Márton Nagy: Hungarian tourism has made history again

By: Trademagazin Date: 2026. 02. 03. 10:47

🎧 Hallgasd a cikket: Nyelv: Sebesség: 1.05×

Hungarian tourism has made history again. The Ministry of National Economy contributed to the top-notch result in 2025 with numerous targeted measures, which clearly demonstrates the sector’s continued distinguished role in the economy, the Minister of National Economy said in a statement to turizmus.com magazine.

Márton Nagy told the newspaper that last year, tourism was “one of the most important driving forces” of the economy, accounting for more than 14 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). The sector “made history” in 2024 with 18.2 million tourists arriving in Hungary, but last year it reached the peak of two years ago in just 11 months, he added.

He acknowledged that between January and December last year, tourist traffic exceeded the record year of 2024 by 8 percent and revenues also “showed a marked increase.” The gross revenue of accommodation facilities exceeded the previous peak year by 12 percent, while that of catering establishments exceeded the previous peak year by 9 percent.

According to Márton Nagy, the success of tourism is “the guarantee of the livelihood of 400,000 families through businesses operating in the sector.” He called the sector one of the most important employers in the Hungarian countryside, whose spillover effects on other sectors also strengthen local economies.

– he added.

The minister, referring to the Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport, explained that while the annual number of passengers was 17.6 million in 2024, the airport’s traffic reached 19 million passengers at the beginning of December last year. In the interview, he called it one of the biggest successes of the past year that Hungary has built new, direct air bridges with “important, distant sending countries”.

Márton Nagy also said that American Airlines will restart its direct Budapest-Philadelphia flight in the summer schedule, but last year the government also announced the restart of the direct Air Canada flight to Toronto this year. He added that China Airlines announced in December that it would operate six flights a week between Budapest and Beijing from spring instead of the previous four, making the Hungarian capital the fourth in the European Union (EU) to provide daily air connections between the two countries.

Regarding the expansion of the airport, Márton Nagy said, among other things, that government infrastructure developments worth a total of about 1,000 billion forints will also start this year at Ferihegy. He predicted the groundbreaking of Terminal 3 to take place around February-March and said, “if everything goes well, in the medium term Budapest Airport will be able to provide high-quality service to up to 40 million passengers a year“.

Regarding the support for tourism businesses, the minister said that the government had helped them with targeted measures. Summing up the financial support, he added that thanks to the Kisfaludy Tourism Development Program announced in 2017, more than 21 thousand developments received a total of approximately 405 billion forints in support by October 2025.

Márton Nagy also mentioned in the interview that the government did not only financially support businesses with the 2024 package consisting of 16 measures to improve the competitiveness of tourism and reduce bureaucracy. Among other things, they ensured that tips were tax-free, service fees were maximized, and the administrative burden on businesses was reduced by shaping the legal environment, he said.

The minister also called the Osaka World Expo important from a tourism perspective, in addition to the launch of the Kisfaludy Tourism Credit Center. According to his statement, at the Japanese World Expo, more than “one million visitors were enchanted by the Hungarian pavilion“, and in half a year, almost 70 cultural programs, more than 80 business and professional events were organized, and some 2,250 protocol guests were received.