The consumer protection authority is preparing for increased checks on festivals, taxis and nightclubs during the spring-summer tourist season

The National Authority for Trade and Consumer Protection (NATCP) will again this year pay special attention to the control of commercial and service activities, which are increasing in line with the growth of tourism. In the course of the seasonal inspection, the Authority's staff will check catering establishments in the most frequented tourist destinations, public and occasional vendors at events, and businesses providing passenger transport services, with a special focus on passenger taxi services.

The purpose of the inspections is to check compliance with the legal requirements applicable to certain tourism services and to detect commercial practices that unfairly influence customer behaviour. The government agencies under the professional supervision of the NATCP carry out inspections in restaurants, canteens, bakeries and pastry shops, as well as in music entertainment venues. They also carry out inspections at festivals and various events.

The inspections in catering establishments will cover, among other things, price information, the obligation to submit receipts, the authenticity of balance sheets and the customers' book, while for taxis, in addition to licences, the NATCP staff will also check the price table, price information and the application of the correct tariff.

The presence of the consumer protection authorities and the continuous controls are also justified by the experience of previous years. In 2024, 928 commercial establishments were checked and 326 infringements were detected, which represents a complaint rate of approximately 35%. Last year, a total of 6,470,000 HUF fines were imposed.

Dr. Lilla Német-Weingartner, President of the NATCP, said that "the NATCP will continue to monitor these areas closely in the future to ensure that consumers can enjoy safe services and to further strengthen the compliance of businesses. Inspections will be launched as early as May to ensure that consumers can shop safely and in compliance with the law in restaurants and taxis during the high season. The checks will continue throughout the summer.”

The National Authority for Trade and Consumer Protection remains committed to the safety of Hungarian consumers and is working to ensure that only safe trade and services are available in our market.