What will happen to tourism in Hungary in 2021?

Although the majority still cannot wait to travel again and are waiting to be “released” from the restrictions, compared to the first wave of the epidemic, there is more uncertainty and fear, according to a recent survey by Szallas.hu. So, what can domestic tourism expect in 2021?

According to an online survey of the booking site, a third of the respondents were affected by the restrictions, which originally would have lasted until midnight on December 11. 40 per cent planned a trip for Christmas, and about a quarter planned to spend New Year’s Eve away from home, turizmus.com reports.

Restrictions caused year-end bookings to stagnate and decline, and the extension of the restrictions did the whole period in.

“This is a significant loss of revenue because, normally, Christmas, but especially New Year’s Eve, is booked already months in advance,”

said József Szigetvári, CEO of the Szallas.hu Group. This year, however, even the few bookings that were made for these dates were cancelled or rebooked. The survey also revealed that those who planned a trip for the holidays were discouraged about booking. Instead, they waited to see if the conditions would be suitable.

In addition, gift-giving has come to a halt: while travel has been very popular as a gift in previous years, the situation is different this year. “This trend is illustrated well by the fact that one-third of the respondents planned to gift a trip for Christmas, for example, but in the end, only 10 per cent of them did so,” said József Szigetvári.

Flexible conditions can keep tourism alive. It can still be an attractive option, and a driving force for tourism, if you do not have to pay an advance and a cancellation fee – this provides every second respondent with enough security for a future accommodation booking. According to Szallas.hu, 40 per cent of the respondents may start a wave of demand, as they will make their planned trips after the restrictions end.

However, one-third of the respondents expect to be adequately informed about their options and obligations in the current epidemiological situation and what precautions the host takes to protect the health and safety of the guests and staff.

There is fear and insecurity in many people, which will be a deterrent from travelling, and there are those who will not be able to book a trip in the near future for financial reasons.

The responses also show that August and July are by far the most attractive months for travel plans in 2021, and even May, September, and June are popular among them. Nearly four out of five respondents miss travel and wellness the most in the current situation, and every second respondent also misses restaurants, cafes, and other catering establishments. In addition, 46 per cent indicated missing family visits while 45 per cent mentioned socialising with friends. One in five respondents would like to go shopping without restrictions during normal business hours. 6 per cent of the respondents miss normal office work.

52 per cent of the respondents were more closely affected by the second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic. Many have had a close family member or acquaintance affected by the disease, several have come close to death because of their immediate environment, and a significant proportion has experienced job loss, and thus financial insecurity, directly or indirectly. The responses also show that anxiety, tension, anger, insecurity, depression, frustration, and fatigue are common.

75 per cent of the respondents order food occasionally from their favourite restaurant, a fifth postpone their bookings to a later date instead of cancelling, and a tenth buy gift vouchers from their favourite service providers. In order to keep the desire to travel alive, two-thirds of the respondents are already planning their bucket list trips as well as next year’s travel goals, 47 per cent are opting for excursions close to where they live, and 38 per cent are looking through pictures taken during their previous holidays.

Source: turizmus.com