NGM: in October, cardholders spent 14 percent more on their SZÉP cards

It was emphasized that the The SZÉP card significantly contributed to the fact that 1.7 million guests spent 3.8 million guest nights in Hungarian accommodation in October, which is a new record for this month of the year.

The government is thus supporting not only tourism, but also the everyday shopping of families.

lg:mb-7.5 lg:text-xl”>It was detailed that, based on data from the National Tourism Data Service Center, the total value of SZÉP card top-ups in October 2025 amounted to approximately 37.4 billion forints, which was more than 37 percent higher than the same period of the previous year.

Cardholders used a total of 36.3 billion forints from their cards, so SZÉP card payments increased by more than 14 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. In the tenth month of the year, the number of acceptance locations also continued to expand, so cardholders can now use their SZÉP card at more than 159 thousand locations, which represents a 9.1 percent increase compared to the previous year.

The SZÉP card supported the relaxation of many Hungarian families during the long holiday weekend on October 23 and during the school break. Families spent the most on their SZÉP cards at accommodations in Lake Balaton, where this amount accounted for 9 percent of domestic accommodation spending in October.

Accommodations in the Sopron-Fertő tourist region owed their income to the SZÉP card in the largest proportion, where 11 percent of accommodation income from domestic guests was settled with the SZÉP card during this period, they explained.

They added that the SZÉP card was one of the most important driving forces of domestic tourism in October as well: in October 2025, around 1.7 million guests arrived at domestic accommodations, 11 percent more than at this time last year. The number of domestic guests was 821 thousand, which represents an increase of almost 11 percent compared to last year’s result.

The total number of guest nights was 3.8 million, of which domestic guests spent nearly 1.8 million nights in accommodation. In order to further strengthen domestic tourism, the government made a 2.5 percent fixed-interest loan available to tourism service providers through the Kisfaludy Tourism Credit Center.

At the end of October, nearly 97.8 billion forints were still available on the cards, to support Hungarian families’ autumn and year-end vacations.

According to the government’s decision, between December 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026, cardholders can again use the funds on their SZÉP cards to purchase cold food. In this way, the government is providing special support for the expansion of the retail concept in addition to the carefree vacation of families and domestic tourism, the Ministry of National Economy informed.