You can listen to the English summary of the 40th episode of the Hungarian tourism podcast Dunkavicsok (Danube pebbles) here.

The two hosts of the "Dunakavicsok" tourism podcast are Balázs Kovács, an international and sustainable tourism consultant, and István Nagy-Szász, a hotel industry expert. In the introductory segment of the episode, listeners gain firsthand insights into the CPI hotel group's expansion in the Danube region and Austria. The 40th episode of the Dunakavicsok podcast provides a year-end summary in four parts, reflecting on the most important professional events of 2024 and the processes shaping the future of tourism: the characteristics of "new tourism." One of the central themes of the episode is the international framework for measuring sustainable tourism, along with related trends and best practices.

1. ​) The first part of the episode begins with a report on the Veszprém–Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture (VEB2023) legacy conference. Listeners can learn about the most successful projects that will endure and the factors that made VEB2023 an international success story. The episode also includes a briefsummary of this year's European Capital of Culture events in Bad Ischl–Salzkammergut, highlighting critical issues such as ideological debates and visibility challenges that arose during the program.
2. ​) In the second block, the hosts report on the Vienna TourMIS statistical conference, presenting the latest indicators for measuring sustainability in the tourism sector and the statistical framework adopted by the United Nations. Finland is highlighted as a good example, focusing on measuring and reducing the carbonfootprint in tourism. The country has implemented a digital dashboard to visualize and model sustainability metrics at the national level.
3. ​) The third segment of the episode features a report on the November Vienna Tourism conference organized by Wien Tourismus. Listeners learn about the successes achieved in managing sustainable tourism in Vienna and discover the surprising connection between Strauss’s music and astronaut training. The episode also reveals details about major infrastructure investments designed to strengthen Vienna's visitor economy, including a new event center capable of hosting 20,000 people, set to open in the near future. The episode also covers the European Tourism Forum held in Budapest, where topics like artificial intelligence, climate change, and labor shortages took center stage. The event underscored the importance of harmonized data reporting and regulation across the EU, which are essential for the sustainable development of tourism. In terms of competitiveness, the analogy "to be the first or to be the best" brought the European Commission's Draghi Report into the discussion.
4. ​) Finally, the episode delves into the events of the Budapest Danube Shipping Conference, which explored the current challenges and opportunities of river tourism. Presentations at the event emphasized sustainability and digitalization solutions to address river tourism issues such as overtourism.

In the closing "colorful tidbits," listeners are introduced to the practice of Green Key certification through a fresh domestic example. The episode also takes listeners on a symbolic journey with the Voyager spacecraft, offering a unique Christmas gift to podcast followers. This special episode not only summarizes the events of the year but also provides a preview of future tourism trends and highlights key events in the early months of 2025. The latest episode of the Dunakavicsok podcast offers an exciting and insightfulglimpse into the future of tourism: the world of "new tourism." The original Hungarian version is here to find: https://www.good-deal.at/podcast40/