Room occupancy rate slightly decreased

In January-November 2008, – compared with the same period of 2007 – public accommodation establishments showed a 1% decrease in the number of tourist nights spent by international and domestic guests.

Accommodation establishments showed a
half percent decrease in revenue at current prices. By the end of November 2008, 3.300
million foreign guests spent 9.479 million nights in public accommodation establishments, the
number of arrivals increased by 1%, while the number of tourism
nights decreased by 2% compared with the same period a year earlier.
Out of the six major source countries, fewer visitors came from
Germany, Austria, the United States of America and Italy while there
was a significant increase in arrivals from the United Kingdom and
Romania. There was a considerable increase in the number of visitors
from the Czech Republic, Norway, Russia and Poland and a steady
decrease in the number of visitors from France and Spain. In hotels
accounting for 80% of international arrivals, regarding tourism
nights, occupancy rates stagnated in three and five star categories and
decreased in all of the remaining categories.
In the observed period, public
accommodation establishments registered 3.853 million domestic guests
and 9.365 million domestic tourism nights. The number of tourist
arrivals increased by 2%; while the number of tourist nights was
unchanged. In hotels accounting for 62% of domestic arrivals the
number of tourism nights increased by 2% compared with the previous
year, in four and five star units the growth was 10 and 16%
respectively. In case of boarding houses – being popular among
domestic guests and accounting for 15% of tourism nights – a 2%
decrease was recorded.
By travel purpose – in conformity
with seasonal trends – business travellers as well as conference
and congress visitors had an overall share of 31% among tourists. 11%
of leisure travellers primarily sought for health tourism products.
As for hotels, 31% of arrivals were registered in spa and wellness
hotels, in the latter ones, the number of domestic and international
arrivals increased dynamically. Most guests booked individually, only
29% booked through travel agencies. E-booking is strongly emerging
among travellers (28%).
Over the last eleven months, hotels had
an average room occupancy rate of 50%, within this spa hotels
operated at a rate of 63%, which was slightly less than in the same
period a year earlier.
In January-November, the number of
tourist nights spent at Lake Balaton and in Budapest decreased by 2
and 3% compared with the same period a year earlier.
In the observed period, public
accommodation establishments had gross revenues of HUF 229 billion a
half percent less at current prices than the value recorded in the
same period a year earlier. Within this, accommodation revenues
amounted to HUF 122 billion. The gross average room rate was HUF 14
941, while the revenue per available room in hotels (REVPAR) was HUF
7 435. In January-November, the accommodation and catering price
index was up by 8% compared with the previous year.
On 30 November 2008, 1 979 public
accommodation establishments were registered including 766 hotels
with 45 thousand rooms, 905 boarding houses with 11 thousand rooms
and 308 other accommodation establishments (tourist and youth
hostels, holiday houses, camping sites). In November 2008, the number
of available bed places in public accommodation establishments
increased by 2% compared with the previous year.
The number of available bed places in
wellness hotels increased by 2 thousand. In November, accommodation
establishments operating in several branches employed nearly 28
thousand persons.