PRESS RELEASE: Workshops in Diósjenő Lay the Foundations for a Sustainable Tourism Action Plan in the Ipoly Valley and Börzsöny Hills
A discussion with stakeholders from the Ipoly Valley and the Börzsöny Hills in Diósjenő
In 2025, a series of regional workshops held in Diósjenő marked an important milestone in shaping the future of sustainable tourism in the Hungarian pilot area of the Ipoly Valley and the Börzsöny Hills. The workshops were organised within the framework of the MYSTICAL DANUBE project and brought together local governments, civil society organisations, tourism service providers, nature conservation authorities, local producers, and cultural institutions. Their joint work resulted in a comprehensive Sustainable Tourism Action Plan, now available in both Hungarian and English through the project coordinator, CEEweb for Biodiversity.
The Action Plan provides a shared strategic framework for the long-term, value-based development of the region. Rather than aiming to increase visitor numbers at all costs, it promotes slow, responsible, and community-based tourism that respects the area’s outstanding natural assets and living cultural heritage. Particular emphasis is placed on safeguarding sensitive ecosystems within the Börzsöny Mountains and the Ipoly River floodplains, in close cooperation with the Danube–Ipoly National Park Directorate and Ipoly Erdő Zrt.
The workshops in Diósjenő, together with an earlier regional meeting in Ipolytölgyes, played a decisive role in defining the plan’s vision and priorities. Participants identified key challenges such as fragmented tourism offers, limited accessibility, weak digital visibility, and the lack of a unified regional brand. At the same time, they highlighted strong assets, including rich biodiversity, iconic heritage sites such as Drégely Castle, Palóc cultural traditions, local myths and storytelling, narrow-gauge railways, and a diverse range of local food and craft products.
Based on this joint assessment, the Action Plan sets out five strategic priorities: the development of sustainable and responsible tourism infrastructure; the activation of cultural heritage and storytelling; the implementation of inclusive and accessible tourism; the strengthening of local products and gastronomy; and enhanced inter-municipal and cross-border cooperation, particularly with neighbouring Slovak communities. These priorities are translated into concrete, SMART objectives and practical measures that can be directly integrated into funding programmes and local development initiatives.
By building on cooperation, local knowledge, and shared responsibility, the Sustainable Tourism Action Plan offers a clear roadmap for the Ipoly Valley and the Börzsöny Hills to emerge as a coherent, resilient, and attractive destination—close to the capital, yet firmly rooted in nature, culture, and community values.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The “GREEN AND MYSTICAL DANUBE STORYTELLING ROUTE – Transnational valorisation of natural and intangible cultural heritage for socio-economic development of rural areas in the Danube region” project is financed by the INTERREG Danube Region Programme. From January 2024 to June 2026, Mystical Danube will address several challenges and needs in the Danube Region related to the valorisation of natural and intangible cultural heritage as a tourism asset and their contribution to regional economic development and social inclusion:
- High unemployment rate and social exclusion.
- Disparity in unemployment.
- Uneven national and regional employment distribution in the tourism sector.
- Natural and intangible cultural heritage from rural and less visited areas at major risk of being left out and forgotten.
Project Lead: Zadar County Rural Development Agency (HR)
CEEweb Contact Person: Eliza Óhegyi, eohegyi@ceeweb.org
Visit the project's website for more information.