In the first seven months of 2023, the inflow of Chinese tourists to the country of Hungary witnessed a substantial increase.
The figure almost quadrupled in comparison to the same period in the previous year.
Meanwhile, Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, was named to be one of the top destinations for Chinese travelers.
This was primarily due to the location attracting the largest number of visitors out of the total that visited the country.
In March of 2023, the Hungarian authorities opened their doors to welcome the first group of a total of 22 Chinese tourists at the airport in Budapest.
This was a significant feat after almost three years of strict restrictions on account of the coronavirus.
AboutHungary
AboutHungary is a website of the country that is managed by the Prime Minister of Hungary, specifically his international communication office.
It revealed that various locations were especially popular among Chinese tourists, which included Pécs, which is located in the Southwestern region of Budapest.
Other tourist attractions that welcomed a swarm of Chinese tourists were the picturesque towns of Szentendre. They are located on the outskirts of the Hungarian capital.
The website went on to reveal that TV programs that showcase the country have been instrumental in stimulating travelers coming in from China.
Chinese Restaurant
One of the reasons why Hungary has become so popular among people traveling from China is a reality show called Chinese Restaurant.
The TV program is filmed in Budapest in the months of June and July. This year, the first episode of the reality show managed to garner the viewership of more than 160 million people in the time span of a week.
Moreover, the show went on to feature various attractions of Budapest, as well as the Hungarian gastronomy.
According to Zsófia Jakab, the Deputy CEO for Marketing and Communication at MTÜ, Chinese Restaurant allows people to see the iconic tourist spots that are popular in Hungary.
These include the Danube riverside, Gödöllő Palace, the Hungarian State Opera House, and Buda Castle.
The latest numbers
As per the recently revealed statistics, Hungary has also witnessed an increase in South Korean tourists. Consequently, this number has quadrupled in the first seven months of 2023.
Where demographics are concerned, people aged 25 to 44 played an important role in shaping the overall composition of visitors.
Where travelers from South Korea are concerned, they make up 52% of the overall visitors. On the other hand, 63% of tourists belonged to China.
In addition, Hungary further recorded an increase of 35% in tourists coming in from the United States.
American tourists tend to spend around one and a half times more than average when visiting the country.
Where South Korean tourists are concerned, they spend almost 10% over the average on their visits to Hungary.
In terms of accommodation choices, hotels were ranked at the top as the preferred option for stay for tourists coming in from China, South Korea, and the US.
This represented around d 65 to 70% of the visitors and extended to four-star hotels, which were chosen by one in two travelers.
