The escalation of the epidemic is also affecting tourism

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 04. 01. 10:38

Although the foot-and-mouth disease virus is not dangerous to humans, unprecedented restrictions have been put in place across the country to curb the spread of the infection. The authorities have closed pastures and tourist routes, decided to partially or completely close several national parks, zoos and exhibition venues, and all animal exhibition events have been banned. This represents another difficult challenge for the tourism sector, writes Infostart.

Visiting bans and cancellation of events

Zoos and wildlife parks in Győr-Moson-Sopron county are completely closed. In Budapest, the Budapest Zoo remained open, but the petting zoo was closed. In Hortobágy, the puszta carriage was suspended, and the Mátai Stud Farm will not receive visitors for an indefinite period. In addition, the St. George’s Day drive-out festival on April 26, as well as the National Goulash Competition and Shepherds’ Meeting scheduled for May 24, have been cancelled.

The Duna-Ipoly National Park has closed several visited areas, including:

Salföldi Major,

the Kápolnapuszta buffalo reserve,

the Strázsa-hegy nature trail near Esztergom.

A hiking and excursion ban has come into effect in several locations in the Balaton Uplands and Zala, such as:

at Belső Lake in Tihany,

in the Kerekedi Bay in Csopak,

in the Pécsely Basin,

between Kékkút and Kővágóörs,

at Kornyi Lake in Kővágóörs,

around Kápolnapuszta and

on the floodplains of the Letenye and Mura rivers.

In the Danube–Drava National Park, the farm of the Ancient Drava Visitor Center, where the Hungarian shepherd dog herding competition was to be held, was closed, and in the Őrség National Park, the Pityerszer bison hunt was closed.