The data show a clear rise in the number of trips booked from regional and foreign airports, as travelers respond to price differences, a broader selection of flights, and a more pragmatic approach to planning their holidays, according to Turizmus.com.

Bratislava recorded the most dramatic increase, with the number of trips booked by Hungarians from the Slovak capital up 128 percent compared to the previous year. Vienna also strengthened its position, registering a 13 percent rise in bookings.

That outpaced the 9.5 percent growth seen in Budapest and the 7.7 percent increase in Debrecen. Graz posted a more modest 3.6 percent rise.

The overall pattern suggests that travelers are becoming less tied to the airport nearest to their home. When better prices, a wider range of flight options, or more convenient departure times are available elsewhere, many are now willing to consider airports in neighboring countries as part of their travel planning.

The most striking figure comes from Bratislava, where bookings grew by 128 percent over the full year.

Price is the main driver: the average cost of vacations departing from Bratislava this summer can be as much as 14 percent lower than for comparable trips leaving from Budapest, while the average price of trips departing from Bratislava has fallen by 8 percent.

Even after factoring in the cost of getting to the airport, flying from a foreign airport can still end up cheaper than departing from Budapest.

For last-minute bookings from Bratislava, the most popular destinations follow a familiar pattern: Türkiye, Egypt, and Spain top the list. The Dominican Republic also ranks highly among year-round bookings, boosted by the introduction of direct flights to the Caribbean destination.

Vienna has been a genuine alternative for Hungarian travelers for years. The 13 percent annual increase in overall bookings, together with a 36 percent rise in last-minute reservations, reflects a well-established trend rather than a new development.

The offers from German and Austrian tour operators available through INVIA’s platform, with departures from Vienna, significantly expand the range of options for Hungarian customers.

The share of family bookings is proportionally higher for trips departing from Vienna than from other airports, suggesting that families are particularly willing to travel further for the right deal.

The most popular destinations for last-minute bookings from Vienna mirror those from Budapest: Türkiye, Egypt, and Greece. For year-round bookings, however, there is stronger demand for long-haul trips, especially to the Maldives and the Dominican Republic.

This year, the market was more polarized than in previous seasons. On one hand, the advance booking period was very strong.

On the other, a significant number of travelers opted for last-minute trips, a tendency clearly visible in the data from Debrecen, where last-minute bookings rose by 50 percent despite more modest overall annual growth.

“There may be several reasons for this,” said Béla Szokodi, INVIA’s sales and product manager.

“Some travelers postponed their decisions, while others had not originally planned to book a package tour at all. However, the situation in the Middle East may have highlighted the fact that organized package tours represent one of the safest forms of travel. This became particularly evident during the repatriations following the outbreak of conflict in the Persian Gulf, when travelers with tour operators received significantly more comprehensive assistance than those who had organized their trips independently.”

Hévíz-Balaton Airport launched its first charter flights to the Turkish Riviera this year, and demand was immediate. Families and couples make up the primary traveler profiles, and the new route quickly demonstrated that demand for regional flights far exceeds that for flights to major cities.

Taken together, the data suggest that neighboring airports are becoming an increasingly attractive option for Hungarian travelers seeking lower prices and more flight choices.

“Surrounding regional airports are becoming increasingly important, and we expect this trend to continue,” Szokodi concluded.

MTI Stock Photo

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.

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