Hungary

Highest Number of Passengers Ever Recorded on Lake Balaton in the Past Year

Balaton Shipping Company (BAHART) Sets New Passenger Record in 2024

Balaton Shipping Company (BAHART) has announced that over 2.3 million passengers traveled on their routes in 2024, marking a significant increase from the previous year. This new record-breaking traffic saw an additional 178,000 passengers compared to the previous year.

The company attributed this success to the fleet development that was made possible by a HUF 6 billion (EUR 14.7 million) government grant. With the introduction of two new ferries into service, 1.46 million passengers, 463,000 vehicles, and 134,000 bicycles crossed Lake Balaton between Szántód (southern shore) and Tihany (northern shore) by ferry. The addition of these new ferries has contributed to a nearly 19% increase in the number of passengers on board the company’s passenger boats.

Notably, passenger numbers have increased significantly on all scheduled routes, with the Fonyód-Badacsony route seeing the highest number of passengers at 250,000. Additionally, the Balatonboglár-Révfülöp route experienced the largest increase of almost 40%.

BAHART’s new catamaran called “Tomaj” emerged as the vessel that carried the most passengers, while the company’s cruise boats transported 200,000 passengers, showing a 36% increase from the previous year.

Interest in cruises remained strong even in autumn and winter, particularly during the holidays. The extended timetable, more frequent ferry services, and the festive decorations on the ferry attracted nearly 30,000 passengers during this period.

Starting in 2025, the company will offer discounts on ferry travel, making it free for children under 14, pensioners, over-65s, and large families, with a 50% discount for young people aged 14-25 and public servants. Family tickets will also see a reduction in price, and more people will be able to take advantage of this offer on passenger ships starting at the end of March.

Furthermore, the company announced a price reduction for bicycle tickets on both ferries and passenger boats to promote local transport and active tourism on the Balaton shore. The digital BAHART card will continue to offer discounted ferry travel, with the ferry between Szántód and Tihany operating every 60 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends during the winter season.

Overall, BAHART’s record-breaking passenger numbers in 2024 are a testament to the company’s commitment to providing efficient and enjoyable transportation services on Lake Balaton.

 

Hostinger

Pools Plus Cyprus

This message was taken from this source and rewritten by artificial intelligence.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button