Hungary is set to participate in the 30th edition of Arabian Travel Market 2023, taking place in Dubai on May 1-4 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The “Land of waters” will be promoting its thermal and mineral water sources, thermal lakes and baths to thousands of travel and media professionals from around the world.
Hungary has one of the largest thermal water reserves in the world; 80 per cent of the country’s territory has some kind of thermal water underground. The healing powers of thermal spas have long been known, and in Hungary this precious resource has a long tradition of being at the center of exceptional wellness and medical retreats focused on regenerative health, beauty and vigor, attracting thousands of tourists every year.
Urban Renewal
‘Renewal’, has been the main theme in Hungary for the past few years; a whole new side of the capital has been developed while a new rural Hungary has evolved with a totally new world-class sporting events, outstanding cultural projects, and renewed historical sites only to add additional aesthetic and luxury experiential qualities to the visitor experiences and this year’s tourism offerings. Since 2017, more than 17,000 developments have been made in the Hungarian tourism sector in total, as part of a comprehensive development program. In 2021 and 2022 combined, 63 new hotels, 14,000 private accommodation units, nearly 600 guesthouses and 114 beaches were renovated, while dozens of attractions, castles, fortresses, and spas are also being developed. In 2022, 23 new hotels opened in Hungary including five 5-stars, and sixteen 4-stars accommodations, out of which 8 are in Budapest.
Budapest 150th Anniversary
In 2023, Budapest is celebrating the 150-years anniversary of the unification of Buda, Pest and Old Buda. The 150-year anniversary celebrations will take place in 2023 and early 2024 and with many exciting cultural and sporting events taking place in the city’s iconic historic sites.
World Athletic Championship 2023
The World Athletics Championships, the third biggest sporting event in the world will be held in Budapest in a new sports complex specially designed for the occasion.
2023 UEFA Europe League Final
The 2023 UEFA Europa League final match of the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League will be held in Budapest for the first time. The match will be played at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary on May 31, 2023.
Liget Project
The Liget Budapest Project is the largest cultural urban development program on the continent. It aims to comprehensively develop Budapest’s 100-hectare City Park, including the renewal and expansion of the Park’s greenery and the recreational functions, as well as the institutional framework with numerous iconic buildings.
House of Music
The Liget Project’s most unique innovation is the House of Music opened in 2022. It is a complex institution of musical initiation and the venue for the country’s first comprehensive exhibition presenting the history of music. Its latest new attraction, the Sound Dome takes viewers on an intergalactic journey with 32 channels of sound and 180-degree visuals.
State Opera
Following an extensive 5-year long refurbishment and modernization, the historic Opera House was reopened in March 2022. The renovation works impacted five main areas: the historical decorations, the acoustics, the change in the function of the various rooms and halls, the technical wiring and the stage mechanics.
Hauszmann Program
After many decades of destruction and neglect, Buda Castle is once again experiencing an era of development and rebirth. St Stephen’s Hall is one of the most important locations in the turn-of-the-century Palace of Buda Castle, is once again open to visitors. After it was destroyed in the Second World War, experts and applied artists have worked for years to recreate in every single detail of its former glory.
Veszprém
In 2023, Veszprém and the Bakony region near Balaton is one of the European Capitals of Culture. This prestigious title will be dedicated to creativity, art, music and gastronomy-related events being at the core of the programs.
According to the data of the Hungarian National Tourism Data Supply Centre, about 21, 000 guests from the GCC spent about 66,000 guest nights in Hungary in 2022; stayed an average of 3 days per visit.
Based on rankings and guest traffic volume, The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are two key GCC source countries for Hungary. The average spending of visitors from GCC on accommodation is higher than other foreign visitors to the country. Visitors from Qatar spend the most on accommodation, Saudi Arabia and UAE follow it.
In 2022 the guest nights from UAE were 2.7 times higher than 2021; from Saudi Arabia 2.3 times higher, from Qatar, 2.6 times higher and from Oman, 7 times higher than from 2021.
