The southern region of Hungary is welcoming increasing Chinese visitors who seek to have in-depth experiences of the country's culture, picturesque countryside, and wine industry, after making their first stops at the capital Budapest.

Once a quiet village, Villany wine region has grown into one of Hungary's top wine destinations and is drawing more Chinese visitors beyond Budapest to explore the country's wine tourism.

For more than three decades, Zsolt Gere and his family have been making wine in Villany.

He said more international visitors are arriving, including travelers from China, looking for something beyond the usual tourist stops such as vineyards, local food, and countryside life.

"We are lucky that we are living here. And so, we have the good microclimate for big red wines. And the people like big red wines," said Gere.
This year, tourism officials said they would expect more than 200,000 Chinese visitors to visit Hungary, after more than 180,000 traveled to the country in 2024.

While Budapest remains the first stop for many, places like Pecs and Hungary's thermal spa towns are drawing growing interest from Chinese travelers.

"We don't have a river. We don't need to build bridges. But sure, we do have an airport, so we are building air bridges and connectivity [is] better," said Mark Kincses, head of tourism of the city of Pecs.

Kincses said visitors can explore a different side of Hungary in their stays in Pecs where there are plenty of historic sites and art exhibitions as well as an international airport.

"We expect a least a few percent [of] growth this year, especially in the international visitors," he said.