International trips, both to and from Hungary, showed an increasing trend in previous periods, which turned into a decline in the first quarter of 2020 (March). Due to the epidemic, Hungary introduced travel restrictions in mid-March, reducing foreign arrivals by 13% and inbound visitor spending by 7.9% at current prices in the first quarter of 2020Due to the border closure and survey suspension introduced from mid-March, data on tourism demand for the first quarter are only available for the period from 1 January to 13 March 2020, so they cannot be fully compared with data for previous periods.[1] compared to the same period last year. Overnight business and conference arrivals as well as same day leisure and VFRVisiting friends and relatives.[2] arrivals decreased significantly, and 19% fewer outbound trips were made from Hungary.
Fewer inbound trips
Foreign arrivals declined by 13% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period of the previous year, mainly due to the coronavirus measures. Same-day arrivals decreased by 12% and overnight arrivals by 15%.
Three-quarters of same day arrivals were from countries neighbouring Hungary: from Romania (29%), Slovakia (25%) and Austria (21%). Same day arrivals decreased from these countries compared to the same period last year: from Austria by 17%, from Slovakia by 13% and from Romania by just 1%.
Of same day trips, 92% were for private, 5.2% for working, and the rest for business and cross border trading purposes. Shopping trips fell by nearly a tenth, leisure trips by a third, and VFR trips plummeted by even more. In contrast, transit trips, accounting for nearly 40% of same-day trips, showed a slight increase.
Foreigners made 2.8 million overnight trips to Hungary in the first quarter of 2020, for the following purposes
- leisure, entertainment, health (54%),
- VFR (19%),
- working (7.9%),
- business and cross border trading (6.7%),
- transit (4.8%).
Leisure, entertainment and health preservation trips decreased the least (7.2%) during the period. VFR arrivals fell by 11% and business and cross border trading trips by 47%.
Overnight visitors came mostly from Germany (394 thousand), Slovakia (304 thousand) and Romania (282 thousand). Compared to the same period last year, overnight arrivals fell from almost all of our main sending countries, with the exception of Germany, from where 5.0% more people came for private purposes, most often for health care, medical and dental treatments.
Shorter inbound trips with smaller spending
In the first quarter of 2020, inbound visitors spent 10.6 million days in Hungary, a 16% decline. Same-day arrivals fell by 12%, and overnight visitors spent 17% fewer days in Hungary. Overall, the average length of stay of foreign inbound visitors was unchanged at 2.1 days compared to the same period of the previous year, within this, that of overnight visitors decreased from 5.1 days to 5.0 days.
Foreigners visiting Hungary spent 7.9% less, HUF 373 billion, at current prices.
Austrian visitors spend the most in Hungary
In the first quarter of 2020, visitors from Austria spent the most in Hungary, HUF 55 billion, 0.9% less than a year earlier. One-third of their spending was on products and services (+6.9% in amount), and nearly half on health care (+31% in amount). However, their leisure spending (presumably due to the coronavirus epidemic emergency) decreased by 42% compared to the same quarter last year. Visitors from Germany spent HUF 37 billion in Q1, 2.6% more than a year earlier. Visitors from Romania, the United Kingdom, Slovakia and the United States also spent a lot.
In the first quarter of 2020, foreign visitors spent an average of HUF 17,100 per person per day in Hungary, HUF 1,400 more than a year earlier. On average, most was spent on dental treatments, business trips and sightseeing (HUF 87,000, HUF 41,000 and HUF 26,000 / person / day). Spending increased by 5.9% on average to HUF 20,700 for leisure trip participants.
Of visitor spending, 28% was spent on accommodation and catering services, 18% on transport and fuel and 29% on food and other goods.
Inbound overnight visitor spending by purpose:
- 38% - accommodation and catering services,
- 20% - transport and fuel purchase,
- 8.4% - cultural, sports and other tourism services,
- 8.0% - other goods.
Half of those arriving for several days stayed in Budapest
In the first quarter of 2020, half of all foreign visitors arriving in Hungary spent at least one night in Budapest. Foreigners made 1.4 million visits to Budapest, which was 7.1% less than in the first three months of the previous year. Sightseeing visits accounted for nearly half of all visits to Budapest from Europe. 11% of overnight visitors to Budapest came from the United Kingdom, 7.8% from Germany, 8.0% from Italy, and 6.3% from the United States.
Slightly more than a quarter of overnight visitors spent at least one night in Western Transdanubia. A significant number of Austrians, Germans and Slovaks visited this region.
Overnight arrivals decreased in all regions except Northern Hungary having a 10% plus rise, as arrivals from Slovakia and Czechia grew in this region.
A large decrease in trips of Hungarians abroad
In the first quarter of 2020, Hungarian citizens made 4.5 million trips abroad, 19% less than a year earlier. Same-day trips decreased by 21% and overnight trips by 15%. VFR trips fell by only 8.6%, while sightseeing trips by 21%.
Same day trips accounted for 64% of Hungarians' trips abroad, with same day shopping and cross border trading trips decreasing significantly. Despite a one-fifth decrease from the previous year, most people continued to travel to Austria and Slovakia.
Distribution of 1.6 million overnight trips made by Hungarians abroad:
- leisure, sightseeing and hiking trips - 36%,
- VFR trips - 36%,
- working trips - 15%,
- conferences and business trips - 6.8%.
Most travelled to Austria, Germany, Slovakia, or Romania, with half of all overnight trips going to these four countries. One-fifth fewer people travelled to Austria and Germany, while 22% and 11% more trips were made to Slovakia and Romania, respectively. Working trips to Slovakia and VFR trips to Romania increased significantly.
Shorter trips from Hungary to abroad
In the first quarter of 2020, trips from Hungary to abroad lasted on average 2.5 days, 0.4 days less than a year earlier. Visits abroad, mainly working and business trips were shorter (by 48% and 37%, respectively). Travelers spent a total of 11.1 million days abroad, 30% less than a year earlier.
Hungarians traveling abroad spent 11% less, HUF 162 billion, at current prices, the most (HUF 34 billion) in Austria, but they also spent a lot in Germany and Slovakia.
On average, visitors abroad spent HUF 14,500 a day, the most on business trips (HUF 34,000 a day).
Of spending abroad, 40% was spent on food and other goods, 24% on accommodation and catering services, one-fifth on cultural, sports and other tourism services and 11% on transport and fuel.
HUF 211 billion surplus in tourism related balance
The tourism related balance summarizes the spending of foreign visitors to Hungary and Hungarian visitors abroadThe passenger balance includes expenditure on international transport. This is the main difference from the balance of payments tourism balance item.[3]. In the first quarter of 2020, exports (expenditures of foreigners) decreased to a lesser extent, by 7.9%, than imports (expenditures of Hungarians), with the balance being 4.7% or HUF 211 billion lower than a year earlier. The average HUF/EUR exchange rate (HUF 339.05) in the first quarter of 2020 was 6.6% higher than a year earlierSource: National Bank of Hungary.[4].
[1]:↑ Due to the border closure and survey suspension introduced from mid-March, data on tourism demand for the first quarter are only available for the period from 1 January to 13 March 2020, so they cannot be fully compared with data for previous periods.
[2]:↑ Visiting friends and relatives.
[3]:↑ The passenger balance includes expenditure on international transport. This is the main difference from the balance of payments tourism balance item.
Further information, data
Tables (STADAT) - Time series of annual data - Tourism, catering
Tables (STADAT) - Infra-annual data - Tourism, catering
Methodology
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