Despite the increased prices, Hungarians are not giving up either domestic or foreign holidays.Continue reading
The peak season on the foreign holiday market starts this week with higher-than-expected bookings, and with the number of passengers exceeding the pre-pandemic peak. The top list of package holidays among Hungarians is led by destinations in Greece, Turkey, and Spain, Világgazdaság reports.
The pre-booking season has already produced very good figures, and the main season is about to start, also promising record numbers. As it turns out, Greece tops the popularity list among Hungarians, followed by Turkey. The only reason that the Turkish Riviera came in second place is that interest has slowed down after the earthquake in February, even though that region is also extremely popular with Hungarian travelers.
Balázs Bakó, spokesman of the Association of Hungarian Travel Agencies, told Világgazdaság that demand has been growing dynamically since last spring, and the pre-booking period has been boosted by special prices. After the end of the discounted pre-booking period at the end of March, there was a slight pause, but then the market picked up again.
Now, with the end of the school year approaching, the travel mood is back on track, with many people booking accommodation or even a complete package, and all high season charters starting this week.
However, those hunting for last minute deals may be disappointed, as they will need a lot of luck to find free places at Greek and Spanish holiday destinations, whether it is flights or accommodation.
Another special feature of this summer is that Hungarians are no longer looking for apartments, but for higher-end, four- to five-star hotels. Travelers are not abandoning their plans even with significantly increased prices, although those who took advantage of the pre-booking opportunities have fared significantly better, as they were able to book their trips at an average of 15 percent cheaper than those who are now starting to look around.
The picturesque island of Santorini is located about 200 km southeast from the Greek mainland. Photo: Pixabay
On the positive side, the Hungarian forint has recently strengthened significantly. The more favorable euro exchange rates mean that spending abroad – restaurant bills, optional programs – can now be less expensive using euros, and travelers may want to take advantage of this.
Travel to the Greek islands by plane to an apartment is now possible from HUF 200,000 (EUR 540) per person, but a package price is around HUF 300-350,000 (EUR 810-945), which includes the flight ticket with luggage, accommodation, and various services, a Hungarian-speaking guide, and transfers. In Greece, all-inclusive is less common and is more of a specialty of the Turks, where many new and high quality beach hotels offer all-inclusive holidays for HUF 400-500,000 (EUR 1,080-1,350).
Alanya is one of the most popular Turkish destination among Hungarians. Photo: Pixabay
Moreover, Turkish hotels typically provide everything you need for a beach holiday in one place, with almost no need to leave the hotel- a big favorite with families.
Neighboring Croatia is also deservedly popular among Hungarians, as it only takes three hours from the western part of Hungary for example, to get to the nearest beach by car.
Dubrovnik in southern Croatia. Photo: Pixabay
Last year was a record-breaking year, and based on this year’s pre-season traffic, the number of Hungarian guests at holiday resorts in Croatia will be record-breaking this year as well. However, travelers tend to organize their trips themselves, traveling and booking accommodation individually, which means that they do not use travel agencies for this destination.
Featured photo via Pixabay
