• Home
• Channel: Health & Wellness
• Coronavirus: Hungary’s Thermal Spas In Crisis

Coronavirus: Hungary’s Thermal Spas In Crisis

• 16 Oct 2020 8:14 AM
• Hungary Matters

Hungary’s spas are in the midst of a crisis caused by low attendance resulting from the coronavirus epidemic, with drop in revenues of at least 50% experienced so far this year, the head of the Hungarian Spas Association said on Thursday, adding that nearly 5,000 lay-offs are likely by March 2021.

Over 76% of Hungarian spas won’t survive the crisis by the spring of next year from their own resources, having used all their reserves during the first wave of the epidemic, Attila László said.

A fresh survey shows that spas will lay off 26.3% of staff, or 4,700 people, between October 2019 and March 2021, he added.

Three-quarters of the spas have been forced to employ people part-time instead of full-time, he said.

The association wants the government to establish a 35 billion forint (EUR 98m) non-fundable liquidity fund for the sector to partially compensate for lost revenues and to preserve jobs, he added.

Photo courtesy of Northfoto.com

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

• Spa

XpatLoop Media Partner

Hungary Matters

Launched in January 2014, this newsletter published on week days covers 'everything you need to know about what’s going on in Hungary and beyond', according to its publisher the state media agency MTI.

Explore More Reports

Insider's Guide: Top 5 + 1 Spas in Budapest + Handy Tips Before You Jump In

• 1 Jul 2026 2:35 PM

Budapest is the spa capital of Europe, if not the world. The thermal baths here provide both relaxation and healthy benefits for locals, expats and tourists alike. Those going for health reasons can order various kinds of massage treatments, while dry and steam saunas are invariably integral to each spa complex covered in this insider's guide.



Bathing Biz Insights: Spa Visits in Hungary Still Below Pre-Covid Levels

• 4 Jun 2026 8:21 AM

The number of visitors to spas in Hungary reached 14.2 million in 2025, still under the 17.6 million in 2019, before the pandemic, Hungarian Spa Association chief secretary Zoltan Balogh told MTI on Wednesday.



Why Outdoor Spas in Hungary will Start Bathing Season Later than Usual?

• 4 May 2026 6:06 PM

Most of Hungary's open-air baths will start opening a few weeks later than usual this year because of higher energy prices, the chief secretary of the Hungarian Baths Association told MTI.



Spa Season Starts Early in Hungary, Classic Spots Reopen

• 30 Mar 2026 6:14 AM

The Hungarian spa season is getting an unseasonably early start this year. While the famous Galerius Bath in Siófok is finally celebrating its grand reopening after a long hiatus, the peaceful Borgáta Thermal Bath near Sárvár is also welcoming visitors much sooner than expected.