Zala has been added to the premium domestic map – Zalakaros is already ahead of Eger and Debrecen

Since the 2020 government decree, the designation of tourist regions has made marketing and task performance clearer. Zala is primarily connected to the Balaton region (Hévíz, Zalakaros, Kis-Balaton), but extends to the south and west into Western Transdanubia (Lenti, Letenye). In a national comparison, Lake Balaton continues to have the highest turnover after Budapest: Veszprém, Somogy and Zala together brought in nearly 8 million guest nights in 2023. Demand jumped significantly in 2022, but the expansion slowed down in 2023.

In Zala, June was stronger in 2025, while July was weaker than a year earlier, and overall guest nights are stagnant. This year’s more subdued summer at Lake Balaton also affected the numbers. According to the experiences of Hotel Karos Spa, competition is tougher for Hungarian guests, and the price-value ratio is a key issue.

Why does Zala work? The region does not build on mass tourism, but on slowing down, a human-scale landscape and silence. The spa towns – primarily Hévíz and Zalakaros – have a high return rate, and the proportion of foreign (especially German) guests here is above average. The smaller spa towns (Kehidakustány, Lenti, Zalaszentgrót) tend to focus more on domestic tourism, with a stronger seasonality: families in summer, a medical focus in autumn and winter.

In addition to the spas, the offer is completed by the hiking trails of Kis-Balaton and Zala, park forests, arboretums, vineyard nature trails, and water tours (Mura, Kerka). In terms of gastronomy, the Zala wine regions (home of Cserszegi Fűszeres), the farmers’ markets, and the village hospitality increase the value of the destination; dödöllé, prósza, and homemade strudels also convey local identity. Rural adventure tourism – cheese making, jam making, herbal tours, petting animals, wine tasting – is gaining momentum.

There are also challenges: the peripheral location of the county (lack of motorway connection to Budapest, limited railway), the unevenness of national brand awareness (Hévíz and Zalakaros are known, Zala as a unified destination less so), and the lower utilization of smaller settlements. Development directions include expanding the sustainable and ecotourism offer and strengthening cooperation along the Slovenian and Croatian border.

Zala does not promise a race, but an alternative: here the “luxury” is silence, the chirping of birds and a glass of local wine on the hilltop. For those looking for experiences rather than attractions, the county is an increasingly attractive destination.