At the same time, Hungarian SMEs also adopted a 10-point program, which has since been joined by several respected restaurants, accommodation providers, and event organisers. Their message is clear: it is time to place local businesses at the heart of tourism policy.
Key proposals of the program include reforming the tax and social contribution system, which they consider overly complex and disproportionately burdensome for smaller businesses; strengthening tourism and hospitality education to ensure a skilled workforce and long-term competitiveness; introducing proportionate (de)regulations for small-scale gastronomic and community events; and protecting quality and origin labels such as “artisan,” “farm-made,” and “producer-made” from misleading marketing use.
As illustrated above, both the official consultations of industry associations and the united voice of SMEs highlight the pressing need for reform. Accordingly, it seems to be inevitable that policymakers place the issue on their agenda as a legislative proposal.