Budapest cannot retain the premium traveler – Interview with Zoltán Holczinger on the challenges of Hungarian aviation and tourism

“Budapest lies in the heart of Europe, it’s beautiful and easy to reach—yet it still fails to retain premium travelers for longer stays,” says Zoltán Holczinger, member of the Aviation Committee of the Hungarian Association of Travel Agencies and Head of Online Sales at Weco-Travel, in an interview with Pénzcentrum. We spoke with him about the challenges of domestic tourism, the airline market, the absence of a national carrier, and the human side of digitalization.

“I was the second-to-last person hired by Malév”

Zoltán Holczinger began his career at the airport, then joined Malév just months before its shutdown. “I joined on December 1 and stayed until February 3. My job was to handle contracts with ground service providers,” he recalls.

While many hoped a new national airline would rise from the ashes—as happened in Switzerland or Italy—that never materialized in Hungary. “The repayment of EU subsidies and legal action from a still-popular low-cost carrier sealed Malév’s fate,” says Holczinger.

“It’s unhealthy for low-cost airlines to dominate two-thirds of the market”

Today, Hungary’s aviation market is overwhelmingly dominated by low-cost carriers. While these airlines are efficient and punctual, Holczinger argues that long-term market competitiveness suffers.

“In Poland, the national carrier LOT generates real competition, forcing others to offer better conditions. In contrast, in Hungary, the low-cost giants dominate, even in the business travel segment—morning departures and evening returns are ideal for many clients. Despite the media’s focus on delays, most flights operate on time.”

Digitalization is great, but human support still matters

Weco-Travel, which also operates repjegy.hu, has seen traffic grow by 20–25% this year—outpacing the 15% growth at Budapest Airport. Alongside digital growth, Holczinger emphasizes the importance of human interaction.

“Many customers choose us because they’re overwhelmed by the 8–12 steps on airline websites. Our customer service adds real value—even if that comes with high labor costs.”

“It’s often low prices, not real need, that drive travel”

According to Holczinger, Europeans often travel not out of necessity, but because of cheap fares. “Getting to Prague by car takes as long as flying—yet flights are packed because of low promotional prices.”

Much of the tourist traffic is driven by Asian and American travelers, many of whom explore the Vienna–Prague–Budapest triangle. Chinese tourists, in particular, are key: they not only spend a lot but also view European luxury goods as status symbols back home.

What keeps them here is still missing

Premium tourists often stay only two or three days in Budapest before moving on. “There are few exclusive brands and not enough compelling local experiences. Five-star hotels in Budapest frequently complain that the city lacks high-quality offerings that would make guests stay longer.”

The countryside offers even fewer options: while there are quality wineries, they don’t yet meet international luxury standards. Holczinger believes wine tourism could be a breakout area, but it needs major infrastructure upgrades.

Vienna knows something we don’t

Compared to Austria, Budapest lags behind—not just in retail or luxury brand presence, but also in the quality of experiences. “Visitors can easily spend multiple days in Vienna thanks to its cultural and retail offerings. We could move in that direction too, but it would require coordinated development from the state, service providers, and all players in the tourism industry.”