A total of 5,500 exhibitors from 161 countries, more than 90,000 visitors. That's what ITB Berlin looked like this week. The figures confirmed that this is the most important international tourism fair in the world. During the three days, the Czech stand hosted over 500 meetings of tour operators, start-ups, German and foreign media.
21 Czech entities presented themselves at ITB. Among others, the Pilsner Urquell Experience, which will welcome its first guests in Prague this spring. It is in the capital city that a new tourist destination will open that will delight all beer lovers. Among them are tourists from Germany, who have been leading Czechia's visitor charts for a long time.
„Last year, a total of about 19.5 million tourists came to Czechia, of which about 7.4 million were foreign guests and more than 12.1 million Czechs. Most of the visitors came from neighbouring countries. There were 1.8 million visitors from Germany (- 11%), 780,000 from Slovakia (+ 4.0%) and 615,000 from Poland (- 8.5%), followed by guests from the United States. Last year, 372 thousand (- 36.3%) of them came to Czechia. Another 316,000 travellers came from the UK (- 36.3%), says Director of the Czech Tourism Authority – CzechTourism Jan Herget and adds: „Percentage comparison refers to the pre-Christmas year 2019, when a total of about 22 million tourists came to Czechia, of which about 10.9 million were foreign guests and more than 11.1 million Czechs.“ According to Herget, direct air links are key to returning to pre-pandemic foreign tourist numbers, which is also a priority for CzechTourism this year. The announced first „swallow“ is the resumption of direct Prague – Seoul flights from March 27.
A novelty of this year's ITB was the location of the Czech stand in the new hub 27 and also the shortening of the entire professional event to three days, which was very much welcomed by the participants, who are tourism experts from all over the world.
„We are very happy to be back as exhibitors at ITB live after a three-year coronavirus hiatus. We were thus able to effectively support the growing interest of not only German tourists in holidays in Czechia, which we had already experienced before at national fairs in Germany," says and adds: and adds: „Germans are traditionally among the most important foreign visitors to Czechia, measured by the number of arrivals and overnight stays. In 2022, 1.85 million of them came to the country, a 65% year-on-year increase. Of the 4.97 million overnight stays, most took place in Prague, '>Karlovarsky and Královéhradecky region.“
Speaking at the opening of this year's ITB in Berlin, CzechTourism director Jan Herget said he was optimistic about the development of tourism in Czechia this year. After tourists from neighbouring countries almost returned to Czechia last year, the same can be expected as far as distant markets are concerned. In addition, significantly more domestic tourists travelled around Czechia.
The return of visitors from abroad was supported by an online campaign in Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and Sweden focusing on skiing, including winter cities and Valentine's Day. Domestic tourists, in turn, are the focus of the March Mountains campaign, which can be seen online in domestic media from 27 February to 26 March. Interest in Czechia will also be boosted this year by the international Tourism Forum, which will take place on 17 March at the Prague Exhibition Centre as part of the Holiday World and Region World trade fair. And Czechia Travel Trade Day, the largest inbound workshop, will be held on 24 and 25 April in Brno.
The next edition of ITB Berlin will take place from 5 to 7 March 2024.
„Last year, a total of about 19.5 million tourists came to Czechia, of which about 7.4 million were foreign guests and more than 12.1 million Czechs. Most of the visitors came from neighbouring countries. There were 1.8 million visitors from Germany (- 11%), 780,000 from Slovakia (+ 4.0%) and 615,000 from Poland (- 8.5%), followed by guests from the United States. Last year, 372 thousand (- 36.3%) of them came to Czechia. Another 316,000 travellers came from the UK (- 36.3%), says Director of the Czech Tourism Authority – CzechTourism Jan Herget and adds: „Percentage comparison refers to the pre-Christmas year 2019, when a total of about 22 million tourists came to Czechia, of which about 10.9 million were foreign guests and more than 11.1 million Czechs.“ According to Herget, direct air links are key to returning to pre-pandemic foreign tourist numbers, which is also a priority for CzechTourism this year. The announced first „swallow“ is the resumption of direct Prague – Seoul flights from March 27.
A novelty of this year's ITB was the location of the Czech stand in the new hub 27 and also the shortening of the entire professional event to three days, which was very much welcomed by the participants, who are tourism experts from all over the world.
„We are very happy to be back as exhibitors at ITB live after a three-year coronavirus hiatus. We were thus able to effectively support the growing interest of not only German tourists in holidays in Czechia, which we had already experienced before at national fairs in Germany," says and adds: and adds: „Germans are traditionally among the most important foreign visitors to Czechia, measured by the number of arrivals and overnight stays. In 2022, 1.85 million of them came to the country, a 65% year-on-year increase. Of the 4.97 million overnight stays, most took place in Prague, '>Karlovarsky and Královéhradecky region.“
Speaking at the opening of this year's ITB in Berlin, CzechTourism director Jan Herget said he was optimistic about the development of tourism in Czechia this year. After tourists from neighbouring countries almost returned to Czechia last year, the same can be expected as far as distant markets are concerned. In addition, significantly more domestic tourists travelled around Czechia.
The return of visitors from abroad was supported by an online campaign in Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and Sweden focusing on skiing, including winter cities and Valentine's Day. Domestic tourists, in turn, are the focus of the March Mountains campaign, which can be seen online in domestic media from 27 February to 26 March. Interest in Czechia will also be boosted this year by the international Tourism Forum, which will take place on 17 March at the Prague Exhibition Centre as part of the Holiday World and Region World trade fair. And Czechia Travel Trade Day, the largest inbound workshop, will be held on 24 and 25 April in Brno.
The next edition of ITB Berlin will take place from 5 to 7 March 2024.