2 weeks Ago By Grant Bradley
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey told an industry event the sector can draw on lessons from Hungary. The minister, who was unable to make the Tourism Industry Aotearoa summit in Auckland in person, said in a video message that he had met his Hungarian ministerial counterpart while on a recent family holiday. “It was the first ministerial-level visit from New Zealand to Hungary since 2016.
This visit was a meaningful way to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations,” he said. Hungary - whose leader Victor Orban is admired by US presidential hopeful Donald Trump and pushes back on Western support for Ukraine - has brought in real-time reporting of tourism activity. The central European country introduced live statistics from 2019, first for 40,000 accommodation providers which was expanded to restaurants two years later.
The system covers not only museums, manor houses and castles, but also festivals, bath houses, and all other venues where tickets are sold..
