Recreational Factors Influencing the Choice of Destination of Hungarian Tourists in the Case of Bulgaria

In 1990, the countries of the V4 were the dominant sending countries to Bulgaria, which is why Bulgarians thought of targeting the sending market from these countries, not only with the product of mass tourism, but with a unique, four-season offer. In 1990, Hungary was Bulgaria’s third largest sending market; therefore, leisure trend studies are important as they can help to satisfy the needs of Hungarian tourists and attract them to the destination and increase their visitor satisfaction. The aim of our study is to examine the leisure time patterns and leisure preference system of Hungarian tourists, which is evident during their travels. This study examines the willingness of Hungarian tourists to travel to Bulgaria. According to the results of the secondary and primary research, the vast majority of Hungarian tourists travel to Bulgaria mainly for beach holidays, but, in addition to mass tourism, the country’s culture, history, ecotourism, health tourism, wine and gastronomy may represent further travel potential for Hungarian tourists. Having examined the attitudes of Hungarian tourists (n = 952), the study offers useful recommendations for Bulgarian tourism organizations and Bulgarian and Hungarian tour operators, as factor analysis is used to create groups belonging to factors that can be included as key target groups in publications promoting Bulgaria. Another aim of our study is to add new content to the traditional Bulgarian–Hungarian tourism relations.