PREŠOV (9. 10. 2018) - During the first half of 2018, 437,638 visitors to accommodation facilities visited the Prešov Region. This is a year-on-year increase of 6.3 %. At the same time, Prešov Region recorded the highest number of overnight stays of domestic tourists among all Slovak regions in the first half of 2018. This is according to the data of the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic.
From January to the end of June 2018, 437 638 visitors stayed overnight in the Prešov Region. The average length of stay was three nights. Thus, tourists spent 1 311 394 nights in the region. The strongest attraction is the location of the High Tatras.
Compared to the first half of 2017, this is total increase in the number of visitors in the Prešov Region by 6.3 %. The national average growth in the number of visitors is 3.6 %. The Prešov Region is the third most visited region in Slovakia (after the Bratislava and Žilina Regions). While some regions recorded a decrease in domestic visitors, on the contrary, the Prešov Region attracted 18 257 more Slovaks than last year (6.1% increase). Prešov Region achieved the highest number of overnight stays of domestic visitors in the first half of the year (22 % in the whole Slovakia). Slovaks spent 954 798 nights in the region, on average staying for three nights. Only Žilina Region has more domestic visitors, but with a lower number of overnight stays.
Almost 28 % of visitors in the first half of the year in the Prešov Region were foreign tourists. In total, 120,748 people visited the accommodation establishments, with an average stay of three nights. Here, too, the numbers increased year-on-year, namely o 6,8 %. In terms of foreign visitors, the region is the third most visited in Slovakia.
"According to preliminary data, the summer months also brought positive figures. While July recorded a slight year-on-year decline, underpinned by wetter weather, the season was caught up by a successful August, according to information from regional tourism organisations," said Martin Janoško, director of the Regional Tourism Organisation (KOCR) North-East of Slovakia.
The attractions for tourists also include large events, several of which, especially in the Tatra region, were supported by the KOCR Northeast of Slovakia. "To our activities to attract visitors and make their stay more enjoyable include in addition to marketing activities, the development of tourist infrastructure elements. Also this year we have allocated funds for this purpose from our budget and we have received a subsidy from the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic, a total of almost 53,000 euros.," Janoško informed.
Maintenance work will be completed during the autumn months cycling and running tracks in the Levoèské Hills, in Upper Zemplín there will be nine information boards with maps. In cooperation with the OOCR Region Šariš will be supplemented in the districts of Prešov and Sabinov cycle markings on 9 signposts and 23 boards, additional brown tourist boards will also be added in the area. With OOCR Šariš Bardejov, work is underway on the restoration of the recreational lake in Bardejovské Kúpele and other activities in various areas of the region.
Visitation of domestic tourists during the summer season was supported by a campaign Land of cultural monuments, which presented the cultural wealth of the Prešov region. In all tourist information offices in the territory of the region and in many cultural institutions (museums, open-air museums, galleries) were distributed free of charge Tourist newspaper of the Prešov Region and other promotional materials.
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In 2017, 894,173 visitors stayed in Prešov Region and spent 2,790,308 nights in the region. Foreign visitors accounted for 31 % of the total number of visitors. Historically, these were the highest numbers of domestic and foreign visitors and their overnight stays in the Prešov Region.
KOCR Northeast of Slovakia, October 9, 2018
