More than half a million visitors came to Bratislava during the first five months of 2026, with overnight stays increasing by 17.6 percent year-on-year. Visitor numbers were also 2.4 percent higher than in the record-breaking year of 2019, putting the capital on track for its most successful tourism year yet, according to the Bratislava Tourist Board (BTB).
The BTB attributed the growth to improved air connectivity. "Routes with high visitor potential, such as Berlin, Rome, London and Barcelona, are particularly important for us," said BTB Board Chair Nina Erneker.
The sharpest increase came from Italy, where visitor numbers more than doubled year-on-year (+104 percent) following the launch of new air routes and were 73.3 percent higher than in 2019. The number of visitors from Norway also rose significantly after a direct flight from Oslo was introduced, increasing by 52.5 percent year-on-year and by 176.7 percent compared with 2019.
Growth was also recorded in traditional source markets. The number of Polish visitors increased by 5.6 percent year-on-year and by 37.8 percent compared with 2019 following the launch of a new route from Warsaw. Visitors from Germany rose by 3.9 percent year-on-year and by 16.3 percent compared with 2019, supported by flights from Dortmund and Berlin.
Source: TASR
