Madam, - As the director of the Hungarian National Tourist Office in Ireland I was delighted to see two articles about Hungary by Bridget Hourican in your prestigious newspaper on August 4th but my delight was dissipated by some details.
Our organisation has invested more than €500,000 in the Irish market in the last three years alone with its dedicated tourist office under the roof of the Hungarian embassy, as a result of which both the number of Irish tourists travelling to Hungary and the bed nights spent by them have doubled. Our work has been supported by the Irish media and the travel trade alike, in which The Irish Times played an important and well-appreciated role too.
Though we have seen plenty of excellent writings by Ms Hourican and by other first-class journalists from The Irish Times in the past, I simply do not understand the relatively degrading approach in the above-mentioned reports.
The feature on Budapest complains of lack of light delicacies. However, it is impossible not to find anything on the menus that would fit the season. Beside cold fruit soups, take fresh "fozelek" dishes made of vegetables, or chicken delights with juicy fruits as examples. Also the international cuisine is widely available.
The second article on Lake Balaton is far more disappointing. Lake Balaton is the largest fresh-water lake in Central Europe, that cannot be compared to anything else, let alone to the sea. Its water is turquoise, smooth and clean - frequently monitored by ADAC (the well-known German autoclub). The water level varies from the shallow south to the deeper north. Swimming in it is a delight.
The area has a vivid cultural life along with its excellent wine cellars. The vicinity of Lake Balaton attracted three major Irish investments recently: the European Lakes Golf and Country Club in Hencse, the Villa Park in Balatonlelle and Cape Clare Aviation (Fly-Balaton Airport) in Sarmellek receiving chartered and scheduled flights from numerous European countries.
Hungarians - just as the Irish - are proud of their country and we also acknowledge that there is a never-ending road to further improvements, but we also feel that a realistic picture of us would be well appreciated.
It does not mean that a report should show the best profile of a place, but a rather comprehensive introduction would be expected.
We are more than delighted to introduce our country to all Irish visitors interested. Look forward to welcoming you soon. - Yours, etc,
ERIKA REPASSY, Director, Hungarian National Tourist Office, Dublin.