Beyond the crisis, Hungarian hoteliers and restaurateurs are from here in Kanaán

By: Trademagazin Date: 2023. 09. 18. 12:01

Hungarian accommodation providers and caterers knew that the crisis caused by the pandemic and the price explosion was behind them, but the ideal situation was still far from being reached. Budapest soared this year, while the countryside had to endure the fact that Hungarians who were able to pay now went abroad during the season. The guests have returned, the industry is now concerned with the issues of the future: legislative changes, labor shortages, increasing efficiency, the application of new environmentally conscious solutions, and energy saving. These questions are also at the center of the ninth Hotel and Restaurant Professional Meeting (SzÉSzT).

The Hotel and Restaurant Professional Meeting (www.szeszt.hu) will be held for the ninth time at the end of September. The aim of the free professional event created by the cooperation of domestic businesses is to provide a space for representatives of the hotel and hospitality industry to obtain in-depth professional information, map out opportunities and exchange experiences.

László Kovács, president of the Hungarian Hospitality Industry Board and one of the speakers at the SzÉSzT, learns the lessons of the past year. As he says, in response to the double negative impact of Covid and the energy price explosion, 8 percent of catering establishments closed, and the number of employees in the sector decreased by around ten thousand. But towards the end of last year, the traffic started to increase unexpectedly, as a result of the taming of the epidemic, the demand for various corporate and private events increased rapidly – from October everyone wanted to meet everyone. As a result of the jump at the end of the year, last year’s full-year turnover was only 4 percent lower than in 2019 in terms of volume, and higher in value. And although all this was associated with a higher level of costs, the turnover reached far fewer stores and employees: the revenue per unit therefore increased. Although the volume has decreased this year, there is a noticeable decrease in demand, but it seems that the hospitality industry has overcome the crises, and instead of closings, cautious new openings are more typical.