"If the price cap does not stay, the price of cooking oil will at least double, and this will have to be included in the price of, for example, lángos," said a restaurant owner in Fonyód.Continue reading
In the last two years, the local authorities of the cities around Lake Balaton or the operators could not increase the prices of beach tickets due to the Corona epidemic, so this year they are forced to do so. There are places where visitors have to pay even 25 percent more entry fees this season than a year ago, writes business portal Pénzcentrum. According to law, the beaches can still be used at last year’s prices until June 30, 2022.
This article was originally published on our sister-site, Ungarn Heute.
Now not only does the calendar indicate that the beaches of Lake Balaton can finally open, but the real summer weather has also arrived in mid-May. In this regard, the portal has contacted several beaches on Lake Balaton to find out to what extent they want to change the prices that have been frozen for almost two years. It turned out that in some places, drastic increases are planned.
The Pénzcentrum portal points out in its article that in 2020, the first year of the epidemic, municipalities increased adult ticket prices by 60 percent in some places, as the restrictions imposed by the epidemic reduced the expected traffic on all beaches, while the additional workload and overhead costs increased significantly.
Last year, however, an earlier government decree banned the ability to raise ticket prices for beaches as well. According to the portal, many places already wanted to raise the fees last year due to rising costs, but they were prohibited by law.
Siófok
All three beaches in Siófok (Nagystrand, Újhelyi, Sóstó) are scheduled to open on May 15, 2022. From Friday, June 3, 2022, Nagystrand and Sóstó beaches will be open to the public. Also, due to the central emergency regulations, the entrance fees have not changed in the last years, and according to the legal regulations, the beaches in Siófok can be used at last year’s prices until June 30, 2022. After that, the city will introduce the new, increased tariffs from July 1, 2022. Details are not yet known.
Balatonakali
The beach “Mandulavirág” in Balatonakali will be opened on June 17 at the same prices as last year, i.e. the prices of the previous season. If the legal situation allows it, an increase of 25% on average is planned from July 1. As those running the beach told the newspaper, this would come at the right time, as they would start the third season with the same prices. However, in recent years there have been some renovations and developments.
Balatonfüred
Due to higher legal regulations, it is not possible to increase the prices of beach tickets at Esterházy and Kisfaludy beaches until June 30, 2022, and there is no information yet about how the prices will develop after that. There have been several developments at these beaches this year. Esterházy Beach was upgraded with a barrier-free, family-friendly restroom, a partial stairway construction, and an improvement of the green areas: a new promenade section was created, and the lawn, sprinkler system, and lighting were renewed.
In Alsóörs, the municipality has not yet decided on concrete tariffs but is planning a price increase due to the significant increase in costs. In Révfülöp there will also be a price increase from July 1, but this has not yet been confirmed by the mayor’s office. In Balatonalmádi, tickets will be available for 1,000 HUF (2.62 euros) until June 30 and for 1,500 HUF (3.93 euros) from July 1.
Not only have the prices of tickets for the beaches increased significantly, but also the buffets and restaurants at Lake Balaton have become more expensive.
Featured image via Zoltán Balogh/MTI
