Tourism in the Czech Republic dropped by 51 percent in 2020, with 11.2 million fewer tourists than in 2019. The regions where tourism was hardest hit were Prague and Karlovy Vary. Photo Credit: NS / BD.
Czech Rep., Feb 11 (BD) – The year 2020 will be remembered for the pandemic and the huge disruption it caused for many sectors of the economy. Tourism was among the sectors that was hardest hit by the anti-coronavirus measures in many countries. According to the Czech Statistical Office, tourism in the Czech Republic dropped by 51 percent in 2020. The number of guests in accommodation establishments in 2020, domestic and foreign, was 10.8 million, down from around 22 million in 2019.
Czech tourism had been increasing steadily for several consecutive years, mostly due to the growing popularity of Prague and other historical cities in the country, but the global pandemic significantly reduced the possibility of travel last year, with severe consequences for overseas business. Before the pandemic, the Czech Republic’s main sources of tourism were Germany, Slovakia, Poland, and Asian countries such as China. Arrivals from distant destinations dropped the most – for example, tourism from China stood at just 6.4 percent compared to 2019.
Around eight million domestic guests stayed in hotels and other accommodation services in 2020, almost 30 percent less than 2019. As a result, Czechs spent one-fifth fewer nights in accommodation services in 2020 than the previous year. The number of foreign tourists in the Czech Republic dropped by approximately 86 percent. The impact was felt hardest by Prague accommodation services, with a 92 percent decrease in the total number of guests, followed by Karlovy Vary with a fall of 79 percent.
