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Socio-economic significance of Hungary’s health resorts

In Hungary health tourism has a considerable economic significance. By estimates all health tourism branches produce at least 100 billion forints in foreign currency and this amount can considerably be increased with some investments and government subsidy. (Kincses et al 2009). Our natural resources and the health tourism services built on them are Hungary’s most valuable tourism attractions. Due to these characteristics the future prospects are reassuring. At present there are about 50 medical hotels and 100 wellness hotels with nearly 30,000 beds awaiting potential guests.  

By figures of the Hungarian Tourism Ltd. in 2012 it was 7.8% of commercial accomodation (649, 000 people) and 10.4% of all guest nights (2.2 million nights) that were related to medical hotels. These figures meant a 10% increase when compared with data from the previous year. (11). The guests were both Hungarian and foreign guests, but the increase was primarily due to a growth in the number of foreign tourists.  Sending countries included Germany (28%), Russia (16%) and Austria (11%).

The significance of wellness hotels has been on the rise, too. Their share in commercial accomodation was 17 % (1.4 million guests), in the number of guest nights 16% (3.5 million nights). In wellness hotels it was the tourists from Hungary who dominated (three fourths of all guests and two thirds of guests nights) (11). The rise in the number of Hungarian guests was one and a half times higher (12%) than in the number of foreign tourists.

Our offers in medical-, thermal- and wellness tourism – similar to international trends (Kincses Gy. 2009) – are increasingly interrelated. Important developments contributing greatly to the growth are the so-called holiday vouchers, Erzsébet vouchers and the Széchenyi card, which are increasingly used by employers as fringe benefits in Hungary.

For further information on health care services and the conditions of health care provided for foreign citizens see:

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