Total guest nights were up 4.9% in the first five months to 5.8 million. In May alone, while the number of domestic guest nights fell 0.3%, foreign guest nights rose by 4.1%, for an aggregate monthly increase of 2.3%. Foreign guest nights were up 7.3% to 3.325 million during the first five months.
First-quarter data indicate that the number of foreign arrivals rose 8.8% on the year to 6.578 million. The KSH notes that only 30% of these stayed at least one night in Hungary, with most of the remainder entering the country for purposes of transit or shopping.
The increase in foreign guest nights was led by apartment hotels, up 80%, wellness hotels (+20%), and youth hostels, where 26% year-on-year growth was registered.
Guest nights spent by tourists from the EU-15, which account for more than two-thirds of total guest nights, rose 9.3% on the year to 2.5 million in January-May. Tourist numbers were up significantly from Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, China and Australia.
