Cycle Traffic around the Great Lakes of Hungary
Released: 3 March 2025
Active tourism plays an ever-increasing leisure-time role around the world and in Hungary, too. A preferred form of it is cycling, with its popularity further growing during the Covid-pandemic. Cycling is a key factor in sustainable tourism as well, highlighted by the European Declaration on Cycling, adopted on 3 April 2024. There is, however, no reliable statistical data available on cycling in most EU member states. The fact that cycling is possible on both main roads and cycle tracks is a challenge for the survey. Using data of Hungarian Public Roads’ measuring points within experimental statistics we estimated the cycle traffic around the great lakes of Hungary, the first step in developing a Hungarian statistic on cycling.
Cycle traffic around the great lakes of Hungary increased in June, July and August 2024 overall by 6.7% (Figure 1), based on data from the Hungarian Public Roads’ measuring points. We estimated 498.5 thousand cyclists passing by during the summer months in the settlements under observation, compared to 467.3 thousand from the last year.
The number of cyclists crossing the measuring points grew by 20% in Tiszafüred, at the Lake Tisza, compared to the summer months of 2023.
Around Lake Velence, at Pákozd, cyclist traffic lessened by 9.1% while in Gárdony grew almost trifold, by 2.8 times. Based on measuring devices from Fertőd, around the Lake Fertő, the number of people cycling there increased by 20% during the period under observation.
There are measuring points in several settlements at the North shore of Lake Balaton, among others in Balatonederics, Zánka, Örvényes, Keszthely. In case of Örvényes and Zánka traffic grew by 2.5% and 31% year-on-year, while decreases were observed in Balatonederics and Keszthely (-7.2% and -27%).
Figure 1
Change in the number of cycles passing by measuring points in certain settlements around our great lakes, summer 2024
Figure 2 shows the number of guests at tourist accommodation establishments and the changes in cycling traffic in the settlements under observation during the summer months of 2024. We estimated 59 thousand cyclists passing by at Tiszafüred, while 36 thousand guests visited tourist accommodation establishments, meaning the majority arrived for a one-day cycling tour around Lake Tisza. The trend was similar at Lake Velence, with cyclists estimated at 80 thousand in Gárdony, while 26 thousand guests arrived at tourist accommodation establishments. Somewhat more than 10 thousand cyclists passed by at Fertőd during the summer months under observation by 2400 guests at the settlements’ accommodation establishments.
Figure 2
Change in the number of cycles passing by measuring points and in the number of guests at accommodation establishments in certain settlements around our great lakes, summer 2024
Several tourist accommodation establishments are welcoming guests at the North shore of Lake Balaton, no wonder that the order of magnitude in the case of cyclist numbers and that of tourist accommodation establishments was different. During the summer months under observation 75 thousand people were cycling in Örvényes, 42 thousand in Zánka, 60 thousand in Balatonederics and 54 thousand in Keszthely.
Released: 3 March 2025
Active tourism plays an ever-increasing leisure-time role around the world and in Hungary, too. A preferred form of it is cycling, with its popularity further growing during the Covid-pandemic. Cycling is a key factor in sustainable tourism as well, highlighted by the European Declaration on Cycling, adopted on 3 April 2024. There is, however, no reliable statistical data available on cycling in most EU member states. The fact that cycling is possible on both main roads and cycle tracks is a challenge for the survey. Using data of Hungarian Public Roads’ measuring points within experimental statistics we estimated the cycle traffic around the great lakes of Hungary, the first step in developing a Hungarian statistic on cycling.
Cycle traffic around the great lakes of Hungary increased in June, July and August 2024 overall by 6.7% (Figure 1), based on data from the Hungarian Public Roads’ measuring points. We estimated 498.5 thousand cyclists passing by during the summer months in the settlements under observation, compared to 467.3 thousand from the last year.
The number of cyclists crossing the measuring points grew by 20% in Tiszafüred, at the Lake Tisza, compared to the summer months of 2023.
Around Lake Velence, at Pákozd, cyclist traffic lessened by 9.1% while in Gárdony grew almost trifold, by 2.8 times. Based on measuring devices from Fertőd, around the Lake Fertő, the number of people cycling there increased by 20% during the period under observation.
There are measuring points in several settlements at the North shore of Lake Balaton, among others in Balatonederics, Zánka, Örvényes, Keszthely. In case of Örvényes and Zánka traffic grew by 2.5% and 31% year-on-year, while decreases were observed in Balatonederics and Keszthely (-7.2% and -27%).
Figure 2 shows the number of guests at tourist accommodation establishments and the changes in cycling traffic in the settlements under observation during the summer months of 2024. We estimated 59 thousand cyclists passing by at Tiszafüred, while 36 thousand guests visited tourist accommodation establishments, meaning the majority arrived for a one-day cycling tour around Lake Tisza. The trend was similar at Lake Velence, with cyclists estimated at 80 thousand in Gárdony, while 26 thousand guests arrived at tourist accommodation establishments. Somewhat more than 10 thousand cyclists passed by at Fertőd during the summer months under observation by 2400 guests at the settlements’ accommodation establishments.
Several tourist accommodation establishments are welcoming guests at the North shore of Lake Balaton, no wonder that the order of magnitude in the case of cyclist numbers and that of tourist accommodation establishments was different. During the summer months under observation 75 thousand people were cycling in Örvényes, 42 thousand in Zánka, 60 thousand in Balatonederics and 54 thousand in Keszthely.