Tourism - 2. quarter of 2024

The number of overnight stays of guests in collective accommodation establishments reached 13.9 million nights in total in the Q2 2024 and compared to the corresponding period of 2023 it increased by 0.9%. Non-residents spent in Czechia 6.5 million nights in total, which was a year-on-year increase by 6.6%. On the other hand, domestic clientele spent 7.5 million nights in collective accommodation establishments and in the year-on-year comparison, the number of overnight stays of residents decreased by 3.5%.

“In the second quarter of 2024, 6 million guests arrived in collective accommodation establishments. The year-on-year growth by 3.3% was supported by the number of non-residents, the number of whom accommodated in Czechia by 9.3% more compared to the corresponding period of 2023. However, the number of residents decreased by 1.4% to 3.2 million guests,” Roman Mikula, Head of the Tourism and Environmental Statistics Unit of the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO), stated.

In the surveyed period, 4.3 million guests were recorded in a hotel-type accommodation. In the year-on-year comparison, this segment reported growth by 4.7%. Foreign tourists, who made 56% of hotel clients, reported growth by 9.1% to the total number of 2.4 million guests, whereas residents recorded a decrease by 0.5% to 1.9 million guests. The number of overnight stays in hotels increased by 2.1% to 9.5 million nights when compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. Boarding houses recorded a decrease both in the number of guests (by 1.4%) and the number of overnight stays (by 1.6%). Residents made over 80% of the clientele of boarding houses; their number decreased there by 3.2%, y-o-y, and they spent there by 3.5% less nights. On the other hand, as for non-residents, an increase of both the number of guests and overnight stays was observed in this accommodation category. In other collective accommodation establishments, which include, for example, tourist campsites, holiday dwellings, and hostels, by 1.1% more guests were accommodated compared to the corresponding period of the previous year; however, the number of overnight stays decreased by 1.2%.  

As for Regions, the number of accommodated guests increased in nine Regions of the Czech Republic in the Q2 2024, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. A decrease was recorded in the following: the Ústecký Region, the Liberecký Region, the Královéhradecký Region, the Jihomoravský Region, and the Pardubický Region. A year-on-year increase in the number of non-residents was recorded by all Regions except for the Ústecký Region. On the other hand, more residents accommodated only in the Jihočeský Region, in the Karlovarský Region, and in the Vysočina Region. The number of overnight stays in total increased in five Regions as follows: in the Moravskoslezský Region, in the Jihočeský Region, in Prague, in the Vysočina Region, and in the Karlovarský Region. Non-residents spent more nights in all Regions of the Czech Republic except for the Ústecký Region compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. However, for residents, the y-o-y index of overnight stays only increased in the Jihočeský Region. The Moravskoslezský Region reported a stagnation and in other Regions the number of overnight stays of domestic guests decreased.

In the Q2 2024, the number of foreign guests (non-residents; by citizenship) who accommodated in collective accommodation establishments increased by 9.3%, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. In total, 2.8 million non-residents were accommodated in Czechia. Over 600 thousand guests came from Germany and over 100 thousand visitors also came from the following countries: Poland, Slovakia, the United States of America, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Austria. The highest relative year-on-year increase in the number of visitors was observed in tourists from China, namely by 125.7%. The number of overnight stays of non-residents increased by 6.6%, y-o-y, to the total of 6.5 million nights. Among the top ten most frequent nationalities (citizenships) only guests from Germany reported a year-on-year decrease in the number of overnight stays (by 2.7%); as for guests from other countries, their number of overnight stays increased. The highest year-on-year growth in the number of nights was reported as for tourists from China (by 76.9%) and Finland (by 54.1%).

The ice hockey world championship organised by the Czech Republic in May 2024 attracted to Prague and to the Moravskoslezský Region sports fans from abroad. In the Q2 2024, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, by 9.2% more non-residents came to Prague. The highest y-o-y growth in the number of foreign clients from participating countries was reported for guests from Finland (by 48.8%), Switzerland (by 43.5%), and Canada (by 39.4%). The Finns spent in Prague 3 nights on average, Canadians 2.7 nights, and the Swiss 2.5 nights. In the Moravskoslezský Region, by 25.7% more non-residents accommodated, year-on-year. From participating countries, the highest year-on-year increase in the number of guests was reported by clients from Sweden (by 150.4%) and from Kazakhstan (by 127.9%); over a 50% increase in the number of clients was also recorded as for guests from Latvia, Finland, and Slovakia. On average, the highest number of nights in the Moravskoslezský Region was spent by clients from Canada (3.8 nights), Sweden (3.6 nights), France and the United States of America (both 2.9 nights). On the other hand, guests from the nearest countries rather came for a shorter time; namely, from Poland they came for 2.0 nights and from Slovakia for 1.9 night.