Tourism - 1st quarter of 2012

Q1 2012, the number of guests’ overnight stays in collective accommodation establishments increased by 8.7% year-on-year, of which non-residents by 13.0% and residents by 4.6%. In total, more guests arrived by 12.8%, of which foreigners by 14.4% and residents by 11.3% more.

The number of overnight stays in collective accommodation establishments totalled 7.7 million in Q1 2012; this was by 8.7% more than in the same period of the previous year. Non-residents (their number of overnight stays went up by 13.0%) contributed to the growth more than residents (an increase by 4.6%). The number of overnight stays in the most luxury five-star hotels went up by 18.3% and in four-star hotels by 12.3%. Remarkable year-on-year growth was recorded also by lower categories of hotels – in one-star hotels by 21.2% and hotels garni by 20.7% (a share of their number of overnight stays ranges on a long-term basis around 1 to 2% for a quarter). In pensions (boarding houses), there was an increase of the number of overnight stays by 0.6% only; foreign clients showed higher interest of this category (a growth by 3.8%), domestic guest spent less nights by 0.3% y-o-y. Other collective accommodation establishments reported higher number of overnight stays by 1.1% compared to the same period of previous year. From regional point of view, the highest increase was shown by accommodation establishments in Liberecky region (by 16.8%) and the capital city of Prague (by 15.3%); in contrast the highest decrease was shown in Olomoucky region (by 3.4%).

A total of 2.6 million guests arrived in collective accommodation establishments; this was 12.8% more than in Q1 2011. The number of non-residents rose by 14.4%; the number of residents went steadily up in already six quarters and in the first three months of this year a growth by 11.3% was recorded. As far as the category of accommodation establishments is concerned, the development in the number of arrivals was similar like for overnight stays. An increase of arrivals was shown in one-star hotels (by 22.0%), five-star (by 20.9%) and hotels garni (by 19.6%). Also pensions and other collective accommodation establishments attracted more guests (by 8.0% and 6.4% respectively). From the regional point of view, the highest increase in the number of guests’ arrivals was recorded in Karlovarsky region (by 20.5%) and regions Liberecky (by 19.8%) and the capital Prague (by 16.0%). A decrease of interest was shown by Pardubicky region (by 1.8%).

The highest number of foreign guests (by nationality) came traditionally from Germany (271 thousand); this was by 8.0% more than a year ago. The second largest group was guests from Russia (151 thousand) with the y-o-y increase in arrivals by 37.2%. A rising tendency of arrivals as well as overnight stays of Russian clients is evident with an exception in the year 2009 from the year 2003. From top ten countries, from which the most foreign guests arrived, the number of guests from Italy (by 26.0%) and Slovakia (by 23.9%) increased. Ukraine (y-o-y growth in overnight stays by 9.2%) newly appears in the top ten according to the number of overnight stays and replaced Spain (a decrease of overnight stays by 1.7% and arrivals by 0.9%).

Spa accommodation establishments visited 155 thousand guests in Q1 2012; this was 1.9% up y-o-y, of which the number of non-residents went up by 5.0% and residents went down in contrast by 1.5%. Foreign guest spent in spa establishments by 9.2% nights more; residents on the contrary by 9.6% less. In Karlovarsky region, which was constantly showing the share more than half of the number of arrivals as well as overnight stays in spa establishments, the number of arrivals of non-residents increased by 5.6% and residents by 10.4%.

Rooms of hotels and boarding houses (pensions) were used from 34.9%; this was by 1.9 p.p. more than in the same period of the previous year. Four-star hotels with the highest utilisation from all hotels (45.0%) increased their usage by 4.1 p.p.; an utilisation of five-star hotels increased by 7.7 p.p. to 44.7%. An increase in use of rooms reported three-star hotels (by 0.5 p.p) and other hotels and boarding houses (by 0.2 p.p.).

This press release was not edited for language.


Notes
Responsible head: Marie Boušková, phone (+420) 274052 935, e-mail: marie.bouskova@csu.gov.cz
Contact person: Pavel Vančura, phone (+420) 274052096, e-mail: pavel.vancura@csu.gov.cz
Method of data acquisition: direct surveys of the CZSO at collective accommodation establishments
End of data collection: 27 April 2012
End of data processing: 3 May 2012
Related publications: Data for particular quarters from 2000 are available in time series
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The next News Release will be published: 7 august 201 2
Data for Q1 2012 are preliminary; final data for all quarters of 2012 will be available in April 2013 at the latest.