Southern Hungary welcomes increasing Chinese visitors seeking in-depth travel experiences

The southern region of Hungary is welcoming increasing Chinese visitors who seek to have in-depth experiences of the country's culture, picturesque countryside, and wine industry, after making their first stops at the capital Budapest.

Once a quiet village, Villany wine region has grown into one of Hungary's top wine destinations and is drawing more Chinese visitors beyond Budapest to explore the country's wine tourism.

For more than three decades, Zsolt Gere and his family have been making wine in Villany.

He said more international visitors are arriving, including travelers from China, looking for something beyond the usual tourist stops such as vineyards, local food, and countryside life.

"We are lucky that we are living here. And so, we have the good microclimate for big red wines. And the people like big red wines," said Gere.

This year, tourism officials said they would expect more than 200,000 Chinese visitors to visit Hungary, after more than 180,000 traveled to the country in 2024.

While Budapest remains the first stop for many, places like Pecs and Hungary's thermal spa towns are drawing growing interest from Chinese travelers.

"We don't have a river. We don't need to build bridges. But sure, we do have an airport, so we are building air bridges and connectivity [is] better," said Mark Kincses, head of tourism of the city of Pecs.

Kincses said visitors can explore a different side of Hungary in their stays in Pecs where there are plenty of historic sites and art exhibitions as well as an international airport.

"We expect a least a few percent [of] growth this year, especially in the international visitors," he said.

Southern Hungary welcomes increasing Chinese visitors seeking in-depth travel experiences

Dialogue and cooperation between China and the United States, the world's two largest economies, matters far beyond the two countries themselves, said Adnan Z. Amin, chair of the officers' council of the World Energy Council (WEC), a global network of energy organizations.

In a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Amin said such dialogue gives the wider world grounds for optimism, and that the economic issues between the two sides can only be resolved through sustained engagement.

"It's absolutely essential. I think when you have two of the biggest economies in the world in dialogue and collaboration, it makes a difference for the rest of the world. It provides an optimistic approach, it provides a positive kind of perspective of where we can be going. There are hard issues to discuss. The economic trade-offs are not inconsequential. They need to be addressed. And the best way to do it is through dialogue. And to see President Xi in Washington today is very encouraging, because I think that dialogue is essential today," he said.

Amin added that policymakers should set aside reflexive hostility and focus on the tangible benefits that cooperation can bring to people in both countries.

"We need to get beyond this kind of knee-jerk antagonism that you see in certain policy circles in different countries around the world to really look at what is the reality today. How will our collaboration improve the lot of people in our countries? And what are the best areas for us to do (work on) and who has to take responsibility for what. This is essential," he said.

China-U.S. dialogue "absolutely essential" for world: WEC chair