Travel agencies struggle but expect improvement this year

The pandemic has hit tourism hard.

Illustrative stock photoIllustrative stock photo (Source: SME)

The coronavirus pandemic has paralysed tourism across the globe.

Back in January 2020, travel agencies reported many people were purchasing first-time trips.

“The annual sale of plane tickets and trips abroad was rising very fast in January, close to 20 percent,” Jozef Rybár of the Pelikán travel agency told the Index magazine.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

The first problems started to emerge a month later; travelling then stopped in March. The only flights that took place were the ones bringing Slovaks who either work abroad or were on holiday back home.

SkryťTurn off ads

“April and May are the worst months in the post-war history of commercial flights and tourism,” Rybár told Index.

Help from state

The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.sk
Subscribe now for full access

I already have subscription - Sign in

Subscription provides you with:
  • Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk
  • Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail)
  • PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper, The Slovak Spectator, emailed directly to you
  • Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk

Top stories

Stock image.

Twice as many Ukrainians work in Slovakia now than before the Russian invasion.


Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
Czech biochemist Jan Konvalinka.

Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


SkryťClose ad