Published on: 13 December 2018

5.4% increase in tourism nights at accommodation establishments

In October 2018, the number of nights spent by international tourists grew by 1.8% and that of nights spent by domestic tourists by 9.4% compared to the same period of the previous year. Total gross revenues grew by 12% at current prices in commercial accommodation establishments. In January–October 2018, commercial accommodation establishments saw a 4.0% growth in tourism nights and a 9.7% rise in gross revenues compared to the same period of 2017.

In October 2018, compared to the same month of the previous year:

The number of international tourist arrivals grew by 6.5% to nearly half million. The number of tourism nights they spent increased by 1.8% to over 1.2 million. The number of tourism nights increased in hotels, boarding houses and community hostels and fell in bungalows and camping sites. In hotels accounting for 88% of tourism nights, the rate of growth was 1.2%. More than two thirds of tourism nights were spent by foreigners in the Budapest-Central Danube Region, 1.3% more than in the same month of the previous year.

The number of domestic tourist arrivals grew by 9.6% and exceeded 530 thousand. The number of tourism nights they spent also grew significantly by 9.4% to nearly 1.2 million. The number of tourism nights increased at similar rates in hotels (8.5%) and camping sites (9.3%) and by 29% in boarding houses. Domestic guests spent more nights in each tourism region, two-digit expansion rates were recorded in the Budapest-Central Danube Region, Northern Great Plain and Western Transdanubia. The extremely favorable October weather and the 4-day long weekend played a role in the dynamic growth of traffic.

Room occupancy in hotels increased by 3.0 percentage points to 63.2%.

The total gross revenue of accommodation establishments increased by 12% to HUF 46 billion at current prices; within this, accommodation fee revenues increased by 13% (to HUF 27 billion).

Széchenyi Recreation Card holders spent nearly HUF 1.5 billion, 11% more in commercial accommodation establishments. Much of this amount, HUF 1.3 billion, was realized in hotels.

On 31 October 2018, compared to the same date of the previous year:

2,863 commercial accommodation establishments were in operation with nearly 83 thousand available rooms and 239 thousand bed-places. The number of rooms slightly grew and the number of bed-places hardly changed.

In January–October 2018, compared to the same period of the previous year:

Commercial accommodation establishments registered a total of 10.8 million arrivals and 27.0 million tourism nights, up 5.5% and 4.0% respectively. Foreign guests spent 2.6% more (13.4 million) and domestic guests 5.4% more (13.7 million) nights in commercial accommodation establishments.

Room occupancy in hotels increased by 2.2 percentage points to 62.5%.

Total gross sales in commercial accommodation establishments grew by 9.7% at current prices to a total of HUF 435 billion. Within this, accommodation revenues increased by 8.4% to nearly HUF 260 billion.

Summary data, October 2018

Indicator Value Change compared to same period of previous year, %
October January–October October January–October
Tourism nights spent by international tourists, thousands 1 21513 3641.82.6
Tourism nights spent by domestic tourists, thousands1 17013 6639.45.4
Tourism nights, total, thousands2 38527 0285.44.0
Revenues, total, billion HUF a)4643512.39.7
In hotels: gross average room rate, HUF a)22 45820 8497.24.0
REVPAR, HUF a) b)14 18213 02812.57.8
TREVPAR, HUF a) c)23 92021 97011.79.5
Room occupancy rate, % 63.262.53.0d)2.2d)

a) At current prices.
b) REVPAR: gross room revenue per available room.
c) TREVPAR: total gross revenue per available room.
d) Change in percentage points.