Tourism in Hungary Now One of Key Driving Forces of Economy
- 5 Feb 2026 9:15 AM
Last year, tourism was "one of the most important driving forces" of the economy, accounting for more than 14pc of GDP, National Economy Minister Marton Nagy said in an interview with turizmus.com magazine.
Nagy said the sector "made history" in 2024 with 18.2m tourists arriving in Hungary, but last year it reached that number in just 11 months and visitor numbers during the entire year were up 8pc overall.
The gross revenue of accommodation providers exceeded the previous peak year by 12pc, while that of catering establishments by 9pc, and the success of tourism guarantees the livelihood of 400,000 families, he noted.
Nagy said passenger numbers at Liszt Ferenc International Airport climbed to 19m by early December, compared to 17.6m in 2024, and this year government infrastructure developments worth a total of around HUF 1,000bn will start. He said the cornerstone of Terminal 3 could be laid around February-March.
"If everything goes well, in the medium term the Budapest airport will be able to provide high-quality service to up to 40m passengers a year," he added.
Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.
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