Covid-19 forces Prague hotel owners to cut prices

The average price of hotel stays in Prague has been falling for the second year due to the lack of foreign tourists, caused by the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the Czech News Agency reported, citing Czech booking agencies.

On the contrary, hotel owners in the regions, especially in the destinations popular among Czech tourists, have been upping prices. In many cases, they are higher than in the pre-Covid period.

The coronavirus crisis has shown who is resilient and adaptable, the head of Slevomat, the largest daily deal discount website on the Czech market, Ladislav Veselý, told the Czech News Agency:

“The regions took advantage of the fact that a large number of Czechs are spending their holidays at home, which is why they have raised prices. This applies especially to the most sought-after destinations, such as the Giant Mountains, Šumava and South Bohemia," he said.

Last year, a four-night stay for two people in the regions in June and July cost an average of CZK 7,499. This year, travellers paid around CZK 9,443 for such a stay.

According to Mr. Veselý, the highest accommodation prices are in South Moravia. "A week or a fortnight-long holidays for a family, for example in Lednice and its surroundings, can be found for the price of all-inclusive holidays by the sea," he said.

In order to attract domestic tourists, hotel-owners in Prague had to get cheaper. The price of a room for two for four nights has dropped from an average of CZK 7,851 in 2019 to CZK 6,678 this year, says Mr. Veselý, adding that in some cases, prices have fallen to less than a half of last year’s figure.

A survey carried out by the state agency CzechTourism in May showed that 76 percent of Czechs plan to spend their holidays at home this year. On average, it will last 13 days and people will spend CZK 6,840 per person, which is CZK 700 more than they reported last year.

Large cities in particular continue to face a shortage of foreign guests. Experts have long pointed out that domestic tourists cannot replace them.