Tourist Numbers Surpass 10 Million Before End of July

On July 23 this year, the number of visitors exceeded 10 million, with the tourism sector already handling more visitors than Hungary’s population, tourism agency Visit Hungary revealed.

They reported that last year, this milestone was reached later, on July 29, according to data from the National Tourism Data Supply Center (NTAK). All this clearly shows that the desire to travel remains strong, Hungary’s international appeal is growing, and our compatriots are also happy to vacation within the country, they noted.

The 10 million guests registered by NTAK were divided almost equally between domestic and international travelers, with an 11 percent increase in the number of foreigners being particularly notable.

Olivér Csendes, CEO of Visit Hungary, emphasized in the announcement that thanks to developments in recent years, the richness of guest experiences, the quality of services, and the diversity of offerings have reached a new level, and they are able to convey this message to an increasing number of guests. Visit Hungary’s international and domestic experience-based campaigns and new types of marketing activities also play an important role in this success, he said.

The largest number of international travelers came from Germany, followed by Romania, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Italy.

Budapest welcomed 39 percent of tourists, with 14 percent more visitors arriving in the capital this year than in the same period last year.

Boat on the Danube in Budapest, with Buda Castle in the background. Photo: Pixabay

In terms of growth in international visitor numbers, the capital is the domestic champion with a 15 percent increase.

Foreign visitors also enjoyed visiting rural areas, with Hévíz, Győr, Szeged, Siófok, and Sárvár being the most visited cities among them.

Thermal Lake of Hévíz. Photo: Pixabay

Most domestic visitors came from Budapest, Pest, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and Hajdú-Bihar counties. Their number one destination was Lake Balaton, followed by the Mátra-Bükk Mountains, the Budapest area, Debrecen and its surroundings, and the Tokaj and Nyíregyháza regions. Their favorite destinations were the towns on the shores of Lake Balaton and the spa towns, such as Hajdúszoboszló, Zalakaros, and Hévíz.

Festetics Castle in Keszthely, a town on the western shore of Lake Balaton. Photo: Pexels

Thanks to the continuing boom in tourism, the sector is performing exceptionally well again this year, with the number of visitors reaching a new milestone of 10 million in less than three months after reaching 5 million at the beginning of May.

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