Csaba Latorcai: In Hungary, festivals are vital for the economy and society

In Hungary, festivals – as a prominent means of tourism – are also vital for the entire Hungarian economy and society – emphasized Csaba Latorcai, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and Territorial Development (KTM), executive vice president of the KDNP, on Thursday in Budapest.

At the conference organized by the Hungarian Tourism Program Foundation (MTPA) called Event ReStart – Possibilities for Change, the State Secretary highlighted that tourism is an important economic strategic sector in our country, which already accounts for more than 13 percent of the GDP.

However, in addition to their role in the economy, festivals also have a community-forging power.”

he added.

Festivals – which move hundreds of thousands of people – represent a real competitive advantage for each settlement and region, and by becoming their brand, they contribute to their development, therefore they must be essential elements of the government’s regional development policy – emphasized Csaba
Latorcai .

We must become mutual partners with each festival of this volume”

said the state secretary.

Cultural festivals create an opportunity to get to know each other’s culture and the dimensions that each community considers important, added Csaba Latorcai.

The Hungarian government considers the promotion of national culture to be of prime importance, and therefore through the College of Cultural Festivals of the National Cultural Fund (NKA), the opportunity to support 141 festivals has already been opened in the amount of HUF 800 million, the state secretary pointed out.

Latorcai

As he said

during the evaluation of the tenders, it appeared as a priority aspect that these festivals should move as many people as possible, and that there should also be an opportunity to export Hungarian culture through the festivals.”

Máté Vincze , the Deputy Secretary of State for Public Collections and Cultural Development at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation (KIM), said that nowadays museums are no longer cl
osed within their walls, but also play a role in festivals, thereby attracting a large number of new visitors.

Twenty-five to thirty years ago, visiting a museum was a kind of mandatory program, but today’s museums are very different thanks to the methods of museum pedagogy and library pedagogy – emphasized the deputy state secretary.

As he said

Hungary is a museum superpower, more than 840 museum institutions have operating licenses, while in Poland, for example, there are barely 470 such institutions.”

Máté Vincze expressed his hope that as many domestic museums as possible will be present and present themselves at the festivals.

According to the summary released by the organizers, the purpose of the Thursday conference held at the Akvárium Club is to create a common platform for actors and decision-makers in the domestic event industry, promoting networking, development and professional education.

Latorcai

At the Thursday meeting organized in the Akvárium Klub, the most important actors of the festi
val industry will discuss the current issues and trends of the industry in more than thirty lectures and panel discussions.

The presentations focus on current trends, provide insight into current policy measures, present domestic and EU resources available to event organizers and creators, and also discuss the positioning of Hungary as a business and leisure destination and the effects of leisure sports on tourism.

Source: KDNP