Last year's drought was very harmful to the Hungarian lakes, but this year seems to have different prospects.Continue reading
In addition to the almost year-round operation of spas, beaches across the country are gradually opening for the start of the holiday season, with two-thirds offering a better quality guest experience thanks to the improvements in recent years, the Hungarian Tourism Agency said on Thursday.
In recent years, beaches in Hungary have been significantly improved, with family-friendly and barrier-free services and a wide range of sports and leisure facilities. According to the agency, the government has made it possible to renew 140 open-air bathing areas in 73 municipalities across the country with domestic funding.
At Lake Balaton alone, vacationers can choose from more than 100 beaches, almost two thirds of which, in terms of their coastal length, are completely free of charge.
Photo: Facebook/LikeBalaton
The importance of spas for tourism is illustrated by the fact that almost one third of Hungary’s rural tourism is generated in the major spa towns. In terms of guest nights, eight of the top ten most popular rural settlements are spa towns, and the remaining two are on the shores of Lake Balaton.
Szabolcs Juhász, Director of Tourism, said the agency is supporting a summer campaign to boost traffic by promoting service providers’ offers, so that the waterfront settlements and spa towns can have a strong peak season.
In Hungary and in the most promising countries of origin for foreign guests, tourists are encouraged to recharge their batteries on the waterfront in summer, with attention being drawn to the regions of Bük-Sárvár in western Hungary, and Debrecen and its surroundings in the east. There is also Tokaj and Nyíregyháza in eastern Hungary, Győr-Pannonhalma in the west, Gyula and its surroundings in southern Hungary, and the Mátra-Bükk mountain region in the north.
Photo: Facebook/Gyulai Várfürdő
According to accommodation data from the National Tourism Data Center,
70 percent of demand in terms of guest nights last year was linked to settlements outside the capital where there is a popular spa.
Moreover, the spa experience is a major driver not only for domestic tourists, but for foreign visitors as well.
Featured photo via Pixabay