Tamás Flesch: autumn can still bring a boost in tourism

By: Trademagazin Date: 2023. 09. 11. 09:50

The tourism data for July may initially seem concerning, with a decrease in the number of domestic guest nights compared to the previous year. However, Flesch Tamás, President of the Hungarian Hotels and Restaurants Association, offers an optimistic perspective. He believes that seaside vacations were the primary attraction for domestic tourism, but foreign visitors helped offset the slight decline in domestic tourism.

While the July data does show a reduction in domestic guest nights compared to the previous year, Flesch Tamás points out that foreign visitors played an important role in balancing this decrease. He emphasizes that seaside vacations were the main draw for domestic tourism, with many people choosing to travel to the coast. Despite this, Balaton hotels were still fully booked on weekends, indicating that the situation might not be as dire as it initially appears.

According to Tamás, autumn is the season for events and conferences in the hotel industry, which will bring substantial additional revenue. Additionally, the recent allowance of using fringe benefits on the SZÉP card for cold groceries has not caused significant issues. Furthermore, with a decrease in inflation, more money may remain in people’s pockets, which could potentially be spent on leisure activities later in the year.