BUDAPEST, July 4 -- A Europe-China tourism dialogue opened in Budapest on Thursday, aiming to speed up the recovery of tourism between the two sides.

"We will discuss and examine many international practices that go beyond marketing tools, including digital technologies and other tools that can accelerate this tourism recovery," Konnyid Laszlo, head of Hungary's National Tourism Agency, said in his opening remarks.

The event, co-hosted by Hungary's Ministry of National Economy, the China-based World Tourism Alliance (WTA), and the European Travel Commission (ETC), focuses on the theme "tourism connects China and Europe for a better future."

Over 200 representatives from the European and Chinese tourism industries are present at the dialogue. They will jointly explore ways to attract tourists and speed up growth following last year's reopening of the tourism market, Konnyid said.

Last year, more than 110,000 Chinese travelers spent over 305,000 nights in Hungary, a "spectacular increase" compared to the previous year, he noted. Hungary assumed the presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1.

ETC's President Miguel Sanz emphasized the significance of the Chinese market and advocated for enhancing tourism ties between Europe and China.

Gong Tao, Chinese ambassador to Hungary, said that participants in the dialogue will jointly explore ways and practices for the sustainable development of the China-Europe tourism industry. "It will surely play a positive role in promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and Hungarian peoples and create more opportunities for China-Europe tourism cooperation." The dialogue is scheduled for July 3-5.