After the pandemic, Czechs form the largest group of visitors to Prague. Trailing behind them are tourists from Germany and the United States.
Prague, 9 November 2022 - After the pandemic, more and more tourists from the Czech Republic are coming to Prague. According to data from the Czech Statistical Office, 397,265 people arrived in the metropolis during the summer holiday months and September, and their number increased by a full 32% compared to the summer of 2019. Almost 1,447,067 foreign tourists arrived. The largest group consisted of tourists from Germany. In the summer period, there was a further increase in the number of tourists from the United States, which proportionally returned to pre-pandemic numbers. The Prague Visitor Pass tourist card, which has been bought by several thousand Czech and foreign guests, is also supporting new arrivals.
According to statistical data from the Czech Statistical Office, a total of 1,844,332 tourists traveled to Prague during the summer season (July-September), most often they were tourists from the Czech Republic (397,265), Germany (256,427), the United States (119,279), Poland (105,579), Slovakia (100,444), and Great Britain (71,311). Compared to 2021, this is a 77% increase, but compared to pre-pandemic 2019, this represents only 80% of visitor numbers. Tourists from the United Sates are returning to Prague, but travelers from Southeast Asia are still in small numbers, specifically 32,883 of them arrived in the summer season, which is 86% less than in the same period in 2019.
“More domestic visitors and tourists are spreading outside the busiest places in the center. Despite COVID-19, together with Prague City Tourism we are succeeding to fulfill the new strategy and are gradually cultivating tourism in the capital,” says Hana Třeštíková, Prague Councilor for Culture and Tourism.
Representatives of Prague City Tourism perceive the current increasing trend in the ratio of domestic tourists to foreign tourists as being very positively. Before the pandemic, domestic guests made up only 15% of the total number of tourists, and Prague lagged behind other European capitals in this regard, which proved to be very problematic during the pandemic, when domestic tourism was crucial for the city. According to the available data, in neighboring Vienna, for example, domestic tourists made up more than 21% of the total number, and in Warsaw they made up more than 60%. Currently, the share of domestic tourism in Prague is 21.5%.
“We are very happy that we are succeeding in arousing the interest of domestic tourists in visiting Prague. Our long-term campaign “At Home in Prague” has undoubtedly worked and continues to motivate domestic guests to visit Prague through various benefit packages and combined discounts. We are also registering an increased interest in the Prague Visitor Pass tourist card, which provides tourists with an overview of all services and benefits in one place and without worries,” says František Cipro, Chairman of the Board of Prague City Tourism. According to Mr. Cipro, the Czech clientele is very valuable and important for the city, because this type of traveler has local knowledge and therefore contributes to the development of local culture.
Prague City Tourism supported domestic and inbound tourism with strong marketing, especially with the Stay in Prague digital campaign and the domestic tourism campaign At Home in Prague. The campaign aimed at foreign guests has had excellent results on the Polish, Italian, and German markets and has proven to attract tourists from these countries to the metropolis. The above-mentioned Prague Visitor Pass also serves as a great benefit to visitors. Also, according to data available from Mastercard, thanks to it, tourists frequently visit other parts of Prague in addition to the historic center.