- 569,000 Hungarians visited Greece in 2024, a slight dip of 1.2% from the previous year.
- In 2023, arrivals from Hungary had soared by 58% compared to 2022.
- Greece remains the top air destination and the second most popular road destination worldwide for Hungarian travelers.
Tourism is one of the brightest threads tying Greece and Hungary together. According to fresh figures from Hungary’s statistical service, 569,000 Hungarian visitors arrived in Greece during 2024. The number is marginally lower than the year before, down by 1.2%, but it follows on the heels of a spectacular 58% jump recorded in 2023 over 2022.
Hungarians make up around 3% of their country’s outbound market, which reached 21.1 million trips in 2024. Among them, Greece continues to hold pride of place: first in the world for air travel, second only to Croatia for road trips. Most Hungarian travelers spend more than five days in Greece, with leisure as their main purpose.
Air links are solid. From Budapest, three carriers — Aegean, Ryanair, and Wizz Air — connect to Athens and Thessaloniki throughout the week, with a host of charter flights in the summer months to island and coastal destinations.
On the other side of the story, Hungary itself is experiencing a golden age of tourism. In 2024, the country welcomed 18 million visitors, up 11% year on year. Half of these were international arrivals, while Budapest alone drew 6 million foreigners, accounting for 60% of all tourist nights spent in the country. Lake Balaton, Hungary’s resorts and spas — Hévíz, Zalakaros, Siófok, Balatonfüred — also remain magnets, with Balaton topping 3 million visitors last year.
Tourism contributes 13% to Hungary’s GDP and generated nearly 80% of its 2024 trade surplus. Overnight stays rose to 44.2 million, with 22.2 million attributed to foreign visitors. Accommodation revenues climbed to €2.5 billion (+16%), while food and entertainment brought in €4.8 billion (+11%).
Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc International Airport broke records in 2024, handling 17.6 million passengers and nearly 300,000 tons of air cargo. With 141 destinations served by 43 airlines, it has consolidated its role as a regional hub. London, Istanbul, Milan, and Paris remain the busiest routes, while traffic to China nearly tripled. Plans are already underway for a third terminal, expected to raise capacity to 20 million passengers by 2030.
The data, compiled by the Economic and Commercial Affairs Office in Budapest, paints a picture of two countries bound not only by trade and history but also by a steady flow of tourists in both directions. For Greece, the Hungarian market is no passing trend — it is a relationship with momentum and room to grow.
