Debrecen4U June 25, 2025

Many people are unaware of Debrecen’s hidden tourist wonders 

The real summer has begun; schools are closed, and families are going on vacation. Are there many people who choose Debrecen and its surroundings as their destination? Why, and what is Debrecen doing to ensure that many people come to the city and the region during the summer? The managing director of VisitDebrecen, Enikő Tóth-Megyesi, answered these questions, among others, in DTV’s  programme, Evening Close-up.

In the past, it might have been enough to post a picture of the Great Church in Debrecen, and then tourists would flock there. According to the expert, this no longer triggers tourist traffic to a given place at all.

“We believe in experiential communication. We try to approach the city from a perspective that travelers can experience as a real experience,” she said.

According to her, Hajdú-Bihar has very good potential for this. There are countless values ​​in the county that can be drawn to attention, and guests can be lured to the region with a recommendation.

“It is particularly important that we think together, and together we can do even more to develop the region’s tourism. The region is also present in the marketing of VisitDebrecen, we are always working to surprise guests with new ideas,” she pointed out.

As she said, there are many attractions not only in Debrecen but also in the region, so joint work with other settlements in the county is essential.

Hajdúszoboszló, for example, offers visitors a completely different type of experience than Debrecen.

“Hajdúszoboszló is a spa town; the water is the main attraction there, on which its tourism is also based. If we invite a group to the region, we take them to the Hajdúszoboszló spa. This kind of back-and-forth work is noticeable, but this is true even for Hortobágy.”

She pointed out that the city’s major events are decisive, including major sporting and cultural events. VisitDebrecen maintains continuous contact with the institutions of Debrecen, but there is another important thing whose role cannot be neglected.

“Today, social media is unavoidable. The content producers appearing there are indispensable; they practically create a personal connection immediately with their follower base, and not only with them, because if a piece of content performs well, it immediately reaches thousands of other people. That is why it is important how we present our city in this fast-paced, fast-consuming society, how we can spread appropriate impulses,” the managing director of VisitDebrecen emphasised.

“What is interesting for an outsider when visiting the civic city?” the question arises.

“This is conscious communication, the directions, the main messages, which also determine who we invite and what product we try to highlight from the city’s offer. We accompany them throughout the city and draw attention to the more special things,” she explained.

She believes that gastronomy, for example, is experiencing a revolution, but at the same time, those who come here really like the fact that the city’s spaces are livable, yet there are sights at every point that are special and that the people of Debrecen also feel like their own, such as Hal köz, the Great Forest, and the strand.

How can the results of this activity be measured?

“Basically, organic reach happens without advertising. It is a process, just as tourism is a complex system. The weather is a major influencing factor. People travel based on experience just as they used to, but today the decision is more conscious; they wait and compare. This must be taken into account,” she stated.

Summer is also the most popular period in Debrecen, but the number of visitors increased most recently during the Advent period.

This is where the events that take place in the spring and autumn periods come into play, when conference tourism is more dominant.

“Based on the feedback, I think Debrecen is in a good position in terms of accommodation. The partners also see the potential in the city, in its development,” ​​the expert revealed.

Finally, she suggested that we walk around with open eyes, as many people are not familiar with the city’s less popular attractions. For example, they don’t know about the museum or library of the Reformed College, even though the latter is considered one of the most beautiful historic libraries in the world.

Source and photo credit:dehir.hu