Travel activity among Slovaks rebounded in 2024, but still below pre-pandemic levels

Nearly 3 million Slovaks took at least one personal trip with an overnight stay in 2024, marking an 11% increase compared to the previous year. Despite this growth, travel numbers still fell short of pre-pandemic levels, with around 430,000 fewer vacationers than in 2019.

According to data published by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, 65% of the population aged 15 and over participated in leisure travel either within Slovakia, abroad, or both. While domestic travel remained the most common, the most significant growth was observed among those who combined domestic and international trips. This group increased by 23% year-on-year to 1.16 million people. Travelers who chose only international destinations also grew by 13%, totaling 602,000.

Travel within Slovakia alone saw only a slight increase of 0.3%, reaching 1.22 million individuals. Nevertheless, this segment remained the largest, accounting for 41% of all travelers. Those combining domestic and international travel followed closely at 39%, while 20% traveled exclusively abroad.

In total, nearly 1.8 million Slovaks traveled abroad in 2024, either exclusively or in combination with domestic trips. This figure represented a 19% increase from the previous year, yet remained 11% below the 2019 peak, when almost 2 million residents traveled internationally.

The data also highlight the lingering impact of the pandemic on travel habits. The group of travelers combining domestic and foreign trips, which had dropped by 84% during the height of Covid-related restrictions in 2020, has now recovered to over 1 million but still trails 2019 levels by nearly 20%.

Meanwhile, approximately 1.6 million Slovaks over 15 did not travel for recreation in 2024. Although this figure improved from the previous year by 290,000, it remains nearly half a million above pre-pandemic levels. The main reasons cited for not traveling were financial constraints, health issues, and lack of motivation.

The Statistical Office’s findings offer a comprehensive view of Slovak citizens’ travel behavior, underlining both the recovery of outbound tourism and the ongoing challenges faced by segments of the population in returning to pre-pandemic travel activity.

Source: SK Statistical Office