Debrecen Tourism Agency Public Benefit Nonprofit Ltd. won a HUF 25,000,000 non-refundable grant in the tender for the renovation of Tourinform offices and information points of the Hungarian Tourism Agency Ltd. As a result of the project, the Tourinform Office in Debrecen will operate in a new location and in a renewed environment, at 20 Piac Street, in the Old Town Hall building, which was ceremoniously opened on April 21, 2021.
Debrecen’s tourism has been on a growing trajectory in recent years, playing an increasingly important role in the city’s economic life. The number of scheduled flights at Debrecen Airport also expanded dynamically, the number of domestic and foreign guests and guest nights increased continuously, and more and more people visited Debrecen for a longer period of time.
The city has successfully positioned itself as one of the most popular domestic travel destinations for families with young children and young couples in recent years and may be one of the winners in the growing travel traffic as the coronavirus epidemic passes. This trend requires the sustainable development of the tourist offer and the need for the city, while maintaining the usual quality of life of the local population, to offer well-defined, attractive and high-quality tourist services and products to tourists visiting the city. An important part of this is communication, the availability and transmission of up-to-date tourist information, and the accurate and reliable information of guests. All of this greatly contributes to the experience that the guest experiences and takes home as a memento.
From 2017, the tourist information office in Debrecen operated as a VisitDebrecen information point at the Character 1517 café, the endpoint of the Visitor’s Reformed Church’s 40,000 visitors who buy tickets every year. However, the growing guest traffic and the expanding range of services made it necessary to expand and remodel the office space. The tender announced last summer provided an excellent opportunity for this, through which the office could be located at 20 Piac utca, a busy place in the city center, where Piac utca and Kossuth utca meet.
Within the framework of the project, the Debrecen Tourism Agency entered into a name usage agreement with the owner of the Tourinform brand, the Hungarian Tourism Agency, and established the Tourinform Office in the listed building of the Old Town Hall, 20 Piac Street. As part of the investment, the office can operate in a modernly renovated room with a floor area of 70 square meters on the corner of Piac Street and Kossuth Street. The easily accessible and identifiable information center in the tourist-frequented location of Debrecen fully serves the needs of tourists from arrival to departure, be it a simple guide, recommend accommodation or a restaurant, buy souvenirs or buy a ticket for a current cultural event or festival. All this is done in person, from an authentic source, with the help of helpful tourism professionals who speak foreign languages, in a trust-building, safe and pleasant environment.
At the opening, Péter Horváth, CEO of Kisfaludy2030 Tourism Development Nonprofit Zrt., Who published the application, said that the Hungarian Tourinform network has a key role in relaunching tourism, and the offices handle 1.8 million visitor requests a year. It is gratifying that the Tourinform Office in Debrecen, which serves as the reception room of the region, can now receive guests in a friendly, 21st-century environment. As mentioned, several significant tourism developments are taking place in the area, accommodation facilities are being built or renewed, attractions and spas are becoming even more modern. All this contributes to making the city and its region, which was the third most sought-after region in the country last year, even more attractive to tourists in the future.
Member of Parliament László Pósán emphasized that the Government believes in the principle that it should be developed when negative tendencies prevail because when the economy enters a rising sector again, a greater situational advantage can be obtained. Basically, this also motivates the current domestic tourism developments, and that is why it is necessary for the country to be able to restart its economy – and with it tourism – as soon as possible. To do this, the vaccination should be as high as possible. The developments that affect Debrecen and its wider area have a great impact on the livelihoods, income-generating ability and everyday life of their families. We are grateful to the Government for the support it provides for tourism development so that businesses can keep their employees, and thus tourism can be an even more significant driver of the Debrecen economy in the future.
Deputy Mayor Diánles Széles emphasized that she was pleased that not only the traditional destinations but also the eastern region of the country were important for the Government in terms of tourism development. It fits in very well with this trend that, in cooperation with the Hungarian tender agency, the Hungarian Tourism Agency Ltd. and Kisfaludy2030 Tourism Development Nonprofit Ltd., this office has been established in the historical center of Debrecen, in a prominent place for tourists. And as the vaccination rate among the country’s population grows, as the possibility of free movement gradually increases again, we expect and prepare for an increasing number of tourists to appear in Debrecen, expected by the summer. This office is already well prepared for this period.
According to the current plans, the Tourinform Office in Debrecen in the high season, from 1 June to 30 September from Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, on Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm, in the low season, from 1 October to 31 May from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday and will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Debrecen City Hall Press
