Hungary expands tourism with China
Hungary is looking to expand its tourism ties further with China with its "One Belt, One Road" project. &nbsp;Chinese tourists to Hungary rose by 20% last year, helped by new direct flights, and tourism is already up 35% for 1H2015, YoY, says preliminary data.
Tourism ties with China are expanding and will play a role in the “One Belt, One Road” project for to intensify international economic relations, Hungary’s economy minister Mihály Varga said. Cooperation between central China and Central and Eastern Europe will be an important component of the project, Varga, who is attending a strategic forum of 16 central and eastern European countries and China in Bled in Slovenia, said. A declaration of intent to join the project will be signed after the forum.

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.

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.

via hungarymatters.hu and kormany.hu