Tourism Grows but Still Down on Pre-pandemic Base

The number of tourism nights grew five-and-a-half-fold compared to January 2021 in Hungary but decreased by 38% compared to the same month of 2019, the Central Statistical Office reports.

The number of nights spent by domestic guests at commercial accommodation establishments (hotels, boarding houses, camping sites, bungalow complexes and community hostels) increased – mainly due to the low base caused by the introduction of pandemic restrictions – nearly four-and-a-half-fold in January 2022 compared to the same month of 2021, however, it was 32% below the January 2019 figure, preceding the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the number of nights spent by foreign guests rose seven-and-a-half-fold, it was 43% less than in the same period of 2019.

In January 2022, compared to same month of previous year:

The number of domestic tourist arrivals grew more than six-fold and that of tourism nights nearly four-and-a-half-fold. The former was 225,000 and the latter 504,000. 80% of the nights were spent at hotels, their number rising about five-and-a-half-fold compared to a year earlier. Turnover in boarding houses and community hostels nearly doubled compared to January last year. The most popular tourist region was the Budapest-Central Danube Region, where slightly more than a fifth of domestic tourism nights were recorded.

The number of international tourist arrivals at accommodation establishments rose nearly nine-and-a-half-fold, to 170,000, and that of international tourism nights more than seven-and-a-half-fold, to a total 447,000. 87% of tourism nights were spent at hotels, which was a nearly eight-and-a-half-fold growth compared to January 2021. The most popular tourism region was the Budapest – Central Danube Region, where nearly two thirds of international tourism nights were registered.