More tourists visiting Slovakia early this year

The number of visitors in Slovakia grew by 31 percent year-on-year in January, with 320,000 holidaymakers in total, a record for the month, according to data of the Slovak Tourism Board (SACR). Winter resorts attracted visitors with very good skiing conditions, while the European Figure Skating Championships in Bratislava also contributed. Improved air links and the work of regional and local tourism organisations were additional factors. "We posted increases in the number of tourists from all the main markets, such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Germany and Austria. Following two years of decline, the growth in the number of visitors from Russia was especially gratifying. This can be ascribed to the modification of an air link from Moscow and Saint Petersburg via Riga to Poprad", said its director Marta Kukučová to the TASR press agency.