Autumn brought a more restrained result in tourism

The total number of overnight stays increased by 1.1% compared to the same period last year, driven by a 5.8% rise in nights spent by foreign tourists, while domestic overnight stays dropped by 4.2%. Despite this, the sector’s overall performance for the first nine months remains positive, with a 5% increase in overnight stays recorded from January to September. This recovery indicates that travel activity has returned to pre-pandemic levels, suggesting that 2024 could see a 5-7% increase in overnight stays compared to 2023. This trend is supported by rising real wages, stabilizing inflation, improved consumer confidence, and a significant increase in the number of foreign tourists.

In 2023, Eurostat reported 2.9 billion overnight stays across the EU, a 4% rise from the previous year. Hungary contributed 1% to this total, reflecting a growing tourism sector. In September 2024, around 1.5 million guests spent nearly 3.6 million nights at Hungarian accommodations, marking a 2% increase in guests and a 1.1% increase in overnight stays compared to the previous year.