Hungary tourism sector on the upturn, minister says

The number of tourists who stayed at accommodations in Hungary was close to 7 million in June-August, up 9pc from the same period a year earlier, Nagy said. The number of guest nights rose 3pc to almost 18 million during the period, he added.

Passenger numbers at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International reached 11.5 million by the end of August and could come to 17.5 million by year-end, beating the record number in 2019 by over 1 million, he said. Cargo volume at the airport could reach 270 million tonnes by year-end, boosted in part by Hungarians’ online purchases, he added.

Nagy said German tourists still accounted for the largest group of foreign visitors to Hungary, but added that the number of Chinese tourists was on the rise. The number of Chinese visitors to Hungary in January-August outpaced the number for all of last year, he said. More big-spending American tourists are also important for the tourism sector, he added.

He said the occupancy rate at hotels in Budapest was over 75pc, but saw room for the construction of more 3- and 4-star hotels.

Hungarians who travelled abroad over the summer picked destinations in Croatia most often, followed by ones in Germany and France, he said. Hungarians’ spending abroad climbed 27pc from a year earlier, he added.

He said a programme was being shaped to support catering establishments around Lake Balaton that stay open on weekends during the autumn and winter in an effort to extend the holiday season around the lake. He added that a year-round tourism season at Lake Balaton was a “realistic goal”.

Fielding questions on a recent referendum to ban short-term rentals in one of the capital’s central districts, Nagy said the matter of homestays was a residential property issue, not one involving tourism. He added that he would make a recommendation to the government on how to regulate short-term rentals in Budapest and nationwide.

Asked whether he would rather take the post of central bank governor or head an economic superministry if the cabinet was restructured, Nagy said he would accept whatever the prime minister decided.

Touching on wages, he said the minimum wage would climb by 40pc within three years to HUF 377,000 per month.