Caspian Energy (CE): Minister Huliak, how has Slovakia’s tourism sector evolved post-pandemic, and what key strategies are being implemented to foster its recovery?

Rudolf Huliak, Minister of Tourism and Sport of the Slovak Republic: The tourism sector in Slovakia has undergone a significant recovery following the pandemic. After the pandemic period, we observed gradual stabilization and a return of visitor confidence. Following the dramatic decline in 2020–2021, visitor numbers progressively stabilized and have been growing since 2022. In 2024, Slovakia accommodated nearly 5.92 million guests, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.3%. The positive trend continued in 2025, when accommodation establishments hosted 6.3 million guests – the second-best result in history, with year-on-year growth exceeding 7%. We were only 1.3% below the record year of 2019.

This strong growth was also supported by a robust domestic clientele. Domestic tourists accounted for nearly two-thirds of total visitation (3.9 million guests), trailing 2019 levels by less than 1%. International arrivals grew dynamically and were only approximately 54,000 guests short of their historical peak.

The positive development was also reflected in overnight stays, which reached a total of 16.2 million in 2025 (+6.5% year-on-year). Visitors stayed in Slovakia for an average of 2.5 nights, with the total number of overnight stays falling short of the record year 2019 by only nearly 9%.

It can be said that Slovak tourism has not only recovered after the pandemic but is gradually approaching the record levels of 2019 and re-entering a growth phase. Our ambition is not merely to continue increasing visitor numbers, but above all to extend the average length of stay, increase the economic contribution to regions, and ensure a more balanced distribution of tourism throughout the year.

The recovery of the sector was supported by crisis mitigation instruments (e.g., contributions to cover part of fixed costs in 2020), as well as by a well-developed destination management system (DMOs) established under the Tourism Promotion Act, which currently brings together 1,400 public and private sector entities at local and regional levels. Part of their tourism development activities is financed through systemic instruments of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Slovak Republic – subsidies under the Tourism Promotion Act. We are also gradually introducing additional systemic support through the relatively new Tourism Support Fund, aimed at infrastructure transformation in the context of rising energy prices, as well as at the establishment of a more flexible management model.