BRATISLAVA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The number of tourists staying in accommodation facilities in Slovakia rose 17 percent year-on-year to almost 780,000 in July, the highest level ever recorded for the month, the Slovak Statistics Office reported Friday.
The figure surpassed the record set in July 2019. Domestic visitors numbered 450,000, accounting for 58 percent of all visitors and up nearly 13 percent from a year before. Foreign arrivals jumped 23 percent year-on-year to nearly 330,000, also reaching an all-time high and exceeding the previous July peak in 2019 by 11 percent.
Visitors from the Czech Republic formed the largest group of foreign tourists, with about 102,000 arrivals, or 31 percent of the total. Polish tourists ranked second, with nearly 56,000 arrivals, accounting for 17 percent.
In total, visitors spent nearly 2.3 million nights at hotels, guest houses and other accommodation facilities across Slovakia in July. Domestic guests accounted for 1.4 million overnight stays, up by 8 percent year-on-year, while overnight stays by foreign tourists surged 25 percent to 855,000, 2 percent above the previous July record set in 2019.
Bratislava was the most popular destination among foreign visitors, with nearly 113,000 foreign guests. It was also the only Slovak region where foreign visitors outnumbered domestic tourists. ■
