The Czech Republic’s tourism sector has witnessed a remarkable upswing during the second quarter of 2023, marked by a substantial 14.3% increase in the number of tourists compared to the previous year. Data released by the Czech Statistical Office reveals that during this period, a total of 5.8 million tourists chose to stay in hotels, pensions, and campsites. While domestic visitors predominated, foreign tourists also contributed to the surge, propelling the overall number of nights tourists spent in accommodations to increase by 14.5% compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 13.8 million nights.

Out of the total tourist count, 3.2 million visitors hailed from within the country’s borders, showcasing a 4% increase, while the number of foreign visitors surged by 31% compared to the same period last year. However, despite the growth, the number of nights spent in the country by foreign tourists has yet to reclaim the levels observed in 2019.

Roman Mikula from the Department of Tourism and Environmental Statistics at the Czech Statistical Office commented on the trend, stating, “Accommodation facilities in the second quarter of this year have already approached pre-pandemic results. The total number of accommodated guests was almost the same as in 2019. However, the number of overnight stays has not yet fully reached pre-COVID levels and was 98%.”

Among accommodation options, hotels proved to be the most popular choice, accommodating 71% of the tourists and marking a 17.1% increase from the previous year. Pensions hosted 13% of visitors, showcasing a 9.3% increase, while campsites experienced a slight decline of 0.1% compared to the same period last year, with 290,000 arrivals.

The upswing in tourism was observed across all regions of the Czech Republic, with the South Moravian and South Bohemian regions, as well as Prague, emerging as the most frequently visited. Notably, the Karlovy Vary region witnessed the highest year-on-year increase in visitors, with a notable rise of 21.4%, followed by Prague at 19.7%, and the Olomouc region at 18.4%.

Among foreign visitors, Germany remained the most significant source, accounting for a quarter of all foreign clients, with approximately 637,000 German tourists visiting the Czech Republic. Visitors from Slovakia constituted the second-largest group, followed by guests from Poland. The data indicated a continued decline in tourists from Asian countries and Russia.

It’s pertinent to note that the statistics encompass data on Ukrainian citizens who paid for their accommodation, with the Czech Statistical Office clarifying that due to the war conflict in Ukraine, distinguishing between tourists and refugees wasn’t always feasible for accommodation providers.

Article by Prague Forum