A development project valued at HUF 2bn for the renovation of the castle of Eger has begun, Deputy State Secretary for Tourism Viktória Horváth said on visiting the sites of the multifaceted programme.

At a press conference held prior to professional consultations, Viktória Horváth pointed out that the city of Eger has been working on launching this programme since 2008. This has also required a Government decision made last year which provides funding of HUF 1.7bn for the project. The castle of Eger has been a symbol of Hungarian patriotism and after the project is completed it can receive guests in a proper way and serve the city as deserved, she stressed.

The Deputy State Secretary said the in light of tourism indicators following the region of Budapest the Northern Hungary region was the second most popular destination last year. Tourism traffic and revenues increased by 7 percent and 12 percent, respectively, in comparison to the previous year. The number of domestic tourism nights in Eger increased to the largest extent, by 28 percent, she added.

Eger Mayor László Habis (of Fidesz-KDNP), MP of the region, emphasised that the number one priority for the city has always been culture-focused tourism and various attractions shall be organized accordingly.  He stressed that over the past period several development projects have been launched or completed in Eger, such as the renovation of Lyceum, the Kepes Institute, the Márai visitor centre in Szépasszonyvölgy, thermal bath, the reconstruction of the historic old town, the renovation of the archbishop’s castle, the basilica and its surrounding area.

In the first phase of the upcoming development period, the Török garden, Szép bastion and the armoury to which visitors have been denied access thus far will be opened, the bastion promenade will be rebuilt and all public utilities will be reconstructed. Under the second phase, primarily new sightseeing spots, among them a guided trail, new thematic exhibitions are to be opened and audio-visual development projects are expected to be implemented.

(Ministry for National Economy)