Hungarian government: festivals are “vital” for Hungary’s tourism

Source: Zsolt Szigetváry / Budapest Wine Festival

Csaba Latorcai, a state secretary at the Public Administration and Regional Development Ministry, said festivals were “vital” to the economy, considering their impact on the tourism sector, as well as for society, addressing a conference organised by the Hungarian Tourism Programme Foundation on Thursday.

Latorcai said festivals, that could mobilise “hundreds of thousands” of people, gave a genuine competitive advantage to the settlements and regions that hosted them, which is why they had become an important element of regional development policy.

He noted that the tourism sector accounted for over 13pc of GDP. Mate Vincze, the deputy state secretary for public collections and cultural developments at the Culture and Innovation Ministry, said museums had moved beyond their four walls to play a role at festivals, too, boosting their exposure. The biggest festival industry insiders are participating at the conference dubbed “Event ReStart”.

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