As Valentine’s Day approaches, Czech citizens are ramping up their spending on travel, jewelry, and even erotic gifts. The romantic holiday has sparked an uptick in demand for extended weekend getaways, both domestically and abroad, sweets, and flowers. Valentine’s Day sees many Czechs parting with hundreds, if not thousands of crowns.
According to a survey by e-shop Alza.cz, about a third of the population will celebrate the holiday. The most popular gifts, given by 36% of people, will be flowers and sweets. Fourteen percent will opt for erotic gifts, while eleven percent will choose perfume or cosmetics.
When it comes to budget, 54% of those celebrating plan to spend up to a thousand crowns on a gift, whilst 30% have set aside up to double that amount. Eight percent of respondents will spend up to five thousand crowns, with an equal number prepared to spend even more.
In addition to these gifts, many people plan to celebrate the day with festive dinners, tasting menus, or by renting private wellness centers, said Ladislav Veselý from Slevomat, based on sold vouchers. Others are planning to hit the slopes or enjoy stays at castles over the following weekend.
Romantic trips abroad are also seeing a rise in interest, with Spanish Malaga being this year’s hit. Compared to last Valentine’s Day, sales of flight vouchers have doubled, said Josef Trejbal, director of Letuška.cz, with the most interest being in vouchers for 5,000 crowns.