Tourism sector off to a good start this year

Following last year, when several tourism indicators hit new highs, this year also promises to be a record-breaking one in Hungary. Dynamic growth in the number of tourism nights by domestic guests continued in the first month of 2016. Arrivals by foreign guests have also picked up sharply after a slight drop at the end of the previous year: the number of international arrivals grew in eight out of the altogether nine Hungarian regions.

According to a report by the Hungarian Ministry for National Economy, the number of guests at accommodation establishments increased – even compared to a high base — by 6 percent in January 2016. Within that, the number of tourism nights by domestic and foreign guests rose by 6.1% and 5.8%, respectively, year-on-year.

In the observed period, the number of foreign guests increased by 7.9% (to 255,000), while the respective number of tourism nights at accommodation establishments edged up to 644,000.

Regarding Hungary’s traditional sender countries, the largest increases were registered from Central European countries. The 16% and 25% respective growth in the number of tourism nights by Austrians and Ukrainians was highly remarkable. Although the country is not in the top ten, the number of tourism nights by Chinese soared 143% year-on-year.

The number  of domestic guests increased by 7.8% and thus reached 285 thousand, while the respective number of tourism nights recorded growth of 6% (to 621,000).

The hotel room occupancy ratio improved by 0.9% to 39.1%. Gross revenues at accommodation establishments rose by 3.8%; to HUF 22bn. RevPAR has gained 1.4% over the past one year.