Hungarian tourism gala: sector to get own bank, visa regulations, flights from US
National Economy Minister Márton Nagy said at a year-opener gala for industry professionals in Budapest on Saturday that a bank for the tourism sector will be established in the autumn.
Nagy said the lender would accept credit applications through the Tourinform offices network, adding that the first lending program would be announced in autumn.
Nagy said talks were underway on launching direct flights between Budapest and the biggest cities in the United States. Such flights, he added, would be important for economic ties and tourism. He also mentioned plans to ease bilateral visa regulations. Related article: New direct flights to New York, Washington from Budapest on the horizon?
Nagy said a support program for three- and four-star hotels in the capital was on the agenda.
He said the tourism sector is a “real engine” of GDP growth, adding that guest numbers were set to reach an annual 20m by 2030.
Visit Hungary CEO Olivér Csendes said a HUF 400m fund to support conference tourism in Budapest would be established in 2025.
Liszt Ferenc International CEO Francois Berisot described the cooperation with the government as balanced and extremely close, and said they are working together to improve it. He said that 2024 would break all previous records in the history of Budapest Airport, with 17.6 million passengers and 48.8 percent more, almost 300,000 tonnes of air cargo, turning over at Liszt Ferenc International Airport in 2024, projecting robust passenger growth in the coming years and consolidating the airport’s role as a regional hub. With 17.5 million passengers handled last year, annual traffic not only exceeded the 2023 figure by 19.5 percent, but also surpassed the previous record-breaking 2019 figure by 8.7 percent. Hungary’s attractiveness as a tourist destination and Hungarians’ desire to travel were reflected in the airport’s passenger traffic throughout the year, with the number of passengers exceeding one million every month, while in October Budapest Airport recorded the highest traffic growth among the 50 busiest European airports, he said.He added that in 2024, 43 airlines were serving 141 destinations from Budapest, with the most popular being London, Istanbul, Milan and Paris.
In 2024, Budapest Airport, part of the VINCI Airports network, saw its annual passenger traffic exceed the pre-pandemic level for the first time, and in anticipation of further growth, the owners and management of the company have started preparing the construction of Terminal 3, which will ensure a high quality of service for passengers in the long term.
Cargo volume at the airport jumped 49pc close to 300,000 tonnes, he said.