What will happen to Hungarian spas and hotels in the economic crisis?

The recent period has brought higher numbers of visitors than before for both spas and accommodation providers in Hungary, thanks to the end-of-year and early-season holidays. However, with the public experiencing the impact of soaring prices, spas and hotels can expect an even more serious drop in tourist numbers than ever before.

In a recent interview given to infostart.hu, Zoltán Balogh, the Secretary of the Hungarian Spa Association, told what to expect in the coming weeks regarding spas and hotels. He said that in recent weeks, there have been so many guests in the Hungarian spas that they have exceeded the revenue recorded in the same period in 2019, the year before the outbreak of COVID-19. He stressed, however, that the long-term survival of some spas is still in question. After all, there is an economic crisis, operating costs have increased and people will only go to the baths if they have enough money saved.

Further rise in ticket prices?

According to Balogh, the increase in costs has clearly led to higher ticket prices in spas, which was inevitable. However, the raised prices are still below the increased operating costs. He further mentions:

As a result of the general increase in energy prices and the resulting supplier price rises in December and now in January, most spas will be forced to increase their prices again.

Accommodations at risk

With the closure of several spas in the past year, the future of the accommodation sector is also at risk. The secretary pointed out that Hungarian tourism had always relied on spas. Therefore, if one closes, the surrounding region could see a significant drop in tourism.

In addition, Balogh told the news site that the problem had already been reported to the relevant decision-makers. A study has even been carried out to highlight this issue. Among other aspects, the study sheds light on the functioning of the spa industry and the factors that would be needed for spas to survive.

At the end of the brief interview, he added that in the January-February period, there is always a drop in guest numbers to some extent.

Therefore, our colleagues focus more on cost reduction.

Also, they are trying to manage with the help of their savings. This will hopefully get them through until the busy summer season.

Read alsoCould the Siófok Spa reopen?

Source: infostart.hu