Boat parade in the Danube Bend. (Photo: Krisztián Gerzsenyi)
As the opening of the tourist season, about a hundred ships took part in the II. Danube River Boat Parade on Sunday between Szob and Verőce.
Government spokeswoman Alexandra Szentkirályi called it important that the Danube Bend be seen as one of the important destinations for tourism, which also contributes to the strengthening of the Hungarian economy.
In order to further strengthen the Hungarian economy, one of its main sectors, tourism, must also be strengthened, he added. The government spokesperson reminded that in the first quarter of this year, the sales revenue of the hospitality industry was almost HUF 280 billion, thus doubling the amount of a year earlier. "Even if we don't achieve the record year of 2019, when we could count on 41 million guest nights, we can expect 36-37 million guest nights this year, which will mean a 20 percent increase in traffic in accommodation and hospitality compared to last year," he said.
He also touched on the fact that the government is trying to strengthen the tourism sector in several ways, so for example, the Kajla program for children will continue to operate this year and there will also be a Danube Bend day ticket, which last year more than seven thousand people lived with.
The Danube bend has been enriched with three new ports
Bence Rétvári, Vác's KDNP member of parliament in the II. He said that 98 ships had registered for the Danube River parade, and in addition to the Mahart Budapest towing ship, the Dunaújváros demining ship, the Luppa flagship of the water affairs department, the Foka ship of the disaster management and the Pest County Search and Rescue Service also joined the event. The first parade was started last year - he recalled - to draw attention to this part of the country with this spectacular action.
He also reminded that after 40 years Szob became a port again two years ago, but for 25 years Verőce did not have a port that could receive the Budapest ship, and a new port was also built in Zebegény between the two settlements. "The Danube bend has been enriched with three new ports, so there are new opportunities for shipping, and we would like to draw attention to this," he said.
He also spoke about the fact that not only motor boats are affected by the change, as, for example, a new boathouse is waiting for those who want to row in Szob and Vác, and in addition, three new beaches have been created in the section between Szob and Verőce.
The II. On the Danube bend boat parade. (Room, MTI/Attila Kovács)
Gábor Spányik, managing director of Mahart PassNave Kft., and Ivett Bődi, program director of accommodation and hospitality at the Hungarian Tourism Agency, were also present on the Budapest event ship leading the boat parade.
