More than just Prague: CzechTourism focussing on attracting visitors to other regions
In 2022, Prague welcomed more than six million tourists to the city, but other parts of the country, regions in Moravia in particular, struggle to lure in visitors. CzechTourism is trying to change this by focussing campaigns on other parts of the country, and CEO Frantisek Reismuller told me more about them.
“Especially before Covid, tourism in Prague was quite strong. Our strategy was to get people into the lesser-known Czech regions, and of course get them to stay longer in Czechia.”
Looking back at the statistics from last year, six million tourists visited Prague alone in 2022 – but do other regions, let’s take Moravia as an example, have a harder time attracting visitors?
“I would say the Moravian part of the Vysočina region is a little bit less visited, which is a pity because it’s a really beautiful place. There is a different structure of tourists in Moravia. South Moravia is definitely more visited by foreigners, and it’s one of the hottest regions of Czechia. The northern part of Moravia is more visited by Czechs.”
What are the measures being taken by CzechTourism to stress these areas a little bit more?
“We are trying to mention them in our campaigns, especially in markets like Austria and Poland. CzechTourism does need to be fair, so 50 percent of our activities are spread fairly and invested across the regions. Before Covid, we always omitted Prague, but during Covid we had to focus on Prague as well. Being the most visited place in Czechia means that when the foreigners don’t come, it struggled the most. We are adjusting the strategy now, but we are trying to be fair in 50 percent of our activities. After, we see what regions and in what season are visited from different source markets, and then we focus on those markets while promoting specific products or places from specific regions.”
If a tourist asked you why they should visit Moravia in addition to Prague, what would you tell them?
“It’s the authenticity of these regions. Any place that is less visited by tourists or off the beaten path has a certain magic to it for foreigners. I would always ask people what they’re interested in. If you’re into food and wine, then I would recommend South Moravia and to participate in the Gourmet Brno Festival or the Gourmet South Moravia Festival. If you’re interested in industrial heritage, go to Ostrava and try the Techno Trail. If you’re more oriented towards UNESCO sites, than definitely go to Zelená hora (Green Mountain) in Vysočina.”
