Thursday, 25 June 2026
The number of Slovak residents taking holiday trips declined in 2025, with domestic travel proving more resilient than outbound tourism as financial concerns continued to influence consumer behaviour.
According to data published by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, approximately 2.9 million residents aged 15 and over took at least one overnight leisure trip during the year, representing 64.5 percent of the population. While this was only a modest decline of 1.3 percent compared with 2024, travel participation remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels, with around 470,000 fewer travellers than in 2019.
The figures indicate a shift in travel patterns, with more Slovaks choosing to holiday exclusively within the country. Domestic-only travel increased by 7.3 percent year-on-year to 1.31 million people, making it the only travel category to record growth. These travellers accounted for nearly 45 percent of all holidaymakers in 2025.
By contrast, the number of residents combining domestic and international trips fell by 9 percent to just over 1 million people. International travel also weakened overall. Around 1.6 million Slovaks travelled abroad during the year, either exclusively or alongside domestic trips, representing a decline of more than 7 percent compared with 2024.
The number of people travelling exclusively abroad also decreased, although at a slower pace. Approximately 577,000 residents took foreign-only holiday trips, down 4.2 percent year-on-year. Despite the decline, this segment remained slightly above its pre-pandemic level.
Domestic tourism continued to play a central role in the travel market. Nearly 2.4 million residents took at least one trip within Slovakia during 2025, either as a standalone domestic holiday or combined with international travel. However, domestic participation remained substantially below 2019 levels, highlighting that the sector has yet to fully recover from the disruptions of recent years.
Age demographics also influenced travel activity. Residents aged between 25 and 44 remained the most active travellers, accounting for more than 1.1 million holidaymakers. Meanwhile, travel participation among seniors continued to decline. The number of travellers aged 65 and older fell by 8 percent year-on-year to fewer than 362,000 people and remained more than one-quarter below pre-pandemic levels.
At the same time, the number of residents who did not take any holiday trip increased. Around 1.6 million Slovaks, representing 36 percent of the adult population, did not participate in overnight leisure travel during 2025. This figure was 3 percent higher than a year earlier and approximately 45 percent above the level recorded in 2019.
Financial constraints emerged as the primary obstacle to travel. Half of all non-travellers cited cost-related reasons for staying home, with the number of people reporting financial barriers rising by roughly 25 percent compared with the previous year. Health concerns remained the second most common reason, accounting for nearly one-third of non-participants. Family-related reasons also became more prominent, with the number of people citing family commitments increasing by around 40 percent year-on-year.
The latest results suggest that while demand for leisure travel remains relatively strong, economic pressures continue to influence consumer decisions. Slovaks are increasingly prioritising domestic destinations and limiting more expensive international travel, reflecting broader concerns about household budgets and affordability.
