In his first media conference since the Blues announced that the former Manchester United and Barcelona forward would remain at the helm for the 2025/26 National League campaign, Hughes outlined the club's ambitions.
Carlisle United were relegated after a disappointing 2024/25 League Two campaign, which saw three managers in the dugout at Brunton Park, including Hughes, who was recruited in February with the goal of rescuing the club's EFL status.
However, despite the club's relegation, Hughes has expressed his confidence in an immediate bounce-back.
He said: "We are looking forward to it, it is going to be a big year for everybody.
"Clearly, the ambition is to go up immediately.
"We have got the potential to do that, we have just got to get things right on and off the pitch.
"If we do that, given the experience and knowledge we have got in and around the club, I feel quite confident that we will be able to have a good season.
"The ultimate aim is to come straight back up."
Hughes' future at Carlisle United was announced by the Blues on Monday, May 19, over two weeks after the club's final EFL fixture against Salford City.
According to the Blues' head coach, this delay was due to changing personnel.
He said: "There were changes in the background in terms of personnel, the director of sport, Rob [Clarkson], left, so I think the club wanted to make sure Marc [Tierney] was in the building, and I could understand that.
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"I needed to make sure I spoke with him, just to have that confidence and that idea of where he has come from and how his role will tie into mine, and once that was established, I saw no problems with it.
Hughes also discussed how the 'reaction' he received from the public in Carlisle and Carlisle United supporters informed his decision to remain at Brunton Park.
He said: "First and foremost, it was the reaction I got from the Carlisle public that was the main driver of it.
"There was the feeling I got from the club, everyone is connected, and that is from the owners down.
"It was a difficult time coming in, but I sensed the desire.
"I have been to other places when I have walked in the building, and you get a sense that people aren't really concerned if you succeed or fail, but I didn't get that at Carlisle.
"I got the feeling that everyone wanted to wish me well, wanted me to be successful, and wanted me to stay, even though we weren't successful in what we wanted to achieve last season."