of the coronation of Stephen I, its first Christian king, by Pope Silvester II.
The coronation crown and regalia from the year 1000 are being displayed throughout Hungary during the course of 2000 and form the basis of current promotion and advertising.
Hungarian National Tourist Office director Gabor Tarr said: “It’s a double millennium year and an important anniversary. It was St Stephen who founded the kingdom of Hungary.”
The coronation crown is highlighted in the tourist office’s first London Transport advertising campaign, running this month in a series of bus and Underground posters.
Gastronomy will still feature strongly in Hungarian promotion in 2000, said Tarr, continuing the Year of Food and Wine theme that proved successful throughout 1999.
“People are drawn to Hungary by our cuisine and then appreciate our cultural and architectural aspects,” he said.
Hungary received 250,000 UK visitors last year, a 15% increase on 1998, despite the effects of the Kosovo war that caused a drop in bookings between April and June.
The capital, Budapest, is featured by most city-break operators and rivals Prague and Vienna in central Europe for short-stay popularity.
Hotel development in Budapest is continuing, with international chains investing in new buildings or improvements to existing properties.
Hilton International is to manage a second hotel in the city – the 232-room Hilton West End in the new West End commercial and leisure development to open later this year at a cost of £180m. The West End City Centre has more than 150 shops and is being marketed as Europe’s largest shopping centre.
Four Seasons is to open a 212-room hotel in the Gresham Palace apartment building. The £50m property will occupy a prime Danube site close to the Chain Bridge. Across the river on the Buda side, the Arthotel group is to open the four-star Park Plaza Hotel in July with 156 rooms and 20 suites. Forte will add a Le Meridien hotel in Budapest next year.
Hungary’s biggest five-star conference centre is to open at the Inter-Continental Budapest in October. The facility will be able to handle 1,000 delegates.
Budapest has also pitched for the 2002 ABTA Convention. It hosted the 1990 ABTA gathering. Tarr said: “It would be a chance to show the UK trade the progress we’ve made in the past 12 years.”
Their first sight of Hungary would be Ferihegy Airport’s new £120m Terminal 2B. Plans call for the building of Terminal 2C when the airport’s capacity of 5.5m passengers a year is reached, probably by 2005.
HUNGARY has increased its UK tourism promotion budget fivefold to £250,000 this year to capitalise on Budapest’s popularity and promote awareness of an important anniversary.
The country is still in millennium mood this year as it celebrates the 1,000th anniversary of the coronation of Stephen I, its first Christian king, by Pope Silvester II.
The coronation crown and regalia from the year 1000 are being displayed throughout Hungary during the course of 2000 and form the basis of current promotion and advertising.
Hungarian National Tourist Office director Gabor Tarr said: “It’s a double millennium year and an important anniversary. It was St Stephen who founded the kingdom of Hungary.”
The coronation crown is highlighted in the tourist office’s first London Transport advertising campaign, running this month in a series of bus and Underground posters.
Gastronomy will still feature strongly in Hungarian promotion in 2000, said Tarr, continuing the Year of Food and Wine theme that proved successful throughout 1999.
“People are drawn to Hungary by our cuisine and then appreciate our cultural and architectural aspects,” he said.
Hungary received 250,000 UK visitors last year, a 15% increase on 1998, despite the effects of the Kosovo war that caused a drop in bookings between April and June.
The capital, Budapest, is featured by most city-break operators and rivals Prague and Vienna in central Europe for short-stay popularity.
Hotel development in Budapest is continuing, with international chains investing in new buildings or improvements to existing properties.
Hilton International is to manage a second hotel in the city – the 232-room Hilton West End in the new West End commercial and leisure development to open later this year at a cost of £180m. The West End City Centre has more than 150 shops and is being marketed as Europe’s largest shopping centre.
Four Seasons is to open a 212-room hotel in the Gresham Palace apartment building. The £50m property will occupy a prime Danube site close to the Chain Bridge. Across the river on the Buda side, the Arthotel group is to open the four-star Park Plaza Hotel in July with 156 rooms and 20 suites. Forte will add a Le Meridien hotel in Budapest next year.
Hungary’s biggest five-star conference centre is to open at the Inter-Continental Budapest in October. The facility will be able to handle 1,000 delegates.
Budapest has also pitched for the 2002 ABTA Convention. It hosted the 1990 ABTA gathering. Tarr said: “It would be a chance to show the UK trade the progress we’ve made in the past 12 years.”
Their first sight of Hungary would be Ferihegy Airport’s new £120m Terminal 2B. Plans call for the building of Terminal 2C when the airport’s capacity of 5.5m passengers a year is reached, probably by 2005.