Czech vacationers spending less on package tours ahead of summer season

Tour operators have registered between a 10 – 15 percent decrease in the number of Czech vacationers buying package tours in normally popular destinations such as Egypt or Tunisia. Vacationers are choosing to save more in lean economic times, and are apparently being more selective in how they spend their funds: either opting for cheaper destinations by plane, or by vacationing by car or bus a little closer to home.

Photo: Jitka Hrabánková

Egypt and Tunisia have long been among some of the more popular summer vacation sites for Czech holiday goers but so far this year, interest has waned, forcing some tour agencies to scale back on offers that might otherwise go unsold. The drop in interest, between ten to 15 percent, is almost certainly linked to tough economic times: Czechs are continuing to save in a period of weak economic recovery, well-aware they will be asked to tighten their belts by the next government. A little earlier I spoke to Tomio Okamura, vice president as well as spokesman for the Association of Czech Tour Operators and Travel Agencies, and asked him for his perspective:

“Regarding packages by plane we have seen a 15 percent drop in sales so far and the reason is simple: Czechs are continuing to save. Regarding Tunisia, it is 10th or 11th for Czech tourists, so it is not a favorite, but Egypt is sixth, so this is a top spot, so yes, it is quite a decrease. On the other hand, such packages are only 20 percent of overall tour sales: the rest are tours by car and bus and so on to destinations such as Croatia, Slovakia and Italy. Tour agencies are saying that overall sales are going up, but the drop is still 15 percent for tours involving transportation by plane.”

Czech interest in destinations such as Tunisia and Egypt may have suffered but other areas remain attractive, Okamura says, paradoxically because of economic woes and the impact of the crisis. Here’s what he had to say:

“In the case of Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Spain we have seen some of the cheapest rates in the last four years. That is the other face of the crisis which is good for the Czech client.”

Some have noted that the ten to 15 percent drop in interest in package tours in parts of the Mediterranean will lead more operators to slim down current offers, meaning some Czech travelers, used to waiting for attractive cheaper last minute offers, could have fewer options to choose from this year.