Continue the national development program beach
The beach development program will continue this year, under which 86 beaches can be renewed nationwide with a non-refundable grant of nearly HUF 3 billion, said László Lengid, Deputy CEO of the Hungarian Tourism Agency (MTÜ) at a press conference on Eszterházy Beach in Balatonfüred on Friday.
Among the beneficiaries this year are 64 Balaton beaches, the rest are located in the Danube Bend, the Tisza, the Tisza Lake and the Velencei Lake.
László Könnyid emphasized that the goal of the development program launched in 2017 is to renew all the country's beaches by 2030 and become of European standards. He reminded that in the first phase, in 2018, 55 beaches of more than 30 Balaton settlements were renovated, water blocks, boardwalks, and playgrounds were built at a cost of nearly HUF 2 billion.
In the next step, last year, 43 free beaches across the country received more than HUF 4.4 billion in support for their development. Among them, 30 free beaches in Balaton received HUF 3 billion in resources, which shows that the MTÜ prioritizes the area, but the free beaches located at the Danube Bend and Lake Tisza also got the opportunity, said the deputy director.
Speaking about the beach development in 2020, which will be completed for the summer season if possible, he said that the approximately HUF 2.9 billion resources are available in this year's budget law under the tourism development target allocation line.
He also spoke about the fact that the support provided by MTÜ to local governments is focused on basic infrastructure developments. First of all, the old water blocks must be renovated, where this has not yet been done. The next step is the establishment of baby-mother rooms and the replacement of the old beach entrances from the 70s and 80s, i.e. the steps that provide access to the water.
According to László Könnyid, the beaches will also have a unified image, and the renovation of the outdoor changing cabins may also gain momentum. He added that in the next phase, the goal will be to expand the green spaces, which is in great demand from the guests. With the developments, they want to increase the profitability and attractiveness of the beaches.
The deputy general manager of MTÜ also reported that more than 80 percent of the guests who came to the resort region in July and August last year were Hungarian. The turnover of the SZÉP card last January of HUF 7 billion was doubled in January this year, which gives us further confidence, he said.
In response to MTI's question, the deputy director stated that the slide competition has been closed, the aim of which is to renew several Balaton slides if possible for this beach season, so the results will be announced within weeks.
István Bóka (Fidesz-KDNP), mayor of Balatonfüred and chairman of the Balaton Development Council, emphasized that beaches are a major attraction for tourism, and their condition reveals a lot about each settlement. In 2017, Balatonfüred received nearly HUF 100 million in support for its development, and this year its three beaches received nearly HUF 150 million in support. He indicated that significant beach development projects were also launched in the regional development operational programs.
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