Two Tourism Projects Signed 3 January 2012
Switzerland supports two tourism projects with close to 500 million forints (2 million Swiss francs) in total through the Swiss Contribution. The signature ceremony of the project agreements took place at the residence of the Swiss Embassy on December 14, 2011. The projects are meant to develop the attractions of cultural and health tourism in the two most underdeveloped regions, and to extend the scope of services provided.
The two projects called “Therapeutic Regions” and “Development of Sustainable Tourism based on Landscape Values” aim to strengthen the organisations of Tourism Destination Management (TDM) of the Regions of North Hungary and the Northern Great Plain, and to popularize touristic assets in the regions. The projects may contribute to increasing the competitiveness of these two underdeveloped regions in the long run by attracting more visitors, which generates income and work for local residents.
Developing health tourism: “Therapeutic Regions”
Drawing on the endowments of the area, which boasts more than two hundred water springs above 30°C and a number of medicinal springs and spas, the project wishes to highlight treatments and health promotion services. Within the “Therapeutic Regions” project a brand will be developed to attract more visitors to spas, wellness and health hotels in both regions.
The development of health and therapeutic tourism will give local people and SMEs more opportunities in tourism and health care. The scientific base of the project supported by around one million Swiss francs from the Swiss Contribution will be the Mátra Therapeutic Institute and the Medical and Health Science Centre of the University of Debrecen.
“Rural Values” along the River Tisza
The project called “Development of Sustainable Tourism based on Landscape Values” covers the Northern Great Plain Region and the Region of the River Tisza. Its purpose is to popularize the River Tisza Region and to boost rural and ecotourism. Traditional basket weaving and the cultivation of inland flood basins are traditions that are still alive in the towns and villages of the region.
The project will include a specific attraction register for seven landscape centres introducing in detail the local natural, landscape and settlement values. In addition, a visual dictionary will summarise the characteristics of the landscape centres in three languages (English, Hungarian, German). The popularization of the region and the generation of new jobs are expected to raise the income of local inhabitants.
More on the Swiss Contribution
The general objective of the Swiss Contribution is to reduce economic and social disparities in the enlarged European Union. To this end, Switzerland supports Hungary with a total of 130.7 million Swiss francs (more than 25 billion forints) for five years until 2012.
Since 2009 support has been given to 23 projects in the total amount of 79.9 million Swiss francs. In addition, 12 draft projects went through the first round of the two-round tender procedure and were qualified for the development of the second round final project proposal in the total value of 28.6 million Swiss francs. Established to assist the preparation of the second round detailed project proposals, the Project Preparation Fund includes altogether 1.5 million Swiss francs earmarked for this purpose.
For further information please visit the official website of the Swiss Contribution Programme’s Budapest Office at: www.swiss-contribution.admin.ch/hungary or contact the office personally on phone number +36 1 460 70 56. The programme’s National Co-ordination Unit, the Managing Authority of International Co-operation Programmes within the National Development Agency may be contacted through: http://www.nfu.hu/svajci_hozzajarulas, +36 1 474 92 00.