National parks to receive big EU grant

Seven national parks throughout Hungary are to receive European Union funding of 3.4 billion forints (EUR 15.3m) for eco-tourism development, Environment Minister Imre Szabo said in Budapest on Friday.

The funding has been received through application and it will be utilised for development projects in Aggtelek, Tihany, Bukk, Ferto-region, Orseg, Hortobagy and Mohacs parks, Szabo said.

The national parks applied through the seven regional programmes of the New Hungary Development Plan, Szabo said. In addition to the EU 3.4 billion forints, the Hungarian ministry will provide more than 500 million forints (EUR 1.9m) for the projects, he added.

More than one million people visited Hungary's national parks in 2007 and developments are expected to result in increased numbers of visitors, Szao said.

State secretary of the ministry Laszlo Haraszty said planned developments in the next two years include the construction of new visitor centres, a miocene forest, underground exhibitions and cycle paths, the reconstruction of an entire manor and several inns, the refurbishment of a traditional shadoof well, and the launch of a small rail service and a safari car service.

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