On Wednesday, February 25, 2026, in the early evening, the first Tourism Club of the spring semester at Széchenyi István University kicked off with great interest at the Management Campus building. It was a special joy and pride to see that, in addition to Hungarian students, a significant number of international students also participated in the interactive event, which was held in English. This excellently reflects the international appeal of both the university and the program.
The event marks a tremendously important milestone in the life of the program, as the organization of the club has officially returned from the department to the hands of the students. Although the program series is primarily organized with a focus on tourism and hospitality students from the Kautz Gyula Faculty of Economics, the new organizing team emphasizes that all university citizens and interested parties are welcome with open doors and exciting topics. The evening was opened by Dr. Viktória Kundi, Head of Department, who introduced the event, followed by the new student organizing team who presented themselves and outlined the goals for the evening and the semester.
The invited guest for the semester-opening occasion was Dr. Tamara Rátz, a renowned tourism expert, university lecturer, and experienced tour guide. The title of her presentation – “Guiding the New Generations of Tourists: Opportunity or Crisis for Responsible Tourism?” – served as an excellent discussion starter in itself. During the presentation, the speaker brilliantly combined theoretical knowledge with real-world experiences gained in the field.
Dr. Tamara Rátz shared many personal experiences with the audience, through which students could experience the beauties and challenges of the profession firsthand. Participants gained fascinating insights into the growing role of pop culture and films in tour guiding, and learned about the cultural diversity of different countries through colorful stories. Undoubtedly, one of the most exciting parts for the audience was when the speaker talked about the short but all the more special period when she taught in North Korea. These rare and unique experiences provided invaluable, practical knowledge for everyone present.
We are grateful to Dr. Tamara Rátz for the extremely informative and inspiring presentation, and to the participants for their active presence! After a successful start to the semester, the student team is eagerly preparing for the continuation. We hope that even more people will join us at the next Tourism Club event to collectively build this fantastic professional community.
