Budapest: An Ever-growing Star in Central Europe!

Capitalising on a privileged position in Central Europe, Budapest has invested massively in its business and association sector, offering today a perfect combination of leisure, workation, corporate and incentive programmes and, of course, event venues and excellent infrastructure for conventions and trade fairs.

The Pearl of the Danube is today an affordable destination with high potential and excellent value for money, offering high-quality services for unique local experiences for both scientific congresses and high-level business events. In addition, the city has fantastic accessibility both by air (with direct connections to around 128 airports and 140 destinations within 2 hours from major European air hubs) and by rail (with direct connections to more than 50 destinations between its three main stations), making for a seamless and borderless travelling experience within the European Union.

Once they arrive at Liszt Ferenc International Airport, conference-goers will be able to take advantage of multiple public and private transport links to the centre (40 minutes away), and more than 200 bus lines, 32 tram, 15 trolley and 4 metro lines in a city that is also very walkable. What's more, Budapest has also made great strides to ensure that both residents and delegates with special needs can use the city's transport and meeting spaces with step-free access, lifts and barrier-free solutions during their stay.
 

“The Liget Budapest Project (see below) has claimed the prestigious title of Europe's Best Tourism Development at this year's International Travel Awards in Dubai. Honoured as Europe's most complex and largest-scale cultural urban development project, the initiative aims to transform Budapest's City Park into a visionary masterpiece, with the renovation and expansion of the park's green spaces, recreational facilities and historic institutions, and spanning 150 years of heritage and innovation.”
 

With its historic buildings, such as the Buda Castle Palace, and world-famous attractions, such as the Hungarian State Opera, Budapest is a vibrant and unique cultural destination for mega-events, with a number of attributes, including its burgeoning world-class gastronomy and viticulture, impressive culture and architecture, and newly created attractions. An exceptionally safe destination, Budapest has also seen significant investments in infrastructure and services in recent times, many of them aimed specifically at the high-end segment. Budapest's attractions are countless but among them it is impossible to miss Buda Castle, the embankments of the Danube River and the entire Andrássy Avenue, all recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, in addition to the Hungarian National Gallery, the Matthias Church, the Parliament Building and the splendid Margaret Island.

There are many opportunities for cycling in Budapest exploring both banks of the Danube: Buda the most historical and traditional part of the city, and Pest with all the leisure, catering offers which makes its atmosphere much more vibrant and trendy. The city has great cultural offers like the newly renovated opera house, the biggest synagogue in Europe on Dohány street, and several ruin bars with a very pleasant atmosphere. With the development of HUNGEXPO Budapest Congress & Exhibition Center (pictured below), which opened two years ago, Budapest now has its convention centre of choice, serving as the preferred venue for international congresses, conferences or exhibitions of any size. The project included the expansion of the event space up to 15000 people with the addition of two new halls, the renovation of all the existing pavilions, a new congress centre and a state-of-the-art audiovisual system. To date, Hungexpo Budapest has hosted major international events such as the International Eucharistic Congress 2021, the AIPC Annual Conference 2022, and the annual congress of the European Academy of Neurology 2023 with more than 6,000 participants from all over the world.

“Among the top global tourism landmarks around the world, the Hungarian Parliament building has also won the prestigious title of World's Best Tourist Attraction, as declared by Stasher Tourism. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, it is a symbol of the historical grandeur that adorns the banks of the Danube, adding to its allure as one of Budapest's most emblematic buildings.”

Since 2017, more than 17,000 developments have taken place in the Hungarian tourism sector with the renovation of 40 new hotels, 14,000 private accommodation units, almost 600 guesthouses, as well as the improvement of dozens of attractions, castles, fortresses and spas. In 2022, a total of 23 new hotels opened in Hungary, increasing the number of hotel rooms by 1,511 across the country with the majority of these new units (8) opening operations in Budapest. Furthermore, new brands were also introduced last year for visitors to the capital such as the 137-room Dormero Hotel Budapest, the five-star Hard Rock Hotel Budapest, the chain's first hotel in Central Europe, with 136 rooms and suites, two restaurants and a rooftop events venue. It's also worth mentioning that the W Budapest opened in July this year, following the renovation of a historic building opposite the Opera House that will become the first W Hotel in the country. The 16,000 m² hotel will offer 162 rooms and suites, a presidential suite, spa, fitness centre and restaurant. 

Verno House, Áurea Ana Palace, Est Grand Hotel Savoy and Matild Luxury Collection Hotel followed suit, while a 332-room ibis-Tribe hotel will open next year, along with the luxurious St Regis in Klotild Palace. The city's hotel capacity currently stands at 2,200 rooms, with 727 new rooms to be built in 2024. In addition to the numerous conference hotels, Budapest also boasts other classic venues such as the Vigadó Concert Hall (pictured below), the Kiscelli Museum built on the site of an 18th century baroque church and the Museum of Fine Arts, unique event spaces such as the House of Hungarian Music, Bálna Budapest or Twentysix, as well as huge sporting venues such as the Puskás Arena or the MVM Dome.
 

Budapest is also the world capital of thermal baths, with more than 100 hot springs and wells scattered around the city, including the Széchenyi Thermal Bath Gellért, Thermal Bath and Rudas Thermal Spa. Finally, Hungarian cuisine is known worldwide for its uniqueness, combining centuries-old traditions with the latest gastronomic trends, and Budapest is also a categorical example of this. This year's Hungarian edition of the MICHELIN Guide continues to feature two restaurants with 2 Michelin stars and seven with 1 Michelin star, while 59 restaurants received Michelin recommendations, 14 more than last year, including eight in Budapest. The fact that Hungary's high-quality gastronomy is a significant attraction in many source markets leads to the conclusion that catering is one of the most common factors influencing travel decisions. Thanks to this multiplicity of choices, Budapest has become one of Central Europe's prominent culinary centres.
 

Upcoming tradeshow with the Budapest Convention Bureau:

• November 28-30: IBTM Events Barcelona

• December 4-7: ILTM Cannes

Committed to promoting the sustainability of the sector, the importance of environmental responsibility and the social impact of its event legacies, the Budapest Convention Bureau is the central actor in the Hungarian capital's MICE ecosystem for successful congress hosting by adopting sustainable and progressive practices for the industry.

To find out more about all these ranges of services and the team of professionals at your disposal, visit: budcb.hu