In recent years, major sporting investments have been made, and in recognition of this, Hungarian venues have been awarded the right to host an increasing number of events.Continue reading
Tourism is incredibly strong in Budapest and generally in Hungary between August 19 and 27, expert Róbert Richárd Kiss told public television channel M1. He also pointed out that well over 300,000 guest-night bookings have already been made during this period, reports Hirado.hu.
In addition to the Hungarian national holiday of August 20th, the World Athletics Championships are further boosting tourism, he noted. These two events have brought an exceptional period to tourism, not only in 2023, but also compared to recent years.
In addition to celebrating August 20th in a beautiful way, Hungary has also become a major sports tourism power.
The National Athletics Center in Budapest, where the World Athletics Championships are being held. Photo: MTI/Máthé Zoltán
The latter is important, Róbert Richárd Kiss explained later on Kossuth Radio, because research shows that “sports tourists” spend more, and stay longer than the average tourist. They will continue to generate significant traffic in the coming years as well: either because they return, or because their social media activity increases the number of nights spent. It is also possible that what they see in the media makes foreigners want to discover Budapest and get to know Hungary.
Meanwhile, the World Athletics Championships are currently being held in the Hungarian capital between August 19 and 27. Almost 1 billion viewers will follow the sporting event, and this is also significant for the country’s image,
the tourism expert stated.
During the national holiday weekend, hotels were full, 70 percent of the guests in Budapest were foreigners, and service providers made a very substantial profit, generating tax revenues for the country, Kiss pointed out. Among the events of the weekend of August 20, he mentioned the air parade, the Festival of Crafts, and the Street of Hungarian Flavors, where both foreigners and locals came in large numbers.
Thanks to the professional organization of the event, there was a wide range of activities for everyone, whether they were tourists from home or abroad, young or old.
The expert highlighted the fireworks display on August 20, saying it “was both a reflection of our historical traditions and fun for all.”
Photo: MTI/Lakatos Péter
He added that the fact that such a mass event was held in Hungary without disruption and in a safe environment was of great importance for the country’s international and domestic image.
Featured photo via MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd