Summer success: Here are the most popular Hungarian destinations among foreign tourists

The 2024 summer season exceeded all expectations in Hungarian tourism, largely boosted by the increased number of foreign tourists. Between June and August, Hungary saw a 14 percent increase in the number of foreign visitors, with more than 3 million international tourists spending nearly 8 million nights in Hungarian accommodations.

As reported by Lelépő, more than 1.7 million tourists visited the Hungarian capital, Budapest, in the summer of 2024. To put this number into perspective: more than half of of all overnight stays booked by foreign tourists have been registered in Budapest which made the capital stand out not only in terms of the number of visitors but also in terms of total revenue. International visitors produced the overwhelming majority of hotel revenues: 90 percent, or almost HUF 103 billion (more than EUR 256 million).

Rural hotels and other accommodation providers also performed well, especially in spa towns and around Lake Balaton. 1.4 million foreign tourists visited Hungary outside the capital, generating nearly 4 million overnight stays and HUF 67 billion (almost EUR 167 million) of revenue, which is a 13 percent increase outside Budapest and 15 percent around Lake Balaton.

Most tourists came from Germany, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. The number of British and Slovakian tourists increased by 9 percent each compared to the previous year, while the number of Chinese visitors doubled in the same period.