The accommodation rating system has been renewed

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 04. 02. 10:15

While Hungarian tourism is setting unprecedented records, the accommodation rating system is on a new footing: the government decree that came into effect in March simplified the procedure, maintained the fee-free rate, and placed the rating within a more transparent, objective framework. We spoke to Zsófia Liziczayné Kovács, CEO of the Hungarian Tourism Quality Certification Board, about the changes, Turizmus.com points out.

Flourishing tourism, strengthened regulation

The timing of the new regulation, which is considered an improvement, is no coincidence: in 2023, more than 18 million tourists arrived in Hungary, which represented an 11% increase compared to the previous year, and a further 16% increase was registered at the beginning of 2024. Budapest performed particularly strongly: the number of people arriving in the capital increased by 23% in 2023, and in the first two months of this year they also experienced a further 26% jump.

The steadily increasing number of guests is drawing more and more attention to the quality of services – the classification of accommodation facilities helps tourists to find their way around this, and gives service providers the opportunity to operate legally and competitively.

Clear regulation, on a professional basis

The previously criticized system has now taken the form of a government decree. According to Liziczayné, raising the regulation to a legal level ensures transparency, objectivity and professional credibility: “We developed the accommodation facility classification system in cooperation with professional organizations. Since the rules apply to all service providers, it is justified to enshrine them in law – this strengthens trust for both guests and accommodation providers.”

The system also aims to whiten the sector: to filter out unlicensed, illegal service providers and to promote law-abiding operations, which ultimately contributes to increasing state revenues.