Tourist Numbers Reach Historic Highs in 2016

Bratislava, March 1 (TASR) – Last year saw Slovakia’s tourist numbers topping the five million mark for the first time, as the number of holiday-makers, both Slovak and foreign, peaked at 5.023 million, TASR learnt from the Statistics Office on Wednesday.

The tally was 16 percent higher on a yearly basis, having been driven by both domestic arrivals and international inbound arrivals.

At just below three million, Slovak holiday-makers made up roughly 60 percent of the total, said Transport and Construction Ministry spokesperson Karolina Ducka. The figure was almost 15 percent higher on the year, with Zilina region enjoying the greatest popularity among Slovakia’s residents.

Slovakia also drew more than 2 million foreign travellers, marking the first time that the threshold was exceeded. An annual rise of 18 percent was recorded in this category. Bratislava region was the most-visited region.

“We’re happy that our expectations were met and that last year was very successful for tourism in Slovakia. We need to keep up the momentum, continue to promote our country effectively and continue to improve the level of provided services. Every happy visitor will want to come back to Slovakia,” said Transport and Construction Minister Arpad Ersek (Most-Hid).

Slovakia was particularly popular among Czech tourists, followed by Poles, Germans, Hungarians and Austrians. The number of overnight stays also posted a record high, peaking at over 14 million.