In the third quarter of 2024, the total number of arrivals in Czech accommodation establishments fell by 1.0% compared to the previous year, while the number of overnight stays dropped by 1.7%. Although the number of international guests and their overnight stays increased, domestic tourism recorded a decline. This marks the first year-on-year drop in visitor numbers since the second quarter of 2021.
The number of overnight stays in mass accommodation totaled 20.9 million in the third quarter, a 1.7% decrease compared to the same period last year. Domestic guests accounted for 13.2 million stays, marking a 5.3% decline. In contrast, foreign visitors spent 7.8 million nights in Czech accommodations, with overnight stays by non-residents increasing by 5.2% year-on-year.
“In the third quarter of this year, 7.7 million guests arrived at accommodation establishments, representing a 1.0% decline in visitor arrivals. This trend was influenced by a 4.5% decline in domestic guests, while the number of international visitors increased by 4.4%,” said Roman Mikula, Head of the Department of Tourism and Environmental Statistics at the Czech Statistical Office.
Hotel visitor numbers saw a slight decrease of 0.1% from July to September compared to the previous year. A total of 4.6 million guests stayed in hotels across the country, accounting for 11.3 million overnight stays. Foreign guest arrivals at hotels rose by 4.7%, while domestic guest numbers fell by 5.7%. Guest houses received 6.3% fewer visitors, with overnight stays in this category down by 6.0%. Campsites saw a 1.8% increase in visitors, who stayed 0.6% longer than in the previous year.
Regionally, guest numbers fell across almost all areas of the Czech Republic compared to the previous year, with only Prague and the Ústí nad Labem region seeing growth, and stagnation recorded in South Bohemia. The Ústí nad Labem region experienced a 3.0% rise in guest numbers, while other regions reported a decline in domestic arrivals. Twelve regions recorded increases in foreign guests, although the Olomouc region saw a decrease. Only Prague and the Karlovy Vary region experienced an increase in total overnight stays, while other regions saw declines compared to the previous year.
Foreign guests stayed in accommodations 4.4% longer than during the same period last year. Most visitors came from Germany (over 660,000), although this represented a 2.5% decline compared to the previous year. Overnight stays by German guests also fell by 0.8%.
