The Hungarian Tourism Agency (Magyar Turisztikai Ügynökség - MTÜ) plans to require all types of domestic accommodation providers to send operational data to the future National Tourism Data Center through a future online system, MTÜ chief executive Zoltán Guller said.

The planned online system, dubbed szobatükör in Hungarian, would be launched early next year in a trial run and on a voluntary basis initially, Guller said. It would be linked to already operating hotel software applications and is expected to reach nationwide coverage in 2020-22.

All accommodation providers, including private operators of guest rooms, would have to provide data on their guests, although it is yet unclear what information would be required. Guller said only aggregated data would be used.

Small businesses could connect to the system through a possible future mobile phone application.

MTÜ has decided to launch the new system to gain in-depth information on the total number of visitors and guest nights in the country, according to Guller.

He said the new system is also expected to help 'cleanse' the industry, where about 50,000-60,000 rooms are operated as part of the grey economy.

Connection to the szobatükör system will be one of the conditions for receving an operation permit in the future and those 800 guesthouses receiving subsidies in the government's Kisfaludy program will be also required to join the scheme, Guller said.

The tourism agency expects that it will be able to carry out more targeted and flexible marketing campaigns abroad based on future data received through the new online system.

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