Number of visitors in hotels tripled month-on-month in July, compared to the last year, it was lower number of guests by 20 %. A drop in the number of foreign visitors was partly replaced by higher number of domestic guests.

In July 2020, more than 570 000 visitors were accommodated in hotels, pensions and accommodation establishments in the SR, which was by 20 % lower than in July 2019. A year-on-year decrease was due to continuing lower number of foreign guests, but higher number of domestic guests, which was mainly reflected in selected regions. The number of domestic visitors at the level of the SR exceeded the last year's record numbers in the successful summer season of 2019, in two regions of the SR, a year-on-year growth of domestic guests was above the level of 15 %. A drop in the number of foreign visitors was mostly recorded by hotels in cities. Guests spent more than 1,8 million nights in the establishments in total, their number decreased by 23,3 % year-on-year.

Compared to the previous month (193 468 guests), accommodation establishments recorded an almost threefold increase in the number of visitors in July, but this number remained by one-fifth lower year-on-year. Last July, the number of visitors in hotels, pensions and other tourism establishments exceeded 712 thousand people. The number of guests thus approached the level of July 2016, when almost 560 000 guests were accommodated in Slovakia. The length of stays decreased year-on-year. During July of this year, visitors stayed for an average of 3,2 nights, a year ago it was 3,3 nights.

In the first holiday month, the number of visitors in the SR as a whole was mainly represented by domestic tourists. Year-on-year, their number increased by 2,2 % to more than 424 000, representing 74,4 % of the total number of accommodated guests. In four of the eight regions, the number of guests was even higher than in July 2019 - in Košický kraj (by 3,7 %), in Prešovský kraj (by 9,9 %), in Trnavský kraj (by 17,6 %) and in Žilinský kraj (by 22,8 %). The average number of overnight stays by domestic guests, however, decreased from last year's 3,7 nights to this year's 3,3 nights compared to the same period last year. An increase in the average number of overnight stays of domestic visitors was recorded only in Žilinský and Prešovský kraj.

But lower number of foreign visitors continued, Slovak accommodation establishments registered almost 146 000. In the same period last year, there were almost doubled (more than 297 thousand), which was most affected by hotels in cities.

An negative impact was greatest in Bratislavský kraj, where the total number of visitors decreased by up to 55,5 % year-on-year, but the number of foreign guests decreased by more than two thirds (by 68 %). The city of Bratislava itself was even worse, as the results of the whole region were improved by the number of visitors in popular holiday districts such as Senec and Pezinok.

In summary, after taking into account the number of domestic and foreign guests, the number of visitors increased year-on-year only in Žilinský kraj  (by 1,4 %), mainly due to the Liptov region; in other regions, a decline persisted. In the most visited areas of Slovakia – Žilinský and Prešovský kraj- more than 100 000 visitors were registered. In Prešovský kraj, which has tourist attractions such as the High Tatras, Kežmarok and Bardejov on its territory, the total number of visitors decreased by 9,5 % nevertheless.

These two regions also had the largest number of accommodation establishments and beds in them. In July, room capacities were used to approximately 50 % here, while, for example, in Bratislavský kraj to 22,4 % and in Košický kraj to 27,6 %.

Extensive travel restrictions, especially at the international level, also significantly affected the total number of visitors in the first seven months of this year. Almost 1,9 million visitors were accommodated in tourism establishments during this period, which represented a year-on-year decrease of 47 %. Of which, 70,1 % were domestic visitors and 29,9 % foreigners. Year-on-year, the number of domestic visitors decreased by almost 40 % and the number of foreigners by almost 60 %.

According to the latest data, at the end of July 2020, a total of 4 365 accommodation establishments served tourism. There were 72,4 thousand rooms available. Compared to July 2019, the number of rooms decreased by 2,7 thousand (by 3,6 %) and the number of beds by 6,5 thousand (by 3,3 %).