China has picked Hungary as tourism hub for coordinating cooperation with Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. The Hungary Ministry for National Economy and the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aiming to foster Hungarian and Chinese tourism relations, through which process Hungary will gain more weight regarding tourism in the CEE region.

Tourism sector cooperation between China and the CEE countries has arrived at a milestone. The MoU was signed ceremonially, in the presence of Prime Ministers Viktor Orbán and Li Keqiang, by Deputy State Secretary for Tourism Viktória Horváth on behalf of Hungary and by CNTA Chairman Shao Qiwei representing China.
 

The MoU establishes Hungary as the location of the coordination centre of the tourism association which unites tourism offices and service providers from China and the CEE countries. The agreement concluded between the seventeen countries will develop and facilitate the professional and promotion activities of CNTA and the tourism bodies of sixteen CEE countries, along with evaluating and helping the marketing of participants’ tourism products.
 

While the fact that the centre will be established in Hungary is a great honour, it is also a demanding task which provides the opportunity for Hungary to obtain a more significant position in the CEE region, an area of increasing appeal for Chinese tourists. This development also offers new perspectives for expanding tourism cooperation between Hungary and China by facilitating, among others, the restoration of direct air transport services between the two countries.
 

China, a country with tourism traffic that increases dynamically year after year, is the second most significant country of origin after Japan. According to preliminary data of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, in 2013 the number of Chinese guests at commercial accommodations increased by 5 percent, while the number of related tourism nights was up by 9 percent year-on-year.