture title presented opportunity to ‘reposition’ region of Veszprém

The title of European Capital of Culture, which the town of Veszprém and the Lake Balaton region held last year, presented a good opportunity to “reposition” the region, the regional development minister told an international conference assessing the experiences of the programme and the opportunities of the region.

Repositioning Veszprém

Tibor Navracsics praised the region’s richness in historical landmarks, natural beauty, culture and traditions, and said it was on par with “other, more popular touristic regions in western Europe”.

The programme aimed to strengthen local communities, “and to showcase Hungarian elements in European culture and European traits in Hungary’s culture,” Navracsics said.

Organisers have emphasised the reconstruction of buildings rather than infrastructure as it is habitual during the ECC year, and they focused on sustainability, he said.

The programmes involved 116 localities, in a co-financing model that made sure every locality contributed to the success, he said.

Hopefully, the region would go on to become a “creative region”, with the creative industries dominant in its economy, he said. Infrastructure developments would be another feature to focus on, he added.