The first Hungarian unit of the Japanese premium coffee chain % Arabica has opened in Budapest

According to the ministry, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at the opening:

“Here in Hungary, we do not view the cooperation between East and West, the role of a bridge between East and West, as some kind of danger, risk, or inconvenience to be avoided, but as an opportunity that Hungary must seize in order to be able to exploit its competitive advantage, which comes from its history on the one hand and its geographical location on the other.”

He added:

A Japanese-owned brand registered in Hong Kong and called Arabica is coming to Hungary.

The fact that the Hungarian owners of the franchise are now bringing this from Hong Kong shows that it was and is worth building the relationships that make Hungary a flagship and bastion of Eastern aspirations towards Europe.

He highlighted: Coming to Budapest from Shenzhen, Hong Kong and many Chinese cities is “no longer a big deal”, given that 21 flights a week connect our capital from seven Chinese cities.

This is more flights than those available to those wishing to travel or invest in Vienna or Prague.

It is clear that these efforts have also been successful, as last year we doubled the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Hungary, which has now reached the number before the pandemic, and last year the number of guest nights spent by Chinese tourists in Hungary exceeded half a million for the first time.

This has contributed greatly to our setting a tourism record, and tourism is contributing an ever-increasing share of the Hungarian economy’s performance, the minister explained.