Born in Újpest in 1925 Lajos Thuróczi’s life was interwoven with Hungarian tourism. At nine he joined the Rákospalota Saint Ladislaus Scout troop. This sparked a lifelong love for nature. He became a scout troop leader at just 21.
After the 1948 abolition of scouting his friend Dr Vizkelety László invited him to join the Budapest Lokomotív Sport Club’s nature-hiking section. Thuróczi enthusiastically accepted. They engaged in caving hiking cycling and water tourism. They also participated in orienteering then called nature-hiking field competitions.
Thuróczi himself was an orienteer. He was a member of the first Hungarian champion orienteering team. In 1950 he won the first orienteering competition held in Hungary. In 1951 his team placed second. The following year he became individual orienteering champion at the first Hungarian national competition. For four years starting in 1950 he coached for the Budapest Lokomotív.
In 1952 he participated in organizing the Railway Tourist Nature Hiking Social Committee. He worked in the Budapest Tourist Association. From 1954 he was on the board of the National Tourist Association. He played a large role in organizing domestic and international tourist meetings and summer camp opportunities. A major achievement was developing the Hungarian Nature Friends Association’s guide training and quality assurance system. He also edited the first guidebook for the National Blue Trail in 1964.
From 1958 to 1987 he served as secretary of the Hungarian Nature Friends Association. After 1987 he became vice president. In 1991 he became president. He once said 1958 was when he became a professional tourist. He didn’t go hiking where he wanted but where he needed to serve the public interest. He worked day and night on fifteen committees. His every step aimed to rebuild domestic tourism. He built upon old traditions and new foundations. He used skills learned in scouting organization communication compromise and leadership. Most importantly he respected everyone.
After his active career he became an honorary member of the Hungarian Nature Hiking Association. He assisted the Hungarian Olympic and Sports Museum’s Tourist Museum. He loaned many relics for our tourist history exhibition. Lajos Thuróczi passed away on December 14 2021 after a short illness. His rich life laid a cornerstone for Hungarian tourism. His legacy lives on.