There is a long history of tourism in the Czech Republic. Prague is one of the most visited cities of the world, with 6–8 million visitors per year.
For the needs of tourism, the Czech Republic is divided into 17 tourist regions, further divided into 40 subregions. The regions partly overlap with the administrative regions, but natural areas of tourist importance are set aside. The subregions further distinguish natural and cultural areas. [1]
In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, residents made up 50.5% of guests who spent at least one night in accommodation facilities (a total of 11,107,866 visitors). In 2022, the share of domestic guests was 62.2% (in absolute numbers 12,080,764 visitors, which was the most in history). [2] In 2022, the share of tourists from Asian countries decreased significantly due to long-term anti-pandemic measures in these countries, canceled direct flights and the political situation in the world. [3] Most non-residents arriving to the Czech Republic and staying overnight are from the following countries: [4]
Rank | Country | 2022 | 2019 |
---|---|---|---|
Total | 7,343,400 | 10,890,500 | |
1 | Germany | 1,842,729 | 2,075,460 |
2 | Slovakia | 776,216 | 749,631 |
3 | Poland | 612,917 | 671,857 |
4 | United States | 373,403 | 584,627 |
5 | United Kingdom | 316,093 | 495,728 |
6 | Ukraine | 285,302 | 272,082 |
7 | Austria | 263,420 | 285,457 |
8 | Italy | 251,964 | 409,731 |
9 | Netherlands | 223,421 | 248,898 |
10 | France | 213,251 | 306,875 |
South Korea | 67,005 | 387,563 | |
Russia | 49,094 | 564,083 | |
Mainland China | 34,123 | 609,727 |
Prague is by far the most visited Czech city. In 2018, it was the 28th most visited city in the world. [5]
Region | Total | Non-residents | Residents |
---|---|---|---|
Czech Republic | 19,424,164 | 7,343,400 | 12,080,764 |
Prague | 5,984,803 | 4,491,611 | 1,493,192 |
Central Bohemian Region | 1,157,837 | 201,664 | 956,173 |
South Bohemian Region | 1,464,864 | 287,369 | 1,177,495 |
Plzeň Region | 840,789 | 243,834 | 596,955 |
Karlovy Vary Region | 1,157,945 | 525,297 | 632,648 |
Ústí nad Labem Region | 580,023 | 172,281 | 407,742 |
Liberec Region | 1,113,981 | 159,749 | 954,232 |
Hradec Králové Region | 1,468,600 | 246,683 | 1,221,917 |
Pardubice Region | 503,879 | 56,846 | 447,033 |
Vysočina Region | 642,986 | 69,966 | 573,020 |
South Moravian Region | 1,990,371 | 525,136 | 1,465,235 |
Olomouc Region | 722,842 | 104,903 | 617,939 |
Zlín Region | 802,061 | 95,852 | 706,209 |
Moravian-Silesian Region | 993,183 | 162,209 | 830,974 |
In 2022, the most visited tourist destinations in the country were: [6]
Rank | Destination | No. of visitors (in thousands) |
Region |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Petřín funicular | 1,707.6 | Prague |
2 | Prague Castle | 1,420.1 | Prague |
3 | Prague Zoo | 1,419.1 | Prague |
4 | Aquapalace Prague | 968.0 | Central Bohemian |
5 | Lower Vítkovice | 891.8 | Moravian-Silesian |
6 | Zlín-Lešná Zoo | 798.5 | Zlín |
7 | Aqualand Moravia | 727.2 | South Moravian |
8 | Safari Park Dvůr Králové | 669.4 | Hradec Králové |
9 | Špilberk Castle | 606.9 | South Moravian |
10 | Ostrava Zoo | 606.7 | Moravian-Silesian |
11 | Žižkov Television Tower | 570.0 | Prague |
12 | Petřín Lookout Tower | 532.2 | Prague |
13 | Plzeň Zoo | 512.7 | Plzeň |
14 | Pilsner Urquell Brewery | 466.5 | Plzeň |
15 | Liberec Zoo | 442.2 | Liberec |
16 | Olomouc Zoo | 408.9 | Olomouc |
17 | Prague Botanical Garden | 403.2 | Prague |
18 | Adršpach-Teplice Rocks | 400.0 | Hradec Králové |
19 | Old Town Hall | 384.8 | Prague |
20 | iQ Landia science center in Liberec | 381.7 | Liberec |
21 | Jihlava Zoo | 353.6 | Vysočina |
22 | Aquapark in Uherské Hradiště | 342.3 | South Moravian |
23 | Wallachian Open Air Museum | 334.0 | Zlín |
24 | Lednice Castle | 326.7 | South Moravian |
25 | Brno Zoo | 325.3 | South Moravian |
26 | Petřín Mirror Maze | 321.3 | Prague |
27 | Chairlift in Prague Zoo | 314.6 | Prague |
28 | Sky Bridge 721 | 280.0 | Pardubice |
29 | Ohrada Zoo | 277.2 | South Bohemian |
30 | Mirakulum amusement park | 269.9 | Central Bohemian |
The Czech Republic has 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including two transnational. One of them is natural, the rest is cultural.