Central Europe could do more to market itself as one interconnected destination, rather than allowing national borders to dictate how visitors experience the region, tourism leaders told the Euronews Travel & Tourism Summit.
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Olivér Csendes, President of the Hungarian Tourism Agency, and Sandrine Buffenoir, Director for the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg at Atout France, were speaking to moderator Mared Gwyn-Jones in Brussels about the future of European tourism.
Csendes said there was an opportunity for neighbouring countries to work together more closely, particularly as travellers increasingly try to fit multiple destinations into one trip – a trend sometimes dubbed “trip-maxxing”.
“I would love to see more international collaborations where we position the way we live and our regions, basically as one destination,” he said. “We don’t have to limit our thinking and the creation of experience spaces to national borders,” he added.
He pointed to Europe’s relatively short distances as an advantage when it comes to creating multi-country itineraries.
“If you look at it from the US or Asian perspective, the distances are very small in Europe. You can travel 100 kilometres, and you have already touched two or three Central European capitals,” Csendes said.
The Danube River could also provide a natural framework for cross-border tourism, he suggested.
“We have treasures like the Danube, that’s found in a lot of countries in Europe, and has always been a connection, connecting cultures,” he said.
“So why not use this as an active part of the experience that people will have, enriching their lives and the way they see and experience Europe.”
Csendes also praised the role of European cooperation in tackling some of the challenges facing tourism, pointing to the European data space for tourism as one example.
“I believe Europe is doing an amazing job collaborating,” he said.
‘There is no tourism without nature’
Better data could help countries manage visitor flows and respond to threats such as wildfires and extreme weather, he added.
“Think about all the discussions we had about visitor flow, protecting visitors, warning them in case there is a danger, whether it’s wildfire, whether it’s whatever different extreme weather conditions. This is only possible if we have the right data at the right places,” Csendes said.
The Hungarian tourism chief also underlined the importance of nature to the industry, particularly as destinations face growing environmental pressures.
“There is no tourism without nature,” he said. “Tourism needs to be a force for good and needs to also support the resilience of the living areas.”
Meanwhile, Buffenoir echoed the broader idea of tourism as a way to strengthen connections across Europe.
“Tourism is a key aspect of connection between all European people. It’s a key factor in knowing each other better, in working together better, living with each other,” she said.
“It’s a classroom to learn about each other.”