2022.01.04.

We now know exactly how foreign tourists come for holidays in Hungary

With the connection of catering establishments and tourist attractions to the online data reporting service, the tourism sector will be entirely digitalised by the summer. According to László Könnyid, deputy CEO responsible for tourism at the Hungarian Tourism Agency (HTA), real-time information bolsters fast decision making and also provides a competitive advantage in rebuilding the tourism sector. The full digitalisation process was launched two years ago, just before the start of the COVID epidemic, with the establishment of the National Tourism Data Supply Centre (NTDSC). The process started with the registration of accommodation providers, and now it is the turn of catering establishments. What information has this provided concerning tourism today? The big database has essentially been established, we now have current, aggregated data pertaining to the turnover, occupations and reservations of more than 42 thousand accommodation providers, including almost 39.5 thousand small accommodation providers (i.e. in the private and other categories). Because of the comprehensive and real-time data, this digitalisation approach is pure genius: what we should have done is no longer being analysed subsequently, two months later, but traffic can be increased immediately if necessary with the use of targeted, and therefore very efficient marketing campaigns. A spill-over effect due to the digital recording of data, is that the accommodation providers obtain tools and information useful for analysing their own business activities. The HTA can intervene quickly, but rapid changes of direction may also be needed. Do you have any recent examples? Yes. A good example was when Austria cancelled its Christmas fairs: we exploited the surplus demand with a Hungarian Advent campaign targeting tourists who were heading there. The...
Read more

More news

2021.10.14.

Joint statement for the data-driven tourism of the future

Starting from November, catering establishments and tourist attractions will also join the National Tourism Data Supply Centre (NTDSC), ensuring that Hungary’s most comprehensive, real-time big database will help the development of the Hungarian tourism sector. These goals were affirmed by the signing of a joint statement by the Hungarian Tourism Agency and major representatives of the profession.

Read more