Lake Balaton
The Active Hungary Development Center (AMFK) and VisitBalaton365 held a professional partnership forum in Balatonfüred. The aim of the event was to lay the foundations for an active tourism development program for Lake Balaton and the surrounding area, focusing on creating four-season tourism and expanding the seasonal offer.
“The industry agrees that the key to the success of tourism at Lake Balaton is the transition to a four-season model. Strengthening supply and demand is essential, and expanding the possibilities for active tourism plays a central role in this work,” emphasized Péter Princzinger, managing director of VisitBalaton365, in his welcome speech.
Lake Balaton and its surroundings are currently Hungary’s most popular active tourism region,”
pointed out Mirkó Petényi, Managing Director of the Active Hungary Development Center.
In addition to cycling and hiking tourism, special attractions such as the Hévíz Canal and Lake Balaton crossing are also significant in the region.
“A well-thought-out, complex and networked active tourism offering could be the most important attraction of the spring and autumn seasons. That is why it is crucial to create and then implement the development program in collaboration with service providers, local governments, and the civil sector,” added Petényi.
Lake Balaton in winter. Photo: Pixabay
In the professional section, Ádám Bauer presented the cornerstones of strategic planning, with particular emphasis on the importance of developing interconnected, “seamless” active tourism networks and products.
Júlia Nagy, managing director of InnoTime Hungary Kft., that was commissioned to prepare the development program, presented a situation assessment based on the research results.
The data pointed to a clear trend: after swimming, nature walks and hiking are the second most important attractions of Lake Balaton.
Every second respondent indicated this attraction as a factor influencing their travel decision. The second half of the program featured a moderated roundtable discussion that sought answers to the practical challenges of active tourism.
The participants discussed three main topics:
- Infrastructure: issues of operation, responsibilities, and financing.
- Data-driven decision-making: opportunities for decision-making and prioritizing developments.
- Conflict management and load distribution: striking a balance between active tourism, nature conservation, and forest management.
Lake Balaton in winter. Photo: Pixabay
The proposals made at the meeting will be incorporated into the development program currently being prepared. The work will continue in the coming months with service provider workshops and in-depth interviews, maintaining the partnership dialogue. The goal is for the Active Hungary Development Center to submit the final document to the government before the end of this year.
Via MTI; Featured photo: Hungary Today
The post Active Tourism Development Program Launched for Lake Balaton appeared first on Hungary Today.
