The Capital Leads, Regions Continue to Demonstrate Their Potential

Prague remains the top destination in Czechia, attracting 2.2 million visitors in the second quarter, who collectively spent nearly 5 million nights in the city. The South Moravian Region welcomed about 625,000 tourists, while the South Bohemian Region saw over 500,000 visitors. Known for its spa tradition, the Karlovy Vary Region boasted the longest average stay at 4.84 days. Besides Prague, the Karlovy Vary, South Moravian, South Bohemian, and Hradec Králové regions each recorded over one million overnight stays.

The Moravian-Silesian, Hradec Králové, and Liberec Regions experienced the highest year-over-year growth in tourist arrivals. The Plzeň, Zlín, South Bohemian, and Central Bohemian Regions also reported an increase in visitors. On the other hand, the Karlovy Vary Region faced the most significant decline at -4.3%. These results highlight a growing interest in diverse regions that offer a mix of nature, active vacations, cultural heritage, and spa tourism.

Stable Results Confirm Interest in Czechia

During the second quarter of this year, arrivals increased by 0.5%, and overnight stays rose by 0.3%. Domestic guests grew by 0.9% year-over-year, while foreign visitor numbers remained almost unchanged. Interestingly, foreign visitors spent more time in the country, with their overnight stays increasing by 0.6%. Conversely, the number of domestic visitors decreased by 0.7%.

As in previous years, the largest groups of foreign tourists came from Germany, Slovakia, and Poland. Notably, there were significant increases from markets such as Turkey (+21.8%), Bulgaria (+20.8%), and Brazil (+20%). The number of visitors from the U.S. (+9.4%) and Japan (+7.2%) also rose year-over-year. This positive trend is reflected in overnight stays, particularly with the highest growth from Brazil (+24.6%), Turkey (+24.4%), and Finland (+21%). Recent data indicates that efforts to attract high-spending travelers from distant markets are effective, supported by an increase in overnight stays from the U.S. (+9.1%), Canada (+9.8%), Japan (+9.3%), Taiwan (+5.4%), and China (+3.4%).

“The second-quarter results confirm that Czech tourism remains in very good shape. We are pleased that domestic tourists are once again discovering Czechia more. After several years of dynamic growth, the number of foreign visitors has naturally stabilized this year. Geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East may have influenced travel decisions for some. That’s why we continue to focus on high-spending visitors from afar, who tend to stay longer and explore more regions, benefiting local businesses and the entire Czech economy,” summarizes František Reismüller, Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism. He adds, “Direct flight connections significantly improve Czechia’s accessibility from key markets. New routes launched this year from Philadelphia and Toronto, as well as regular flights from Abu Dhabi, along with STARLUX Airlines’ new service connecting Prague with Taipei, further establishes Prague as a major aviation hub between Europe and Asia.”

Regional Differences and Length of Stay

In the second quarter of this year, the number of overnight guests increased in half of the country’s regions. The highest growth was seen in the Moravian-Silesian, Hradec Králové, and Liberec regions. Higher visitor numbers were also reported in the Plzeň, Zlín, South Bohemian, and Central Bohemian regions. However, the Karlovy Vary Region faced a significant year-over-year decline of -4.3%. The average length of stay was 3.38 days, with visitors in the Karlovy Vary Region enjoying the longest stays (4.84 days), driven by spa tourism. Longer stays were also recorded in Olomouc (3.62 days), Zlín (3.59 days), and Hradec Králové (3.53 days), while shorter stays were typical for urban and business-driven destinations.

Hotels Remain the Most Popular Choice

Hotels continue to be the preferred accommodation type. In the second quarter, hotels welcomed 4.5 million guests, marking a year-over-year increase of 1.5%. Domestic guests increased by 4%, while foreign visitor numbers slightly declined by 0.4%. As usual, four-star hotels were the most in demand, with a 1.4% rise in guests and a 0.5% increase in overnight stays. More than 800,000 guests stayed at guesthouses, totaling nearly 1.8 million nights there. Meanwhile, other collective accommodation types, including campgrounds, experienced a year-over-year decline of 2.9% in arrivals and 2.3% in overnight stays.

First Half of the Year Confirms Stable Growth

The results from the first six months of this year indicate continued stable growth in Czech tourism. From January to June, 10.7 million guests utilized collective accommodation, spending a total of 26.2 million nights. Compared to the previous year, the number of arrivals increased by 2.3%, and overnight stays rose by 2.5%. Among these, there were 5.7 million domestic tourists and over 5 million foreign tourists, with an average length of stay of 3.45 days.

While growth in foreign visitor arrivals slowed in the second quarter, the first half of the year still reflects a positive trend in inbound tourism. Notably, foreign guest overnight stays increased significantly, indicating that visitors are spending more time in Czechia, which is advantageous for the economic impact of tourism.

For further details, please visit the Tourdata.cz website.