More guests, less income

According to Hungarian Statistical Office in 2008, in public accommodation establishments the numbers of both international and domestic guests were higher than a year earlier, however, the number of tourist nights decreased.

 In 2008, 3.5 million foreign guests
spent 9.9 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 five major source countries, a decrease was seen in four
(Germany, United States of America, Austria, Italy) in respect of
arrivals, furthermore, with the exception of Austria, tourist nights
decreased by around 10% in all of them. In case of the United Kingdom
the annual number of arrivals exceeded the previous year, but since
September this field showed a strong decrease too. In hotels
accounting for 80% of international arrivals, regarding
tourism nights, occupancy rates increased in the three-star category
(1%), stagnated in five-star units and decreased in all of the
remaining categories.

In the observed period, public
accommodation establishments registered 4.102 million domestic guests
and 9.9 million domestic tourism nights. The number of tourist
arrivals increased by 2%; while the number of tourist nights
decreased by 1%. In hotels accounting for 63% 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 9 and 17%
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, business travellers
as well as conference and congress visitors had an overall share of
32% 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. In
2008, 13.5% of international as well as nearly 25% of domestic guests
used services provided by spa and wellness hotels, while in June the
number of available bed places increased by 5 and 27% respectively,
compared with the same period of 2007. Most guests booked
individually, only 29% booked through travel agencies. E-booking is
strongly emerging among travellers (28%).

Over the last year, average room
occupancy in hotels was highest in August, on average, at a rate of
63.3%, within this the highest rate was seen in spa hotels (78.6%),
though their capacity utilisation was 3 percentage points below the
value measured in 2007. In December 2008, room occupancy in hotels,
on average, was 48.5%.

In January-December, 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. Out of
statistical regions, in Western Transdanubia and in Southern Great
Plain the number of tourist arrivals was higher than the level a year
earlier.

In the observed period, public
accommodation establishments had gross revenues of HUF 245 billion 1%
less at current prices than the value recorded in the same period a
year earlier. Within this, accommodation revenues amounted to HUF 139
billion. The gross average room rate was HUF 14 964, while the
revenue per available room in hotels (REVPAR) was HUF 7 263. These
values were HUF 14 902, and HUF 7444 in the same period a year
earlier. In 2008, gross average room rate was highest in May (HUF
16234), while revenue per available room in hotels (REVPAR) was
highest in August (HUF 8814), In January-December, the accommodation
and catering price index was up by 7.5% compared with a year earlier.

In 2008, on the basis of data of the
Hungarian National Holiday Foundation, HUF 35 billion worth of
holiday vouchers were exchanged by different service providers, out
of this HUF 21 billion worth in public accommodation establishments.

In the tourist high season (July), the
number of public accommodation establishments operating in Hungary
was 2857, within this, 863 hotels with 50 thousand rooms as well as
1103 boarding houses with 15 thousand rooms operated. The number of
other accommodation establishments (tourist and youth hostels,
holiday houses, camping sites) was 891. In July 2008, the number of
available bed places in public accommodation establishments decreased
by 7% compared with the same period a year earlier. In December, due
to seasonal closures in accommodation establishments, a smaller
capacity was available. Enterprises providing accommodation services
while operating in several branches, employed directly 27
thousand persons in accommodation establishments in December, which
was 6 thousand persons fewer than the value recorded in the high
tourist season (July).