Average spending by foreign visitors fell from €46 a day in 2019 to €41 last year

The coronavirus pandemic and associated restrictions resulted in a marked drop in nearly all areas of tourism and catering last year, with preliminary estimates showing a 32 percent fall in revenue by commercial lodgings and catering establishments compared to the previous year, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Tuesday.

The continued increase in guest turnover reported by commercial lodgings in recent years came to a halt last year, with 5.4 million guests spending 14 million nights in commercial lodgings, representing a 58 percent and 57 percent drop, respectively, from 2019, KSH said in a comprehensive report about tourism and catering in 2020.

The proportion of domestic guests increased considerably to 72 percent in commercial lodgings last year as a result of travel restrictions and other protective measures. A total of 4 million domestic guests spent 9.9 million guest nights at commercial lodgings last year, representing 41 percent and 37 percent drop, respectively, from 2019. Around half of the annual turnover resulted from July and August, KSH said.

Hungarians made around 50 percent fewer trips abroad last year than in 2019 and their spending dropped by 58 percent.

Preliminary figures show that catering establishments had total revenue of 1,062 billion forints (EUR 2.9bn) last year, a 32 percent decrease from the previous year, while total revenue of commercial lodgings declined by 58 percent to 234 billion forints.

KSH reported a total of 31.6 million trips made by foreigners to Hungary last year, a 48 percent decrease from the previous year.

Revenue from foreign visitors totalled 1,054 billion forints last year, a drop of 54 percent from 2019, KSH said. Their average spending fell from daily 16,700 forints in 2019 to 14,900 forints last year, it added.

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Source: MTI