2024 to Be a Record Year in Hungarian Tourism

In the first three months of the year, 7.1 million overnight stays were registered, up 14% on the same quarter last year, writes Turizmus.com. According to the National Tourism Data Supply Center, all tourist regions besides Budapest saw a significant increase in hotel turnover.

The tourism sector recorded particularly strong quarterly results, according to the National Tourism Data Supply Center (NTAK). In addition to the number of overnight stays, the number of guests also increased significantly. Between January and March, a total of 2.9 million guests stayed in Hungarian accommodation establishments. This is 18% higher than in the first three months of 2023. Over half of these guests were domestic travelers, meaning that more than 1.5 million Hungarian citizens went on holiday in the first three months of the year.

According to the Hungarian Tourism Agency (MTÜ), 72% of the overnight stays were by domestic tourists.

The number of foreign guests grew by almost a quarter compared to the previous year, accounting for almost half of the turnover of accommodation establishments.

By March, 1.4 million foreigners had spent 3.7 million nights in Hungary. 317,000 tourists came from Germany, nearly 300,000 from the UK, and 276,000 from Italy in the same period.

Overall, all national quarterly accommodation indicators exceeded the 2019 figures. Between January and March, 1.2 million guests arrived in Budapest, 23% more than in the same period in 2023. The number of guest nights in the capital was three million, 14% higher than in 2019. A significant share of guests were foreigners in Budapest.

In the Hungarian countryside, 1.7 million guests booked accommodation, up about 15% from a year earlier. The number of guest nights increased by 13% compared to the same period last year.

Nearly half of the regions saw double-digit growth.

The most popular region in terms of accommodation turnover in the first quarter was Lake Balaton with 877,000 nights, followed by Mátra-Bükk in northern Hungary (463,000) and the Budapest area (450,000). However, Sopron-Fertő in northwestern Hungary (32%), Debrecen and its region  in eastern Hungary (30%), and Bük-Sárvár in western Hungary (28%) recorded the highest growth rates, significantly above the national average, while accommodation in Lake Balaton also saw a turnover increase of almost 20%.

The most popular settlements after the capital were spa towns Hévíz (near the western shore of Lake Balaton), Hajdúszoboszló (eastern Hungary), Bük, Zalakaros, and Sárvár (all three in western Hungary).

Across the country, 60% of travelers chose hotels, while 27% chose private and other accommodation. In rural areas, however, the share of hotels was higher at 63%.

According to NTAK data, hotels recorded total revenues of nearly HUF 160 billion (EUR 412 million), up 17% compared to the first quarter of 2023. Guests spent HUF 404 billion (EUR 1 billion) at restaurants, up 13% compared to last year.

Via Turizmus.com; Featured image via Facebook/Magyar Turisztikai Ügynökség