The cabinet has already discussed the proposal, tabled by the PMʼs Cabinet Office, and ordered studies to be carried out on the matter, said Antal Rogán. 

The state could contribute far more to boosting the tourism sector if its tasks can be carried out through an agent, rather than in the conventional bureaucratic framework, he said. The state wants to put its tasks and resources into a single entity, he added.

Nothing will be nationalized; the government does not want to take anything away from anyone, he said.

Hungary needs to build its brands, he said, noting the lack of brands for Lake Balaton, Budapest and the Tokaj wine-growing region. This cannot be undertaken in a bureaucratic structure, which is why weʼre proposing it be done in the structure of an agency, he added.

Rogán said that tourism generates about 10% of Hungaryʼs GDP, which “isn’t bad”, but is well under the 15% share in other Central European countries.

He also noted the positive impact on the countryʼs image of Hungarian director László Nemesʼs Academy Award win on Sunday for the Holocaust drama “Son of Saul”. “Nothing does more than an Oscar,” he said.