Approximately 600,000 Slovaks make use of travel deals each year, roughly the same number who go on holiday with their own transport, with the greatest number driving to Croatia, reports the news site aktuality.sk. At present, there is a high level of interest in air travel to Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Cape Verde or Albania. There is also an interest in Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, although terrorist attacks in the latter are weighing on Slovaks' minds.
"For Slovaks, the safety of the area where they want to go on holiday is, besides the price, the most important aspect," says safety analyst Jaroslav Nád, a specialist from the Slovak Institute for Security Policy. "Of course, it is very difficult to determine clearly where it is not safe and where it is. The attacks can take place anywhere," he added.
Because of this, many hotels in Greece, Spain or Bulgaria are reporting higher levels of interest for accommodation. "For example, Crete has been overfilled since the end of April or the beginning of May. While last year's hotels were filled in June, this year their season moved about a month earlier. They count on the fact that the season will not end in October but in November, "says Mikuláš Milko, President of the Tour Operators Club and First Vice President of the Slovak Association for Travel Agencies (SACKA).
The Czech charter airline Travel Service, which transports 80% of Slovak travel agency holidaymakers, plans to increase the number of flights as a result of the surge in bookings, with Mikuláš Milko adding that travel agencies which haven't secured their capacity in advance may face booking problems.
