Central Europe Should Be Treated as a Single Destination, Sector Leaders Say

Central European Times 26 Oct 2026 1 min read

An interconnected destination approach would greatly benefit the Central European region from a marketing perspective, according to tourism leaders speaking at the Euronews Travel and Tourism Summit. Currently, national borders limit how visitors experience Central European destinations.

Olivér Csendes, President of the Hungarian Tourism Agency, and Sandrine Buffenoir, Director for the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg at Atout France, discussed shifting regional tourism trends with Euronews. Csendes highlighted the opportunity for deeper cross-border collaboration among neighboring countries, particularly as travellers increasingly seek to maximize the number of locations visited per trip (a trend often referred to as "trip-maxxing").

"We should not limit our strategic thinking or the creation of experiential spaces to national borders," Csendes noted. He highlighted the region’s advantageous conditions, such as short travel distances – a key selling point for long-haul markets like the US and Asia. He also emphasized the symbolic and practical role of the Danube, which has historically served as a common thread connecting these nations.

Furthermore, cross-border collaboration on a shared tourism data space represents a major asset for the region. This data can guide visitor flows effectively and issue real-time warnings in the event of wildfires or extreme weather conditions. Nature also plays a critical role in the industry, particularly amid growing environmental pressures. "There is no tourism without nature. Tourism must be a force for good and support the resilience of living environments," he added.

Buffenoir concurred with this view, emphasizing the key role tourism plays in connecting people across Europe, describing it as a "classroom to learn about each other."

Framing Central Europe as an economic, cultural, and geopolitical unit is rooted in centuries of history. Suffice it to say, tourism can serve as a vital tool to showcase this shared heritage and strengthen ties between nations in the region.

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