ABOUT Hungarian Tourism Program Foundation

The Hungarian Tourism Program Foundation brings together business and leisure events as an umbrella organization. Our main goal is to contribute to an ecosystem that supports the development of events.

The Vision of Hungarian Tourism Program Foundation

"Hungary boasts a vibrant events landscape, with leisure and business events taking place across the country throughout the year. However, our experience, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, highlights the vulnerability of the events sector to neglect and disregard.

The Hungarian Tourism Program Foundation (HTPF) was established with a crucial mission: to advocate for the sector's interests through high-quality research, effective communication, and collaborative partnerships.

The pandemic underscored the vital role of events in society, contributing significantly to the economy and enriching our cultural and social lives. Recognizing this, the HTPF aims to foster collaboration among industry stakeholders, facilitate joint actions, and improve communication within the sector.

The Foundation will conduct in-depth research, including primary and secondary data analysis, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the events sector and identify key trends and challenges. This data-driven approach will inform strategic decision-making and accelerate responses to emerging issues.

Furthermore, the HTPF recognizes the critical need for a skilled workforce. We will support the development of well-structured educational programs that equip individuals with the necessary knowledge and practical skills for both entry-level and advanced roles in the events industry.

The lack of a unified legal framework poses a significant challenge to the sector. Existing regulations often fall short, leaving many aspects of the events industry, particularly business events, largely unregulated. The HTPF will actively advocate, both independently and through partnerships, for the development of a comprehensive legal framework that effectively supports the entire events sector."

The Mission of Hungarian Tourism Program Foundation

"The Foundation's activities extend to all activities that ensure or promote the achievement of the above objectives, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Proactive cooperation in the development of professional quality assurance and certification systems;
• Collection and dissemination of professional information, consultation with professional stakeholders;
• Research, consulting, preparation and review of professional materials and proposals;
• Identifying and evaluating existing training programs within the events sector. This includes identifying any skills gaps and supporting the acquisition of these missing qualifications through a scholarship program. This will ensure that the events workforce has the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive.
• Conclusion of cooperation agreements with relevant educational institutions (Hungarian universities with relevant study programs and course);
• Contributing to the elimination of the labor shortage in the sector by providing support, establishing a scholarship program and a professional internship program;
• Creating and operating a national events calendar that shows domestic events by region, time and content;
• Organizing public events for the events sector to establish contacts and gain knowledge on relevant, current topics in Hungary and abroad;
• Representing and promoting the events sector at domestic and international leisure and business events;
• Accelerating the development of a special tax framework for the events sector;
• Channeling data from existing databases with data on the events sector, such as NTAK, into a database specifically focused on events, event organizers and service providers, and periodically reporting on trends that can be read from the analysis of the data.

In summary, the Foundation aims to assist in the professionalization of the domestic events industry and its rightful place within the tourism sector."