István Palásti, director of the commercial department of the Hungarian Embassy in Ukraine:
- By the end of this year, the total trade turnover between Hungary and Ukraine will reach a record $1 billion. Already now we communicate in a European way: since mutual export is based on serious items, there is no cheap consumer goods in our trade turnover. Our service - the commercial department of the Hungarian Agency for the Development of Foreign Trade and Investment - is designed to facilitate mutual rapprochement between Ukrainian and Hungarian producers. There are 34 commercial departments operating in 29 countries around the world, with overall management carried out from the head office. Whichever department you visit, you will always receive a full range of services and all the necessary information for establishing business contacts.
I want to emphasize that we are a non-profit organization and provide all services free of charge. First of all, we help representatives of small and medium-sized businesses establish mutual contacts: we organize meetings and exhibitions. But the most productive are direct meetings between Ukrainian and Hungarian businessmen. Initially, we provide participants with all the necessary information from our database, and they come to the meeting with already specific business projects. In 2003, we held such meetings in Donetsk and Luhansk; next year we plan to organize them in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kyiv.
I must note that Hungary still knows little about potential partners in Ukraine. The situation is not helped by imperfect Ukrainian legislation, and there are problems with timely VAT reimbursement to exporters. However, mutual interest is growing; each year we receive about two thousand requests from Hungary. At present, we would like to have a register of all Ukrainian entrepreneurs with their credit histories.
Svitlana Kabysh, director of the information bureau "Hungary-Tourism" at the commercial department of the Hungarian Embassy in Ukraine:
- The outgoing year was not easy for Hungarian tourism. As is known, WTTC (World Travel & Tourism Council) annually monitors the best countries in tourism. And in 2003, according to WTTC assessment, Hungary took an honorable sixth place in infrastructure after Australia, Sweden, Canada, the USA, and Austria. However, this year the overall tourist flow of inbound tourism decreased somewhat. But it is gratifying that against the general background Ukraine looked worthy as a tourist partner. After the peak values of 2002, the growth dynamics of Ukrainian tourists visiting Hungary decreased somewhat (by 1.8%), but in terms of the main indicator - the number of overnight stays - it met our forecasts for this period.
Next year, the National Tourism Bureau of Hungary decided to change its marketing strategy. Thus, since 1998, each "tourist" year in Hungary has been thematic - the year of gastronomy and wine, culture, active recreation, etc. From 2004, the Bureau returns to the strategy of promoting Hungary's three main tourist products - Budapest, Lake Balaton, and Hungarian resorts. Of course, each of these destinations will be expanded with new offers.
Of course, Budapest is a mandatory point of any tour. The sales leaders on the Ukrainian market remain inexpensive (85-120 euro) bus sightseeing trips. The main tour operators are small Kyiv and Lviv firms that accumulate almost the entire flow of Ukrainian tourists in this direction. Balaton - the Hungarian "sea" - cannot compete with the beaches of Black Sea resorts. But thanks to mild climatic conditions, excellent infrastructure, picturesque historical monuments, and rich cultural life, this summer holiday destination can rightfully be considered unique. Medicinal springs are Hungary's main natural wealth. Next year there are no plans to increase the number of resorts. The main goal is to bring service up to world standards, achieve compliance with EU sanitary and other norms, and more actively present them on the tourist market. In early December, Hungary hosted the SPA Hungary exhibition dedicated to health tourism, which was visited by a group of 40 Ukrainian balneologists.
Among the new, actively developing areas of tourism is the so-called MICE tourism. MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference, Exhibition) - this is business meetings, incentive (motivational or educational) tourism, conferences, exhibitions. Every year Hungary receives about 60 thousand foreign delegates. This type of tourism involves exclusive programs and is very beneficial for the host side. Currently, Ukrainian tour operators are showing a lively interest in this direction.
In addition to issues of economic ties and tourism development, at the meeting of Ukrainian media representatives, questions related to Hungary's introduction of a visa regime were of concern. According to consulate employees, the visa issuance process has now stabilized and is proceeding quite promptly. It was once again emphasized that under the signed Ukrainian-Hungarian agreement, visas are issued to Ukrainian citizens free of charge. Over the past two months, more than eight thousand visas were issued, of which about 48% were tourist visas. On average, visa processing takes five days. Among the most common problems are the submission of passports with a validity of less than six months, as well as requests for urgent visa issuance. Thus, in accordance with the aforementioned intergovernmental agreement, in some cases a visa can be issued urgently in the following cases: visiting and caring for seriously ill family members, the need for urgent medical care, participation in funerals. In addition, members of interstate negotiations and commissions, humanitarian actions, and youth exchange programs can receive visas urgently.
• Making plans for the future is much more convenient when there is a basis for productive work. That is why many prudent managers order the development and creation of a promotional website for their company. As for the tourism sector, having a high-quality and user-friendly website today is already considered a sign of good manners. Therefore, every self-respecting firm that respects its clients acquires its own presence on the Internet.