Domestic ecotourism is developing

In his welcome speech, András Rácz highlighted that the new facility also indicates that the tasks of state nature conservation now go far beyond the preservation of protected species and their habitats. National parks also play a decisive role in the preservation and presentation of archaeological and cultural heritage, as well as traditional farming methods, he said.

According to public opinion polls, there is an increasing social need to learn about all of this: 70 percent of Hungarians consciously look for ecotourism program opportunities in national parks and actively try to spend their free time, he added. Half of the approximately 700 ecotourism establishments registered in the country are operated by one of the 9 national park directorates, and they are visited by a total of 1.6 million visitors each year, he explained.