Barna-Botond Bíró, president of the Harghita County Council, participated in two thematic discussions

On Wednesday, July 23, Barna-Botond Bíró, President of the Harghita County Council, participated in thematic panel discussions on the opportunities of image building in Harghoita County and the community-building and region-shaping role of gastronomy, within the framework of the 34th Bálványos Summer Free University and Student Camp – where issues determining the future of the region were put on the agenda.

At the noon panel discussion titled “Can we sell Seklerland? – Is it possible to spend on a Sekler image in Romania today – and is there an audience for it?”, Attila Csibi, president of the RMDSZ in Mureș County, András Peti, director of Transilvania Airport, and Barna-Botond Bíró, President of the Harghita County Council, took part.

The discussion focused on what tools, actors and experience-based content can be used to consciously build the regional brand of Seklerland and make it attractive to both domestic and international audiences.

During the panel discussion, the participants agreed that building the tourism and economic brand of Seklerland can only be successful with a data-driven, targeted and experience-based approach. Strengthening the Sekler image requires more than traditional communication – it is necessary to know the needs of visitors precisely and reach them with modern tools, such as digital marketing and influencer relations.

Participants highlighted the importance of regional cooperation, the role of culinary experiences, and the importance of airports in increasing the competitiveness of the region.

The future of regional tourism is unimaginable without well-functioning airports – it was stated during the discussion. Representatives of the counties of Seklerland emphasized that the development of air transport is not the interest of a single county, but of the entire region. Târgu Mureș Airport plays a key role, but smaller, alternative airports may also gain increasing importance in serving business and quality tourism.

Regarding regional cooperation, Barna-Botond Bíró, President of the Harghita County Council, believes that common goals must be clarified precisely and unambiguously, and he is convinced that consensus is what strengthens joint work.

Taking into account the opportunities offered by tourism, he highlighted that Romania has excellent tourism assets – safety, value for money, and natural values – yet we are far behind other countries in the region in terms of infrastructure and central financing.

“We, in Harghita County have set ourselves the goal of rebuilding domestic tourism and presenting the values of Seklerland in a way that turns them into real experiences. We have launched a gastronomic revolution where not only restaurants are created, but culinary experiences – with chefs, concept and story.” As he said, the future of tourism lies in quality, positioning, and experience-based, authentic content.

Regarding the future of local self-governance, community advocacy, and the current political situation, the President of the Harghita County Council highlighted that in the coming years the focus will shift from building to defending.

“We must preserve what we have built together so far. We are not in Bucharest because it is easy, but because it is our duty to be where decisions are made, and to remain there as long as we have the opportunity to defend the rights and identity of our community.” According to him, we are currently living in a period when decisions are being made not only about resources but also about the institutional future of the Hungarian community in Transylvania, and in such situations one cannot stay on the outside – explained Barna-Botond Bíró, President of the Harghita County Council.

In the afternoon he continued his participation in the panel discussion titled “Gastronomy as a region-building force – the road from Harghita to Europe”, which focused on the gastronomic values of Transylvania and Seclerland, as well as the tourism and identity-shaping role of culinary heritage.

During the discussion, Károly Szabó, executive director of the Harghita Community Development Association, István Becze, president of the Association of Sekler Farmers’ Organizations, Szabolcs Fazakas, the creator of Mini Transylvania Park and Legendarium, and Mónika Kozma also shared their experiences.

The panel discussion mainly focused on gastronomy and on the title of European Region of Gastronomy 2027, whose aim is to unite and develop local gastronomic values and actors – restaurants, producers and communities.

During the discussion, Barna-Botond Bíró emphasized that the gastronomy year is not merely a title but a community project – its goal is to bring together and organize local values into a system.

“We do not want to be on the front line, but to support from the background those who have preserved the tastes of Seklerland for generations. This is an identity-strengthening initiative, not a political flag, but a driver pushing the cart of the local community,” emphasized Barna-Botond Bíró, President of the Harghita County Council.

Miercurea Ciuc, July 23, 2025.