Hungary Registers Strong Tourism Growth in February

Some 74% of tourism nights were at commercial accommodation establishments, where turnover was 18% higher than a year earlier. Private and other accommodation establishments registered 21% more tourism nights than a year earlier.

The number of domestic tourist arrivals increased by 16% and that of domestic tourism nights by 14% compared to the same month of the previous year. Tourist arrivals numbered 455,000 and the tourism nights spent 1 million at tourist accommodation establishments, within which commercial accommodation establishments registered 360,000 tourist arrivals and 798,000 tourism nights. About 82% of the latter were spent at hotels, where the number of tourism nights was 22% higher than a year earlier.

The number of domestic tourism nights spent at private or other accommodation establishments was up by 9.1% compared to February 2023. The number of nights spent by domestic guests in the Bük–Sárvár tourist regions increased by 26%, while in the Tokaj and Nyíregyháza region it decreased by 2% compared to the previous year. The number of nights spent by domestic guests in tourist accommodation increased by 25% in the Balaton region and by 9.9% in Budapest.

Increase in International Arrivals Drives Growth

The number of international tourist arrivals and international tourism nights increased by 30% and 24% respectively compared to the same month of the previous year. The 428,000 guests having arrived at tourist accommodation establishments spent 1.2 million tourism nights there, of which commercial accommodation establishments registered 319,000 guests and 835,000 tourism nights, respectively. Approximately 85% of the latter were spent at hotels, where the number of tourism nights was 24% higher than a year earlier. The number of international tourism nights spent at private or other accommodation establishments grew by 30% compared to February 2023.

The number of tourism nights by international guests increased in all tourism regions compared to the previous year, with the largest increases in Debrecen, and in the Tokaj and Nyíregyháza region, by 63% and 55% respectively. The number of nights spent by international visitors in tourist accommodation increased by 26% in Budapest and by 9.3% in Lake Balaton.

A total of 16,660 tourist accommodation establishments, within which 1,986 commercial and 14,674 private or other accommodation establishments welcomed guests, KSH noted.

Of commercial accommodation establishments, 868 hotels and 851 boarding houses were open for part or all of February.

The total gross sales revenues of commercial accommodation establishments amounted to HUF 35.7 billion, which was 21% higher at current prices than a year earlier.

Széchenyi Recreation Card was used by cardholders to spend HUF 1.9 bln, 7.6% more at current prices, at commercial accommodation establishments compared to the same month of the previous year.

Strong Start to 2024

In January-February 2024, tourist accommodation establishments registered a total of 4.3 million tourism nights, up 15% compared to the same period last year.

Domestic guests and international guests spent 11% and 18% more tourism nights respectively (2 million and 2.3 million) in tourist accommodation establishments.