Czechs plan holidays abroad despite surge in coronavirus cases
Despite the record-high numbers of new coronavirus cases, Czechs are still interested in buying foreign holiday packages, the Czech News Agency reported on Friday, citing data from the country’s top tourist agencies.
The most popular holiday destinations currently include Tunisia and the Canary Islands, which don’t require Czechs to present a negative test for Covid-19 or go into quarantine.
At the end of September, Czech travel agencies also resumed sales of holiday tours to Egypt. The interest among Czech tourists has been growing despite the requirement to present a negative Covid-19 test upon their arrival in the country.
One of the Czech Republic’s largest travel agencies, Invia, has recorded a 60 percent increase in holidays to Tunisia, compared to the same period last year. The holiday season in the north-African country has just started.
“At the moment, 42 percent of our clients are heading for Tunisia,” Invia told the Czech News Agency, adding that the heightened interest in this destination is also caused by the limited offer of foreign holiday packages.
According to the agency’s spokeswoman, Andrea Řezníčková, some 14 percent of their clients are planning a holiday in Egypt.
Another Czech travel agency, Exim Tours, also reports a growing interest in Tunisia and the nearby island of Djerba.
However, Invia has decided not to resume sales of holiday tours to Egypt during the state of emergency, its spokesman, Petr Kostka, told the Czech News Agency:
“We don’t want to promise our clients holiday tours that would have to be cancelled later,” he said.
The country’s oldest travel agency Čedok has also confirmed an increased interest among their clients to spend the autumn holidays in Canary Islands, Madeira and Egypt, despite the soaring numbers of coronavirus cases.
The Czech Foreign Ministry regularly updates its coronavirus travel map where people can find the latest information on where they can travel without restrictions and which countries require a negative test for Covid-19 or quarantine.
