Protest against mass tourism on Prague’s Old Town Square

Several dozen people gathered on Prague’s Old Town Square on Saturday to protest against mass tourism and in particular the growing number of Airbnb providers in big city centres. Demonstrators emphasized that they are not against tourism as such, but oppose the current form of tourism which is "deregulated, commercialized, and purely profit-driven". They claim that the lack of regulation in Airbnb services is negatively impacting life in Prague, pushing up housing and rental prices, increasing noise pollution, turning neighborhoods into open-air museums and depriving locals of public space. Organizers of the protest say they chose Old Town Square deliberately, citing its symbolic significance: many Prague residents now avoid the area due to overcrowding. According to the Czech Statistics Office, around 22.8 million tourists stayed in the country last year, a 3.8 percent increase compared to the previous year and 820,000 more than in the pre-pandemic high of 2019.