Index – Economy – The government has decided, it already affects our rest and free time

“Last year was the year of recovery in tourism,” was said on Tuesday at the Ministry of National Economy, where Márton Nagy, head of the ministry, and Zoltán Guller, chairman of the board of the Hungarian Tourism Agency (MTÜ), presented the opportunities for the sector in addition to last year’s results. Tourism is a strategically important sector in Hungary, accounting for 10 percent of GDP.

It ensures the livelihood of one hundred thousand small and medium-sized enterprises and four hundred thousand families

– said the minister, according to whom the industry is an important clue for setting the economy on a growth path. The cabinet intends to support the recovery of the sector with programs and additional subsidies.

Here is the new government measure

Based on their report, last year tourism approached the peak year of 2019: the number of guest nights increased to 41.8 million, exceeding the number achieved in 2019. The number of guests rose to 16.2 million, similar to 2019. In 2023, SZÉP card top-ups were HUF 445 billion, and the value of all spending was HUF 449 billion, after HUF 355 billion in 2022.

Márton Nagy underlined that the recovery of the sector can also be observed in the case of Budapest, just like at Lake Balaton. “From here you can push yourself towards new heights,” he concluded. The government wants to increase the share of tourism in GDP to 15 percent. According to the head of the ministry, consumption is recovering in more and more areas, which can have a positive effect on the short-term prospects of tourism.

The new government measure was presented at the press conference. The sectoral support program can be implemented with three elements and a total budget of 15 billion:

1. The support amount of the program aimed at increasing the competitiveness of rural small and medium-sized catering industry entrepreneurs HUF 13 billion will be Actors in the sector can receive funds for energy efficiency and equipment procurement. “The tender aims to promote the stability of the operation of rural caterers,” said Márton Nagy. Some applicants can receive a total of HUF 1 million in development support, and the government intends to provide assistance to 13,000 businesses.
2. A program aimed at promoting the modernization of Tourinform offices HUF 1 billion available in the framework amount. This affects a total of 35–45 offices, and the goal is also the development of the infrastructure and the acquisition of equipment.
3. The Muzsikáló Hungary 2024 program supports gypsy music in cafés HUF 1 billion in the framework amount. The program, which affects approximately 500 people in the country, aims to promote and encourage the performance of gypsy music in catering units.

Tourism has a great future ahead of it

According to Zoltán Guller, last year’s record year may continue, and another record may be set this year. A 15 percent increase can already be seen in the first 100 days of the year. The number of domestic guests increased by 12 percent, while the number of foreign guests increased by 20 percent. “3.3 million guests already arrived between January and mid-April this year, and the number of guest nights rose by a total of 13 percent to 8.3 million,” he concluded.

58 percent of the traffic was realized in rural accommodations. In the first hundred days, the sales revenue of hotels increased by 18 percent to HUF 188 billion, and the revenues of catering establishments increased by 14 percent to HUF 480 billion. “It also seems that tourism inflation is over,” he concluded.

He also mentioned that small and medium-sized enterprises in the catering industry in rural areas can receive HUF 1 million in development support in the tender starting with the HUF 13 billion budget described earlier. Restaurants that are open all year round and have at least one closed business year and are registered with the National Tourist Information Center can apply for this. “I would still like to encourage everyone to register.”

The second tender – the modernization of the Tourinform offices – is currently planned to play a major role in the organization of local tourism. Finally, they plan to support around 500 musicians in the third Muzsikáló Hungary 2024 Program, according to their data, around 120-130 bands currently nurture the tradition of gypsy music in cafés. “Live, coffeehouse gypsy music is unique in the world,” he said.

Márton Nagy also reminded that similar programs may come in the future, which may ultimately serve the growth of the entire sector. Details of the applications will be available on the website of the Kisfaludy Program.

(Cover photo: Irene Becker / Getty Images)