Tourism is one of the most successful areas of Hungarian-Chinese cooperation.Continue reading
With a fleet of 950 aircraft, China Southern Airlines carried 142 million passengers last year, and will start flying to Budapest four times a week from the end of June, writes Turizmus.com.
The airline with the most passengers in Asia made its debut in Budapest. Attila Tóth, Director of Aviareps, the carrier’s domestic representative, pointed out that it is a four-star Skytrax-rated (airline and airport star rating program) airline, that
in addition to offering 630 routes and 167 destinations within China, connects 71 destinations worldwide through its network of 146 routes.
Photo via Facebook/China Southern Airlines
The airline has two hubs, one in Guangzhou, one of the most economically developed regions in China, in the Gulf region. The other is at the new Beijing Daxing International Airport.
Beijing. Photo via Pixabay
China Southern Airlines flies to seven cities in Europe, with a particularly rich network in East and Southeast Asia, offering connections to Vietnam, Bangkok, Seoul, Japan, and many cities in the Philippines from both hubs. Additionally, there are flights to major cities in Oceania, Australia, and New Zealand: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Auckland.
They also have flights to the Americas, with a codeshare agreement with American Airlines, also a shareholder in the Chinese airline.
Tóth pointed out that since no visa is required for Hungarian passengers to China, it is worthwhile to visit Guangzhou.
Furthermore, transfers in Guangzhou can also benefit those who wish to reach their destination in Asia by first flying a longer distance, and then taking a shorter two to three hour trip.
To Budapest, the airline plans to operate modern Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with three classes on board.
Business class and premium economy have 28 seats each, while economy class seats 220 passengers.
The flight departs from Guangzhou at 12:50 a.m. and arrives in Budapest at 7:20 a.m., returning at 1 p.m. and arriving in China at 5:50 a.m. the next morning. Western and Chinese food is served on board, and 22 special diets can be ordered in advance.
As Hungary Today reported earlier, the number of tourists from South Korea and China quadrupled in 2023, compared to 2022. Tourists from distant countries are more interested than average in sightseeing, gastronomy, spas, and culture, and several of them are visiting Hungary’s attractions in the countryside. From South Korea, the 25-44 age group accounted for 52 percent of visitors, and the same age group from China accounted for 63 percent of tourists. Many visitors from South Korea come for business or even to work or study, and from China, millions can be attracted by a TV show. A good example is the Chinese reality show Chinese Restaurant, filmed in Budapest last year between June and July. The first episode was watched by more than 160 million people in the first week of its launch.
Via Turizmus.com; Featured image via Wikipedia
