Hungary is known as one of the most popular European destinations for health and spa tourism due to its abundance of thermal water springs and relaxation opportunities. By 2022,
from the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, peaking at nearly 200 billion forints. However, these high revenues were generated by a considerably lower number of guests, with significantly fewer foreign tourists visiting the country’s thermal spas.
Spa culture has a long-standing history in Hungary
The region’s spa culture traces its roots back to Roman times, as waters from thermal springs running under Hungary’s surface have long been known for having medical benefits. However, bathing culture truly started gaining popularity in the region during the Ottoman occupation. Over time, bathing complexes were constructed on the territory of today’s Hungary, ranging from traditional Turkish baths to modern bathing establishments. As of 2022, nearly
440 baths were registered in the country, out of which 140 were
thermal spas. During the same year, baths operating in the country’s capital,
Budapest, recorded the highest revenue totaling 39 billion forints, followed by Zala county with a revenue of 34 billion forints recorded over the same time.
Are foreign tourists losing interest in Hungarian spas?
Wellness is one of the main pillars of the Hungarian tourism industry. Besides
domestic visitors, each year, thousands of international tourists arrive in the country to visit its world-famous spas. However, while domestic tourism swiftly recovered after the years marked by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,
international wellness tourism has lagged behind. The number of foreign tourists taking wellness trips to Hungary decreased by 64 percent from 2019 to 2022, with only 181 thousand inbound wellness trips recorded in 2022. Consequently,
expenditure on inbound wellness trips was considerably low, registering only a slight increase compared to the previous year. Between 2018 and 2022, the spending of foreign tourists while on wellness trips in Hungary decreased by more than 74 percent.
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