Helyszín címkék:
Different seasons, an exciting and trendy destination for every budget: Hungarian sea 2.0
Francisck Réka Alíz
When will Lake Balaton become four-seasonal?
I have good news: it is. Of course, we still have a lot of work to do in order to overturn the stereotypes that are very real. When we asked people what comes to their mind about Balaton, which also determines the country's image, we got the expected (but not hoped for) answers: beach, July-August, hake, scone... but we were not prepared for the fact that the first 25 words would not include wine, for example; and that bicycle would only be in 17th place! The vast majority of Hungarian residents have already been to Lake Balaton, and have memories of childhood camping and family vacations – typically focused on the waterfront. Do not forget, however, that the region includes 177 settlements, of which only 41 are located directly along the shore! The goal is for others to become more and more involved in the circulation of tourism, i.e. more and more people discover the hinterland of the lake.
There is a reason to set out, because Lake Balaton does not close at the end of summer!
VisitBalaton365 was created with the aim of showing that it is indeed possible to find a programme in the area, all year round. We are not trying to extend the season, because those who come in spring or autumn rather than summer will most likely be disappointed. The weather before and after summer is favourable for those looking for activities in nature - and for gastro-tourists.
While 25,000 restaurants compete for the guest's attention in summer, 250 in winter...
True, although the latter number will probably increase thanks to our campaigns. I have to note that the challenges of the last few years also had a positive result: there was a purification - or self-purification, in gastronomic terms. Those who were only half-serious about opening a bistro because it was cool - they dropped out. Many service providers have been working in the area for 15, 20, or more years, with year-round opening hours. The shore of Lake Balaton is not empty in winter, because there are people who live here - approximately 400,000 people. Moreover, more and more people claim to be from Balaton - people who see it as a second home, including me. We are therefore customers of the service providers here, i.e. we bring our consumption here, even our own business. And why? Because we like that the landscape is beautiful, the built environment is beautiful. The fact that this area is protected by many laws is also a fact that cannot be ignored, there will never be a battery or car factory here. We, who watch Lake Balaton all year round, see its many faces and follow its progress, expect to receive quality services.
What steps have been taken so far to promote tourism?
In cooperation with the Hungarian Tourism Agency, we have been working since 2019 to create the four-season offer of Balaton - along the lines of the National Tourism Development Strategy 2030, which, among other things, set the goal of mitigating seasonality. In recent years, under the brand name BalatonBike365, we have created a regional visitor management system, as a result of which more and more people visit Lake Balaton in autumn and spring. From 2024, expanding our work, we will not only support cycling opportunities, but the entire spectrum of Balaton's tourist offer with communication, and the service providers on a professional level. We launched the VisitBalaton365.hu website, which collects the offers of nearly 1,500 year-round service providers – including accommodations, catering establishments and four-season attractions – as well as approximately 80 festivals and many other events. And under the name "1000 reasons to visit Lake Balaton in autumn", our autumn traffic-boosting campaign aimed specifically at the domestic public was successfully completed.
According to the database, where should we go this winter or early spring?
From St. Martin's Day to the opening of the ice rink, the events have been running one after the other, and the offer is rich even for the colder months: gastronomic and cultural programmes, sports events, performance tours, and music programmes are all part of the repertoire. The destinations of Balatonfüred, Siófok and Tihany all organise end-of-year outdoor events, so it is worth keeping an eye on the calendar of events. There are numerous Advent fairs - the Advent Chestnut Roasting and Christmas Fair, organised by the village hall in Gyenesdiás, between 14-15 December, is a particularly atmospheric one. On 21 December, a Christmas garden cinema will be organized in Zamárdi: hot drinks, gingerbread, a concert and a fantastic film await us. On 31 December, you can sign up for a New Year's Eve tour on the Badacsony mountain, while between 8 and 9 February you can participate in the carnival weekend, in 10 restaurants in Badacsony. You can also get on the water: the Hévíz stream rowing programme runs until 16 March, when you can kayak, canoe, and even SUP along the 8 km long warm water canal from Hévíz to Fenékpuszta, accompanied by qualified tour guides. It is a truly special experience to take this distance in fog or snowfall! It is clear that the basis of tourism in winter is not Lake Balaton itself, but rather its picturesque background - unless we take sailing into account - but otherwise we can take it into account, because regattas also take place in winter. Ferries also go between the two shores, we can plan with them - unless the lake freezes over. Then in spring you can go horse riding or cross-country running. You can ride a bike at any time - as long as you have the right clothes. I recommend using the BB365 application, which allows you to exclude dirt roads from the route plan with a swipe of your finger, so you can rely on it even in the rain and in harsher weather. Exploring the winter forest is also magical - the forestry is open to tourists. Do not be surprised if you see wild animals, and the advice of SEFAG (Forestry and Timber Company) is also worth considering: time your hike between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., as hunting tourism is on the increase. For those who are unsure about the programme at first, on the VisitBalaton365 website we recommend 2-3 multi-day recreation opportunities per week, in a package with active and cultural programmes, gastronomy and accommodation, hidden treasures that will allow the traveller to discover the little-known side of Lake Balaton.
How much of an "easy ride" was it to get all this done with the different organisations and service providers?
It is actually a process, and it is still going on today.
Developing and strengthening Balaton as a brand and redefining the Balaton area is self-evident and vitally important - in order to break out of the vicious circle in which guests think " why go to Balaton, there is nothing open anyway!"; while restaurateurs say "why open if no one is coming?". There is no question that the demand for quality experiences needs to be increased and met.
It is an extremely uplifting feeling to experience the openness and acceptance of service providers and organizations such as BAHART, Balatoni Kör, and many festival organizers. We agree that the goal is not only to increase guest traffic, but also to create sustainable, slow tourism - this is a well-understood interest of all of us, both from the point of view of guests and service providers. Absolutely win-win - as we would say these days.
