Ministry of Health: new measures to strengthen domestic spas – the burden on the sector will be significantly reduced

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 06. 25. 10:45

The government aims to further strengthen the momentum and competitiveness of tourism, which accounts for 13 percent of GDP, in the long term, and to reduce the burden on businesses operating in the sector. In order to strengthen domestic spas, which are a key segment of tourism, the government is amending the regulations on natural healing factors and the establishment and operation of public baths, thereby specifically reducing the burden on the sector and creating more flexible, modern regulations tailored to the operational characteristics of domestic spas, the Ministry of National Economy (NGM) announced in its statement on Wednesday.

The ministry recalled that domestic spas are not only the engines of domestic tourism, but also represent a major attraction for foreign visitors: according to data from the Hungarian Spa Association, 70-80 percent of tourists arriving in our country choose Hungary precisely because of the spa and thermal water services. Although the capital is the most popular destination, rural areas are also very popular among domestic and international travelers.

The spas operating in the capital set a historic revenue record in 2024 and achieved outstanding visitor traffic, and among the rural spa towns, the spas of Hévíz, Zalakaros, Hajdúszoboszló and Bük welcomed a total of more than three million guests.

With its explosive performance, the tourism sector played a decisive role in the economy in 2024, and this may continue to strengthen this year, as a total of 4.6 million guests visited Hungary in the first four months of the year, which represents an 11.1 percent increase compared to the same period last year, while the number of guest nights spent in domestic accommodations reached 10.7 million, which exceeds the results of 2024 by 5.3 percent. The domestic spa sector, which is a key segment of tourism, also played a significant role in this.

As highlighted, the government has renewed the regulation of the operation of spas in recent years in a way that takes into account the different characteristics of different types of spas, and the new amendment to the law – which has already been published in the Hungarian Gazette – continues this, taking into account the proposals received during the social consultation.

The changes help increase operational efficiency, reduce operating costs, and support energy efficiency. The amendment relaxes the requirements for water exchange in the case of pools exempted from circulation. Furthermore, it extends the deadline for reviewing exemption permits from operating the filter-circulation system of thermal pools until the end of 2026. In addition, it formulates more flexible regulations for spas operating in accommodation facilities and used only by guests, the Ministry of Health announced.