Tourism of Hungary

After the turn of the century tourism of Hungary was not considerable. The only destinations were the capital, some more famous provincial towns and spas. In the years after the World War I tourism of the country regressed. The conscious expansion of tourism began in 1920. Between the two World Wars Budapest had significant tourism traffic, Lake Balaton, mountains of Matra and Bukk, Danube Bend, certain provincial towns and villages, which were rich in folk art values, were important destinations. After World War II the international tourism reduced to a minimum in our country.

However, in this time the inland tourism started to increase quickly. In 1960, as the political atmosphere eased, the number of foreign tourists grew. At first the most of these tourists came from the socialist countries. After the 1990’s the number of foreign tourists approached 40 million. It goes without saying that Lake Balaton was a remarkable attraction among German tourists because its closeness and cheapness in comparision with the seaside. But this meant incomeonly in the summer for Hungarian tourism. Nowadays, in any periods of the year, who comes here can find various pastimes to their taste.

Hungary is exuberant in thermal and curative wells, due to that in the recent years the number of wellness hotels raised. These attracts mainly adults and families with children. Lately Hungary became a popular destination among young people because of countless festivals organized in the country, such as VOLT and Sziget Festival which are visited by people from all around the world. In the section of cultural tourism should be mentioned the outstanding Hungarian theaters and the world-famed Ballet Association of Gyor.

For any age-groups can be luring the innumerable natural beauties, landscapes and attractions which are parts of the World Heritage. There are variant areas that delights everyone’s eyes with its folklore. The most independent activity from weather is sightseeing. Still the most beloved city of Hungary is Budapest, but other cities and towns such as DebrecenGyor and Pecs are becoming more popular day by day. By the way Pecs is going to be the cultural capital of Europe in 2010. Last but not least we can not forget about Hungarian gastronomy, the delicious dishes and the prominent wines of Tokaj wine-district.