Dozens of foreign influencers visited the capital of Hungary in May 2024, as part of the “Budapest Influencer Trip”, an event associated with the daughter of the former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Ráhel.
The total cost of the project amounted to 3.18 billion forints (approximately 8.7 million euros), of which 1.48 billion forints were spent on media acquisitions on influencers’ platforms.
According to Nepszava.hu, the money came from public funds, through the Hungarian Tourism Agency (MTÜ). The project was carried out through Visit Hungary, a structure under the MTÜ, and a significant part of the work was outsourced through framework contracts resulting from public procurement.
The 444 website reports that the companies New Land Media Kft. and Media Dynamics Kft., associated with businessman Balásy Gyula, organized the influencers’ journey and the international image campaign.
In total, 51 influencers from various countries were invited, with a schedule and accommodation at exclusive hotels and locations in Budapest.
Within the program, influencers had to post photos, videos, and stories on social networks.
However, some have not fully fulfilled their obligations. In some posts, they didn’t even mention the city or Hungary. One of the most well-known participants, Haley Kalil, for example, indicated Prague as the location in one of her videos.
Although the guest list was not made public, social media posts reveal that among the participants were David Dobrik, a Slovakian-origin youtuber followed by tens of millions of people, Tommy Fury, a British boxer and reality show star, as well as influencer Olivia Palermo.
MTÜ has evaluated the “Budapest Influencer Trip” as a success, asserting that the influencers’ materials reached 300 million people from 150 countries.
The Agency also reported an increase in the number of nights booked by international tourists, by 39%, and by 64% in the 15 countries with the most followers of the participating influencers.
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