The historic center of Prague. Photo: PCT archive
According to the latest data from the Czech Statistical Office, 2.2 million visitors came to the metropolis in the third quarter of 2023, i.e. during the summer season. Compared to the same period last year, the total number of arriving tourists increased by 15 percent. Prague City Tourism (PCT) spokeswoman Klára Janderová informed about it. Domestic guests (399,207) made up one fifth of all visitors to the metropolis during the summer, and compared to the summer period of 2019, their number increased by 32 percent.
More tourists from the USA (142,699 visitors) and Asia (218,281) are also heading to the metropolis, thanks to the renewed regular services to Seoul and Taipei. According to PCT experts, the composition of arriving travelers is also gradually changing.
“I am very happy that tourism in Prague is changing for the better and that it is being corrected so that it burdens the local residents as little as possible. Not only educational campaigns contribute to this, but also systematic targeting of a different type of traveler. This is also supported by the fact that the city is committed to returning 50 percent of the income from the residence fee back to the development of sustainable tourism in the metropolis,” said Deputy Mayor Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09).
A total of 5,446,130 tourists came to Prague between January and September. Compared to 2019, the number of visitors to the metropolis rose to 91 percent of the original figures. The capital is visited mostly by tourists from Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Slovakia or Poland.
Domestic tourism is also on the rise, compared to 2019, Czech tourists make up a full fifth of the total number of visitors. The Association of Hotels and Restaurants of the Czech Republic also published the average length of stay, which is still 2.2 to 2.3 nights. For one night in the metropolis, a visitor pays an average of 126 euros.
“For us, the goal is not to bring as many tourists as possible to the metropolis, but to increase spending per tourist and not to support the burden on the historic reserve. The important thing is that the composition of tourists is also changing,” said PCT vice-president Jana Adamcová.
The data also shows an increase in the number of visitors from Asian countries, which totaled 218,281 in the third quarter, up 63 percent year-on-year. These are tourists who usually stay longer in the metropolis.
Higher accessibility is due to renewed direct air connections from Prague to Korean Seoul and Taiwanese Taipei. The number of travelers from the United States of America is also increasing, with 17% more arrivals compared to last year. At the same time, travelers from the United States spend the most in Prague.
“Thanks to cooperation with partners such as Václav Havel Airport and the CzechTourism agency within the Touchpoint platform, next year we will focus on supporting more long-haul flights. These are clients who stay longer in Prague and thus spend more money here,” said Adamcová.
The company supports tourism with campaigns, which are also financed from the tourist tax for the second year. In addition to the campaign to support domestic tourism, during the summer season, the company targeted selected source markets of the Stay in Prague campaign, which is implemented in cooperation with Václav Havel Airport and the CzechTourism agency.
During December, Prague City Tourism will implement a Christmas campaign and attract tourists to the Christmas atmosphere through cooperation with foreign journalists and influencers.
