Tourist stays in the Czech Republic have finally surpassed the pre-Covid-19 levels, as reported by the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO). In 2023, more than 22 million guests stayed in monitored accommodation facilities throughout the country, an increase of almost 14% year-on-year.
Of all the guests who visited the Czech regions last year, 9.5 million were foreign tourists, while 12.5 million were domestic visitors. Even though the overall tourist visits have surpassed the 2019 levels, the numbers of foreign tourists still lag slightly behind but are rapidly catching up.
With tourism fully rejuvenated in Europe after the global pandemic, the CZSO reports that in the final quarter of last year, the number of non-Czech residents staying in the country's accommodation facilities shot up by about 16% year-on-year. Conversely, 2% fewer Czechs stayed in accommodations for tourism purposes.
From January to December 2023, the highest number of tourists came to Czechia from Germany, which accounted for one-quarter of all tourist clientele, with a total of 2.3 million visitors. Slovakia was the second most frequent country of origin, with 867,000 visitors, followed by the UK with 759,000 visitors. Polish, American, and Italian tourists were among the most frequent visitors.
Around four out of every ten tourists who visited Czechia came from neighboring countries. Hotels remained the most popular choice for accommodation, with over 15 million visitors staying in them. Almost 4 million visitors stayed in other accommodation establishments, and around 3 million stayed in boarding houses.
Despite the increase in the number of tourists visiting Czechia, overnight stays have not yet reached the levels of 2019.
According to a report by Prague City Tourism, the capital city welcomed around 5.45 million visitors in the first three quarters of last year. The report also stated that the number of visitors is expected to reach 7 million by the end of 2023, an increase of approximately one-third compared to 2022.
Prague Airport has also reported its highest number of passengers in 2023. The airport expects a rise in passenger numbers in 2024. It forecasts it will handle almost 15 million travelers in 2024, approximately 10% more than the previous year.