The Czech Republic has seen a surge in tourism in the second quarter of 2023, with a 14.3% increase in the number of tourists compared to last year. According to data released by the Czech Statistical Office, 5.8 million tourists stayed in hotels, pensions, and campsites during this period, with domestic visitors being more prevalent than foreign ones. The number of nights tourists spent in accommodation facilities also increased by 14.5% compared to last year, totaling 13.8 million.
Of the total number of tourists, 3.2 million were domestic visitors, and 2.5 million were foreign visitors. The number of domestic visitors increased by 4%, while the number of foreign visitors increased by 31% compared to last year. However, the number of nights that foreign tourists spend in the Czech Republic has still not reached the levels of 2019.
“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%,” said Roman Mikula from the Department of Tourism and Environmental Statistics at the Czech Statistical Office.
Hotels were the most popular accommodation option, with 71% of tourists staying in them, representing a 17.1% increase compared to last year. 13% of visitors stayed in pensions, a 9.3% increase, and campsites saw 290,000 arrivals, a 0.1% decrease compared to last year.
The number of visitors increased in all regions of the Czech Republic, with the South Moravian and South Bohemian regions and Prague being the most visited. The Karlovy Vary region saw the highest number of visitors year-on-year, with a 21.4% rise, followed by Prague with 19.7% and the Olomouc region with 18.4%.
Germany remained the largest source of foreign visitors, accounting for a quarter of all foreign clients, with approximately 637,000 German visitors to the Czech Republic. Visitors from Slovakia were the second most numerous group, followed by guests from Poland. According to the Czech Statistical Office, the decline in tourists from Asian countries and Russia continues.
It is worth noting that the statistics on visitor numbers include data on Ukrainian citizens who paid for their accommodation. “Due to the war conflict in Ukraine, it was not always possible for accommodation providers to distinguish between whether the guest was a tourist or a refugee,” the office stated.