"In Budapest, everyone stays longer than planned: the Romans 400 years, Ottomans 150, and Soviets 45 years. You receive an extra night for free"

This is the slogan of the Budapest Winter Invasion campaign designed to boost off-season traffic in the Hungarian capital.

Tourists booking at least three nights in the participating hotels between 1 December and 31 March receive an extra night free, so they can explore the city's attractions better. The campaign is focusing on entertainment and culture, as there are lots of concerts, exhibitions, theatre and opera performances in Budapest during the winter.

The Budapest Winter Invasion is the joint initiative of the Hungarian National Tourist Office, Budapest Tourism Office, Malév and Budapest Airport, along with participating hotels (so far 32 3-5-star hotels have joined the promotion), who have already raised EUR 80,000 and the HNTO is adding the same amount to the scheme. The campaign will start at the end of August in Berlin.

This is not the first time that service suppliers have joined forces in the promotion of Hungary. In May 2005, the HNTO, the Budapest Tourism Office, Malév and Budapest Airport teamed up to launch the "Talent for entertaining" campaign in 15 European cities.

Source: Hungarian Travel and Tourism Headlines