Slovakia was visited by 10 percent more foreign tourists in 2011 than in 2010, Slovak Tourist Board (SACR) PR manager Zuzana Nemcová announced, as reported by the TASR newswire. The 10-percent increase was higher than that experienced by neighbouring countries, with the Czech Republic in 2011 attracting 7.9 percent more tourists, Hungary 7.8 percent and Poland 6 percent more.
"We were pleased at the increase in the number of Russian and Ukrainian visitors, as well as a slight increase in the number of German tourists for the first time since the crisis year of 2009," said SACR general director Peter Belinský. The number of Russian tourists in Slovakia rose by 30.2 percent year-on-year in 2011, while that of visitors from Ukraine rose by 64.4 percent. By contrast, there were falls in the number of visitors from the Netherlands, by 1.5 percent year-on-year, Britain (by 3.6 percent), and Italy (by 4.6 percent).
The most significant boosts to tourism last year were reported to be the Ice Hockey World Championship in Bratislava and Košice, and games of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) international ice hockey competition played in Poprad, in eastern Slovakia.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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