NGM: The popularity of the SZÉP card will continue to grow in 2025

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 02. 28. 11:34

The SZÉP card is playing an increasingly important role in the financial life of Hungarian households, and its popularity continued to grow last year, thereby contributing to the development of the domestic tourism and hospitality industry. In 2024, the total value of SZÉP card top-ups exceeded 454.4 billion forints, and cardholders used a total of 432 billion forints from their cards – the Ministry of National Economy (NGM) summarized in a statement issued on Friday.

The ministry highlighted that the popularity of the SZÉP card will continue this year, with the total value of SZÉP card top-ups exceeding 16 billion forints in January, which was 35.6 percent more than the amount topped up in the same period in 2024. Cardholders used nearly 31 billion forints from their SZÉP cards in January, which is a significant increase of 20.8 percent compared to the data for January 2024.

The SZÉP card will continue to support families’ carefree vacations in 2025. In January, families spent the most on their SZÉP cards in the Lake Balaton region, where this amount accounted for 12 percent of Hungarians’ domestic accommodation spending in January.

It was recalled that tourism had a record year in 2024, to which the SZÉP card also contributed significantly. The confidence of families is gradually strengthening, and more and more people can afford to relax.

The government also provides special support to families with the SZÉP card, so families looking to relax are increasingly choosing domestic travel, thus ensuring the strengthening of domestic tourism through increased demand and increased consumption.