In the last days of the new year, tourism grew strongly, so the turnover of accommodation was at a higher level than previously expected: at Christmas by 21 percent and on New Year’s Eve by 20 percent, the number of guest nights at the accommodation exceeded the number of guest nights at the end of the previous year – announced the Hungarian Tourism Agency.
According to the Hungarian Tourism Agency data, many people, mainly from abroad, decided to welcome the New Year in Hungary even at the last minute, and the accommodation traffic related to foreign arrivals on New Year’s Eve exceeded the 2022 data by 27 percent.
Highlights: between December 24 and 26 last year, 130,000 guests spent a total of 243,000 guest nights in our country. International tourists spent 25 percent more nights and Hungarians 18 percent more nights away from home during this period, three-quarters of the latter staying in hotels. Thus, the incomes of the accommodation facilities also exceeded expectations, for example in rural areas they were able to increase their incomes by 23 percent. In the last days of the year, even more, 216,000 New Year’s revelers filled the accommodations, whose turnover during that time exceeded the previous year’s figures by 20 percent. Within this, domestic accommodation traffic increased by 15 percent and foreign accommodation by 27 percent compared to 2022.
According to the statement, the primary destination of Christmas revelers was the capital, where mainly Italian, Greek and German tourists celebrated, and Italians, as well as Germans and French, celebrated New Year’s Eve the most. During the holidays, the rural accommodations were populated by foreigners from Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany, but from the New Year, most Romanians, Czechs, and Austrians said goodbye outside of Budapest in Hungary.
The Hungarian Tourism Agency was also informed that, based on mobile cell data, Christmas markets are a clear motivation for travel. For example, the number of visitors to Vörösmarty tér in Budapest and its surroundings jumped by 32 percent compared to the previous year during the festive period. In 2023, two and a half times more British tourists came to see the Christmas markets than in 2022.
In the countryside, Lake Balaton, Mátra-Bükk, Debrecen and its surroundings, and Bük-Sárvár were the most visited, both at Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
The fifth most sought-after destination at Christmas was Szeged and its surroundings, while Tokaj and Nyíregyháza were at New Year’s. Among the settlements, spa towns stood out: apart from Budapest, Hévíz, Hajdúszoboszló, Zalakaros, Bük, Sárvár and Eger were the most popular, the Hungarian Tourism Agency announced.
(MTI)
Photo: Főnix Rendezvényszervező Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft.
