• Home
• Channel: Travel
• Tourists Favor Balaton For Long Weekends

Tourists Favor Balaton For Long Weekends

• 24 Aug 2018 7:37 AM
• Budapest Business Journal

Lake Balaton continues to be a popular destination for holidaymakers. So much so that many Hungarians visit the lake not only in summer, but even in winter, according to a recent survey.

Coupon association Bónusz Brigád and market researcher GKI Digital conducted a survey about how Hungarians relate to Lake Balaton. About one third of respondents said they do not travel to Hungaryʼs "inland sea" every year, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.

Balaton is the most attractive for the younger generations: while 27% of all respondents said they visit the lake at least once a year, this ratio was 36% among those aged 25-29. A further 17% of all respondents said they visit Balaton at least twice a year.

Interestingly, the once popular two-week holidays at Lake Balaton are less common nowadays, as Hungarians prefer shorter vacations by the lake. Most respondents, 44%, said they spend only a few days there, while somewhat more than one-third said they spend a week. Most of those aged 25-29 travel to Balaton only on weekends.

At the same time, Balaton seems to attract visitors not only in the summer, with 21% of respondents saying they also travel to the lake in winter.

As for the reasons for travel, young Hungarians (aged 18-29) tend to visit Balaton to attend festivals, while older visitors prefer gastronomic events. The most popular sites are the city of Siófok and its surroundings on the southern shore, followed by Tihany and Balatonfüred on the northern shore.

• How does this content make you feel?
• I love it
• I like it
• I dislike it

• Holiday Travel Balaton

XpatLoop Media Partner

Budapest Business Journal

Hungary's largest and oldest source of business and financial news in English. Since 1992 it has presented essential information on Hungarian business life, including international analyses about the country. These days the BBJ newspaper is published every other week, while it releases daily business news online including premium paid content.

Explore More Reports

Foreign Tourist Numbers Up in Hungary - Where Are Most From?

• 7 Oct 2025 12:54 PM

The number of travellers in Hungary surpassed 15m by the end of September, Visit Hungary, a unit of the Hungarian Tourism Agency (MTU), said on Monday based on figures from the National Tourism Data Service Centre (NTAK).



International Music Gigs Boost Amount of Travellers to Budapest

• 28 Jul 2025 11:35 AM

Performances by headliners Guns N' Roses, Lionel Richie and Jennifer Lopez lifted turnover at tourism accommodations in the capital during the week of July 14-20, Visit Hungary said.



Passenger Traffic Now Running Normally at Budapest Airport

• 8 Jul 2025 8:23 AM

Passenger traffic at Ferenc Liszt International Airport is currently running according to schedule, without delays, as normal. The airport was hit by heavy rains at around 10:00 again, but thanks to the accurate weather forecast and the preparedness and coordinated efforts of our staff, the current storm is not causing any disruption to traffic.



Hot Summer Holiday Spots in Hungary Revealed

• 25 Jun 2025 8:30 AM

Despite rising costs and shorter stays, Hungarians are not giving up on summer vacations. New data from Szallas.hu, shows that domestic travel remains strong heading into the peak 2025 season.