Tourism industry players and regulators in Hungary will have to be working in the next few years to prevent the emergence of anti-tourism sentiment, which is already present at several western European destinations, Dávid Vitézy, advisor to the Hungarian Tourism Agency (MTÜ) and former chief executive of Budapest public transport firm BKK, told turizmus.com in an interview.

Creating a balance between the interests of the tourism industry and local residents is an important goal "to cut friction points before disputes unfold, like in many western European cities," according to Vitézy.

Overtourism is a already problem at other European destinations and conflicts between tourists and residents are often inevitable, he said. But policymakers should always take the interests of local residents into consideration when approving new regulations in order to make tourism sustainable, Vitézy said.

Hungary's tourism is growing at a fast pace, which poses new challenges to public transport. Vitézy mentioned the example of the new direct bus service from downtown Budapest to the airport, which was recently expanded as demand rose significantly. Transport services must be easy to use to tourists, he said.

The country's two-digit tourism growth can generate revenues to finance new transport developments serving both tourists and locals, he said. Vitézy believes such projects should include the construction of a new rail link and upgrading the existing road between the Budapest airport and the city center.

Transport developments should also take place in the countryside, for example, at Lake Balaton or at the Danube Bend, north of the capital, to encourage tourists to visit areas outside Budapest, Vitézy added.

Állítsa be, hogy a Turizmus.com cikkeit az elsők között lássa a Google keresőben!