Foreign Visitors Boosted Hungary’s Tourism in 2025, 17/06/2026

HCSO publishes its annual “Snapshot, 2025 – Tourism, catering” report

The performance of Hungary’s tourism sector kept expanding in 2025: foreign visitors were the driving force behind the growth and the role of accommodation services continued to strengthen. Overall, however, tourism volume had not yet reached the record levels seen in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Further details can be found in the comprehensive annual publication Snapshot, 2025 – Tourism, catering released by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO).

A total of 47.2 million guest nights were recorded at tourist accommodation establishments in 2025, which represents a 5.1% increase compared to the previous year. Growth was driven primarily by international visitors, who not only arrived in Hungary in greater numbers but also stayed longer on average and spent more money than in earlier years. Domestic tourism remained significant: Hungarians made more than three times as many trips within Hungary as abroad. Although the proportion of people taking multi-day domestic trips fell short of previous years (47%), those who did travel did so more frequently (an average of 2.9 trips) and for longer periods.

Over the past decade, the structure of tourism spending has shifted significantly in favour of accommodation services. In current prices, tourist accommodation establishments increased their revenue by 12% in 2025, reaching 1,194 billion forints. Accommodation fees accounted for 68% of total turnover. The concentration of revenue is illustrated by the fact that three-quarters of total revenue was generated by hotels, even though hotels accounted for just over one-quarter of total bed capacity.

Tourism trends were also influenced by changes in the regulatory environment. In Budapest, restrictions on private and other accommodation services in the 6th District significantly reshaped the local supply. In Terézváros, available capacity fell by 40% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period a year earlier, which was accompanied by a 28% decline in guest traffic. In contrast, demand continued to grow in the rest of the capital city: excluding data from the 6th District, guest traffic in Budapest increased by 12%. Part of the lost traffic might have shifted to neighbouring districts, most of which recorded above-average growth.

Therefore, the economic importance of tourism remains substantial. Taking multiplier effects into account, tourism-related sectors accounted for 10% of gross value added in 2024. At the same time, the transformation of the sector’s operating environment is indicated by the fact that the number of commercial catering establishments had decreased by about a quarter over the past decade, while the number of liquor stores and music venues had fallen by 44%.

The full publication, methodological background, and detailed data are available on the HCSO website: www.ksh.hu/kiadvanyok/helyzetkep/2025/#/kiadvany/turizmus-vendeglatas

Hungarian Central Statistical Office
H-1024 Budapest, Keleti Károly utca 5–7. Phone number: (+36-1) 345-6000
Postal address: H-1525 Budapest, P.O.Box 51
www.ksh.hu