Good evening. Here is the Monday, August 25 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in a few minutes.
Slovak regions report strong visitor numbers
A look into the Mengusovská dolina valley from the red trail to the Popradské pleso mountain lake. (source: TASR)
According to the latest data from the Statistics Office on accommodation establishments, last June saw the highest domestic guest numbers for the month in history. With 373,000 guests, this marked a year-on-year increase of 6 percent and was almost 2 percent higher than the pre-pandemic record of June 2019.
From a regional perspective, June was successful across all eight regions in Slovakia, with five recording their highest ever June visitor numbers.
Overall, accommodation establishments recorded nearly 10 percent more domestic and foreign guests compared to last year, falling less than one percent short of pre-pandemic record year of 2019—a difference of around 30,000 visitors.
As usual, the Bratislava Region led the chart, attracting almost 14,000 more tourists than in June last year. It was the only region to have more foreign than domestic visitors, a trend possibly linked to higher inflation and rising prices compared with neighbouring countries. Bratislava was closely followed by the Žilina and Prešov Regions, where the historic Liptov area and the High Tatras, respectively, each welcomed more than 100,000 visitors, seeing year-on-year increases of around 10,000.
Combined, these three regions accounted for over 61 percent of total visitors in Slovakia.
The situation shifted in July, according to Hospodárske Noviny, which spoke with hoteliers in central and northern Slovakia. The month saw rapidly changing weather, alternating between rain and sunshine, leading to some accommodation establishment to have weeks with no booking. However, bookings picked up toward the end of July, and in August many establishments are now fully booked until the end of the summer holidays.
Tatry Mountain Resorts spokesperson Marián Galajda reported that the hotel chain saw no change in guest numbers compared to last year. Guests frequently asked about activities during bad weather. In June, 56 percent of guests were Slovak, a two percent increase year-on-year, while many visitors from Poland, the Czech Republic, and Israel cancelled bookings.
Visitor statistics for Tatra National Park (TANAP) published on Monday also did not reach record levels. A total of 23,812 visitors were recorded, almost 23,000 of whom were hikers, with the remainder on bikes. Compared to last year, there were fewer “traditional” bikers and more e-bike users.
The most visited locations were the mountain lakes Popradské pleso (3,829 visitors) and Skalnaté pleso (3,319 visitors), followed by the Hrebienok resort (3,213 visitors), which had topped the list last year. Among the peaks, Rysy saw nearly a 100 percent increase in hikers, with 2,128 compared to a record 1,099 in 2020.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
LAST WEEK: Before coming up with the state budget proposal, the government needs to agree on another package of measures to consolidate public finances. The problem is that it is taking its time announcing what it has in store for the country.
EXTREMISM: Last week, lawyer and activist Martin Landl was attacked during the Lučenec Town Days celebrations by supporters of the local neo-Nazi scene.
PIXEL WARS: A vast digital canvas spanning four trillion pixels has become a new battleground for global culture wars, artistic collaboration and national pride – and Slovaks are making their mark.
SPORT: Slovan Bratislava captain Vladimír Weiss Jr’s shin guard incident and kick cast shadow over the team’s European campaign.
TRAVEL: From travertine cliffs hiding a “whale” to a functionalist pool reborn, the Košice Region offers swimmers lakes and rivers where myth and leisure converge.
LABOUR: Slovakia is experiencing a low unemployment rate, just under 6 percent. However, this macro-level success masks serious mismatches in regional labour markets.
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FEATURE STORY
Košice Region builds its cinematic future
The crew during the Kavej 2 shooting. (source: Vlastimil Slávik)
Over the past three years, filmmakers have spent almost 400 shooting days in the Košice Region, supported in part by financial refunds. A small regional film office — with just one employee — and according to its head Ján Melikant, productions have already brought investments exceeding €5 million.
“I give it a maximum of three years and a major production will come,” says Melikant. The region has already included the construction of film studios at a designated site in its strategic plans.
EVENT FOR THIS WEEK
Celebration of fun
An actress during the Kremnické Gagy humour and satire festival. (source: TASR)
Kremnica, a former mining town in central Slovakia, will hold its traditional event known as Kremnické Gagy, focusing on humour and satire. The 45th edition is running from August 28-31 will be attended by both Slovak and foreign artists from Hungary, Italy, and as far as Brazil and Chile. Expect theatrical performances including pantomime, don't forget to visit the "street of famous noses", discussions, and concerts, among other things. Learn more here.
IN OTHER NEWS
On Monday, MP Peter Kotlár ruled out resigning from his post as the government’s proxy for the pandemic management investigation, despite saying in March that he would tear up his diploma and apologise if proven wrong. Last week, the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) disproved Kotlár’s claim that the vaccines alter human DNA. He stated that a resignation would only be warranted if an investigation showed he was wrong. Kotlár does not consider the SAV mRNA analysis of Covid-19 vaccines to be authoritative, citing a lack of certification, but he requested the names of the scientists who signed the analysis. Opposition parties KDH and Slovensko criticised his current position, while Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok urged him to focus on the management aspect rather than the medical aspect. (TASR)
Starting August 25, the Slovak Post will temporarily suspend the receipt and transit of shipments to the United States, including gifts sent between private individuals. The move responds to a change in U.S. legislation, effective August 29, which removes duty-free arrangements for postal shipments containing goods valued up to $800. Only letters containing printed documents will be accepted. (TASR)
Volvo confirmed that the start of large-scale production has been postponed from 2026 to early 2027. The delay allows alignment with the launch of a new Volvo model and provides time to prepare production for the Swedish automaker Polestar, which plans to produce the new Polestar 7 electric car at the plant starting in 2028. After production begins, the plant’s annual capacity is expected to reach 250,000 vehicles. (Reuters)
Due to cold weather, snow fell in the High Tatras, with six centimetres accumulating on the Lomnický Štít peak (pictured in the middle) on Sunday morning. Snow in August is rare in the Tatras, though the amount is still below the August 2021 record of 24 centimetres. (source: TASR)
The police are warning against calls from Austrian numbers. When answered, an automated voice instructs recipients to add a contact on WhatsApp and sign up for a fake investment platform. People are advised not to answer unknown numbers or provide personal information. (TASR)
Five Slovak students won medals at the International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics 2025, held in Mumbai, India, from August 11 to 21. The competition included participants from 64 countries and required solving theoretical problems in astrophysics, data analysis, and practical tasks such as telescope work or planetarium visits. Tomáš Kubrický won gold, Patrik Prítrský and Peter Švrlo won silver, Mário Tlamka won bronze, and Vladimír Slanina received an honourable mention. (Astronomická Olympiáda, IOAA)
Poland announced that it will open its S1 expressway, which connects to the D3 highway in Slovakia's Kysuce region, on October 20. However, the D3 highway itself remains unfinished. (Žilinak)
Slovakia’s new ambassador to Switzerland, also accredited to Liechtenstein, will be career diplomat Soňa Budayová. She has previously served in the Czech Republic, Finland, Kuwait, Turkey, NATO in Brussels, and the UN in Geneva. Budayová sees considerable potential for cooperation in the economic and innovation sectors, including start-ups, as well as in scientific and academic collaboration. (TASR)
WEATHER FOR TUESDAY: Expect mostly sunny skies, with increased cloud cover in some areas, particularly in western Slovakia. Daytime temperatures will range from 20°C to 28°C. A level 1 ground frost warning has been issued for the night in some northern and southern districts of central and eastern Slovakia. See the map here. (SHMÚ)
AUGUST 26 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Best wishes to everyone named Samuel on their special day!
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