Water tourism is experiencing a new renaissance in Hungary

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 06. 02. 09:56

It has been in the background for a long time, but with the support of the government, water tourism is now experiencing a renaissance in Hungary – stated the State Secretary for Active Hungary of the Prime Minister’s Office at the opening event of the Vízi Ring Water Adventure Tour series in Sarud on Sunday.

Máriusz Révész highlighted: the task of the State Secretariat for Active Hungary is to persuade people to move as much as possible, but this can only be achieved if movement is an experience for them. In this spirit, many event series have already been launched, but water tourism was considered a bit of a stepchild for a long time, because although it was part of the Olympic pentathlon sometime in the mid-1980s, it gradually faded into the background – he said.

According to him, as a government commissioner, he himself initiated the revival of the domestic water tourism movement, trusting that there is and will be a social demand for it. He recalled that this is how the Hungarian Kayak-Canoe Association organized the first Balaton crossing, in which more than 800 people participated for the first time, and this year the field will hopefully start with over 5,000 participants.

Seeing the dynamic development of the program, the idea arose that other similar events should be organized, revived, or revived throughout the country. The latter happened, for example, at Lake Tisza, where the starting point and destination of the previous open water crossings were Abádszalók and Kisköre, while this tour has now returned in a new and unique form – the Secretary of State informed.

He indicated that at the first stop of the Vízi Ring Water Adventure Tour Series, which includes 10 different events, the participants will visit 4 lookout points that can only be reached by water, covering a distance of nearly 20 kilometers. He emphasized that this is not a competition, but rather that the hikers marvel at the unique natural treasures of Lake Tisza. The organizers have thought of everything, so they have made all boats trackable via GPS, allowing those who might get lost in the labyrinth of reeds to reach shore safely, he added.

In response to a question from MTI, Máriusz Révész said that the Water Ring event series was supported by the government with more than 40 million forints, of which the Balaton crossing is the most significant item, while the Hungarian Water Touring Association received 27 million forints to organize 9 programs.