In the first quarter of 2000 more than 5 million foreigners visited Hungary – amounting to a slightly lower turnover. The number of German visitors almost dropped 30%. More than two thirds of foreign tourist nights were spent in the country by EU citizens. During the same period 2.3 million Hungarians traveled abroad; traffic over the Yugoslavian and Slovakian borders diminished.
According the accounts balance data tourism produced 9% more revenue until the end of March than a year before – 634 million euros, with the industry surplus reaching 392 million euros during the first quarter.
During the first three months 778 thousand quests spent about 2 million tourist nights at public accommodations. Out of them 433 thousand people were domestic tourists, i.e. while the number of foreigners rose 3%, domestic tourism was up 7%. The rise in traffic is still more typical at higher quality accommodations. The occupancy rate of hotel rooms decreased and was an average 34% for the first quarter. Public accommodations had a turnover of almost 11 billion HUF, 9% than the year before. Domestic tourists spent almost 20 more on accommodation that in 1999.
Revenues of the close to one thousand accommodation units was 13% up until the end of March. Apart from an 5.8 billion HUF turnover in food and drinks, accommodations earned another 4 billion HUF from other sources.
