After a difficult few years of COVID-19 travel restrictions, Wen Zhenyang is all smiles.
Zheng, as tourists know him, is one of the most sought-after Chinese tour guides in Budapest. The news that China will resume overseas group trips to Hungary is a positive for him.
Zheng also leads travel groups to the Balkans and other Central European countries, which he looks forward to. He says these countries are eager to welcome Chinese tourists again.
“In each country, they stay one or two days, sometimes three days,” explains Zheng.
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Viktor Vereb of the HISEAS International Tourism Group agrees. His company specializes in Chinese group trips to Hungary and Central Europe.
“The impact of Chinese travelers on the global tourism industry was enormous before the pandemic. The Chinese made 170 million international trips,” says Vereb.
Before the pandemic hit, Europe was a major destination for Chinese travelers, and the number of visitors to Hungary exploded.
In 2019, a record 280,000 Chinese tourists visited Budapest.
“A golden opportunity”
It’s been a tough time for restaurateurs and other tourism-related businesses, so they’re hoping the return of Chinese visitors will help them stay afloat.
“I think it’s really a good thing for the Hungarian market, especially for Budapest, because most people come to the capital,” said Andras Timar, CEO of Welldon Restaurant Consulting.
“It’s not only good for hotels and stores, but also for restaurants, especially steakhouses, who also really like seafood dishes,” says Timar.
The average length of stay of Chinese tourists in Budapest is around two days.
However, Vereb and his company are promoting the country’s lesser-known destinations, hoping that Chinese travelers will become interested in exploring beyond the capital.
“In April we have groups coming to Hungary to spend seven to eight nights only in Hungary, and before the pandemic it was very rare for Chinese to come to Europe and spend so many days here,” says Vereb.
“It’s also a golden opportunity because we can now show what we have besides Budapest.”
Three new direct flights between China and Budapest were reinstated last year, which industry experts say will help increase visitor numbers to a region that desperately needs them.
