Record Number of Hungarians Set to Travel – Foreign Holidays on the Rise

Budapest Airport’s summer schedule includes a record 136 direct destinations. Most vacations are scheduled for July and August, and 20% of travelers plan to go on holiday at least twice during the year.

Travel costs: from HUF 300,000 to over a million

Surveys by Groupama–OTP and MBH Bank show that the average cost of a foreign holiday ranges from HUF 575,000 to HUF 760,000. Prices have increased by 5–10% since last year. Most people rely on savings, but summer also brings a surge in personal loans: in July 2024 alone, nearly 31,000 personal loan contracts were signed – a yearly record.

Card is king

Card payments continue to grow: in summer 2024, Hungarian bank card spending abroad totaled HUF 232.7 billion, accounting for 40% of total seasonal spending. In 2025, this may rise to HUF 260 billion.

Travel insurance: still too many risk-takers

Despite growing awareness, only 40% of Hungarian travelers aged 18–69 regularly purchase travel insurance. Yet the risks are high: a single accident in the U.S. can cost up to HUF 70–80 million. Meanwhile, the average cost of travel insurance is just HUF 8,000.

Experts emphasize that travel insurance is no longer a luxury but a crucial part of responsible travel – especially given aging cars and soaring healthcare costs abroad.