Literature, film and games are changing the perception of destinations and bringing more and more visitors to them. The latest impulse is Dan Brown's novel "The Secret of All Secrets", which is set mostly in Prague. It is one of the biggest book events of recent years and CzechTourism is already exploiting its potential and promoting not only the capital but also other regions. The interest in Czechia will be enhanced by the fact that the story with Robert Langdon will be made into a film. Soon, Czech locations will reach a global audience on the Netflix platform.
Books as a travel magnet
Books can awaken curiosity and lead people to explore places they wouldn't otherwise go. It's not just Brown's bestsellers that continue to inspire readers to travel in Professor Langdon's footsteps from Paris to Rome and Florence to Barcelona. In Czechia, Karin Lednicka's Slanting Church trilogy had the same effect, kick-starting tourism in and around Karviná and opening up debate about the region's history. Similarly, the novel Habermann's Mill had a similar effect, increasing interest in the Jeseníky Mountains. Also worth mentioning is the Trujkunt detective series by Petr Sagitarius, which takes readers to the easternmost corner of our country – the tri-border of Czechia, Poland and Slovakia.
„Dan Brown's novel is a major event with huge potential for tourism, propelling Prague into the ranks of leading cultural capitals that attract foreign tourists. Our capital city has made it onto the pages of a global bestseller, and readers will want to experience its unique and mysterious atmosphere in real life. We'll show them the way beyond – to regions that offer comparably powerful stories and experiences. The metropolis remains the gateway to Czechia, but we want it not to be the only destination," says Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism František Reismüller and adds: "As in our international marketing, we are presenting places associated with Franz Kafka, Bohumil Hrabal or Václav Havel – not as monuments, but as places with an atmosphere where visitors are attracted by a strong story.“
Stories that change tourism
Literary inspiration has a clearly measurable effect in Czechia and abroad. For example, the series about Commissaire Dupinov has brought thousands of readers to Brittany. In Czechia, the Prašina trilogy for young people has enthused a new generation of readers for the lesser-known corners of Prague. and created a literal map of adventure for families with children.
And it doesn't stop with the books. Other forms of cultural production have a similar effect. The video game Kingdom Come has brought a significant increase in interest and attendance: Deliverance. Following the launch of the second installment of this gaming phenomenon, Kutná Hora received 30% more domestic tourists in April alone than at the same time last year, an extra 22,000 or so people, according to data models from the O2 Dataclair.ai Centre for Artificial Intelligence. The Town of Suchdol even saw a 45% increase in visitors, and State Castle Trosky saw a 22% increase. The positive thing about this data is that the game had a major impact on increasing the number of visitors from the young Generation Z, i.e. around 25 years old. This group has clearly become the most represented visitor group in all the locations surveyed after the game's release. And their numbers increased by up to 300% year-on-year in some locations.
„Kingdom Come shows how a story can become an invitation to travel. We can expect the same effect with Brown's book – in fact, an authentic story motivates more than traditional advertising. The game has a huge potential to make Czechia more visible in the world, as well as among domestic visitors. It reaches target groups that would be hard to attract with conventional campaigns. In this respect, we cooperate very closely with our colleagues from the regions," adds Tereza Hofmanová, Director of B2B and Product Marketing at CzechTourism,
CzechTourism's strategy: how to harness literary potential
CzechTourism is responding to the publication of the book with targeted activities. It is promoting the bestseller on the Kudy z nudy portal, which targets mainly a domestic audience. International visitors, on the other hand, will find regularly updated information in an engaging format on the VisitCzechia website, which contains, among other things, links to events related to the book's release and thematic tours of Prague City Tourism. Starting September 9, fans of Brown's novels will also find a special page featuring locations from the novel. Communication also takes place on the agency's official social media profiles. A large part of the communication is provided by foreign representations of CzechTourism, for example through competitions for stays in Prague, cooperation with book chains or media.
In the USA, the agency took part in the Dan Brown book tour at the largest American bookstore Barnes & Noble in New York and cooperated with the publishing house Penguin Random House. In the UK, an interactive game Where Am I? is running, for which the agency there has secured discount codes for the Prague City Pass. It is also involved in special screenings of The Da Vinci Code at the Everyman boutique cinema chain as well as the original Secret Keeper event for creators on TikTok. In Poland, book competitions in collaboration with Sonia Draga publishing house are taking place, a launch event was held in Bratislava and a similar event was enjoyed by fans of Brown's novels in Amsterdam. In Germany, CzechTourism cooperates with the Bastei Lübbe publishing house and, in addition to video-mapping activities, organises a joint competition for a trip to Prague. Colleagues abroad communicate the topic directly in the countries where they operate, reach out to local media, collaborate with influencers with high followings and prepare press and influencer trips for them. The promotion also involves Prague City Tourism and other regional partners.
„Cultural tourism is a solid part of our campaigns to highlight Czechia as a premium cultural destination. We prepare presstrips and influencertrips, create content for global and product campaigns and add new digital formats, for example, we are planning to develop an online game like “scavenger hunt”. Brown's book provides us with a unique impulse that we can turn into concrete experiences and greater interest in travel," emphasizes Director of Marketing and Foreign Representations Jana Štumpová Konicarová.
Direction Frankfurt 2026
Brown's work comes out as Czechia prepares for a major cultural event – the role of guest of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2026, which it will assume this autumn. A year later, from 7 to 11 October 2026, contemporary Czech literature will be presented during the 78th edition of the fair under the slogan “Czechia – the land on the coast”. In the meantime, as part of the Year of Czech Culture, a series of exhibitions, cultural presentations, author readings and debates will take place in the German-speaking countries in cooperation with partner institutions to attract the attention of the public and stimulate interest in the hosting itself. Further support for publishers, authors, literary agents or translators is also planned
Film venues are also pulling in
The film industry also plays an important role in the domestic economy. Filming does not only generate income for the filmmakers themselves, but also for other industries – from accommodation and transport to construction and catering to textile services. As much as 60% of the revenues from filming go to these segments. In addition, filming locations become attractive points of interest for tourists. A typical example is the Pachinek Glassworks, which received worldwide attention for the film On Knives: Glass Onion.
Both Hollywood and European productions present Czech locations as universal backdrops with a historical atmosphere, inspiring travellers to explore familiar and lesser-known places. According to data from 2022, almost half of domestic tourists have visited a location associated with a film or series in the last five years. Among the most popular are the historical centres of Prague and Český Krumlov, the castle of Hluboká, castles of Karlštejn, Křivoklát or Bouzov, but also Adršpašské skály, Telč or Lednice.
Czechia has appeared in a number of major productions – from the Bond film Casino Royale, to The Chronicles of Narnia and Mission: Impossible, to the Oscar-winning Edith Piaf. In recent years, this has included Gray Man and the second part of Remission, which was originally supposed to be filmed in Australia but was eventually made in Czechia. Bollywood films have also played a significant role, with spectacular scenes from Prague or Karlovy Vary (Superstar, Jab Harry met Sejal, Bang Bang) long boosting Indian tourists' interest in our country. The Korean romantic series Lovers in Prague was also a success, which kick-started the interest of Korean tourists in Czechia, and the Dutch reality show Wie is de Mol?, whose episodes filmed in Czechia, for example in Brno, at the Valtice Castle or at the Great America Quarry, have generated huge interest in the places associated with it.
In addition to films and TV series, Czechia has also become the backdrop for famous music videos. Ozzy Osbourne, for example, made several music videos in the 1990s, including I Just Want You, which was filmed in Prague, near the Charles Bridge or in the Invalidovna area. Depeche Mode used the romantic stone bridge in Rabštejn nad Střelou for the remix of Personal Jesus. The American singer Anastacia also chose the capital city as a backdrop for her video What Can We Do (A Deeper Love), which was filmed, among other places, at Jánský vrch, Havelský trh or Mánesův most.
Domestic projects have also made a strong contribution. The Police Modrava series brought new visitors to the filming locations in Šumava and the regional partners were able to translate them into concrete tips for trips. Moreover, in recent years, there has been an increasing amount of conscious cooperation between authors, cultural institutions and tourist organisations. Examples include the Šumava Litera festival, which combines literary creation with the offer of experiences directly in the region.
A similar effect can be expected for Chinese reality show Divas Hit the Road: Bond of Hearts, whose seventh season was filmed in Czechia and will run on Chinese TV screens in the autumn. Such high-profile formats bring huge publicity, present Czechia as an attractive destination and can significantly motivate travellers to visit the destination in person.
Sustainability as a priority
Prague is attracting more and more visitors and it is important to strike a balance. CzechTourism builds on the principles of sustainable travel and strives to ensure that tourists discover lesser-known parts of the country with equally powerful experiences.
„Accompanying activities based on Brown's book allow us to channel interest so that tourists spread out to more places and everyone takes away a more enjoyable experience. Preparation, timing, and collaboration among all partners is key. Brown's book will bring in new visitors and we need to work to motivate them. We want them to take away strong experiences from Czechia, but we also want their trip to benefit the locals. If we keep the balance, the whole country will benefit from this literary event," adds František Reismüller.
CzechTourism therefore prepares projects that inspire responsible travel, such as the Responsible Tourist Manual, cooperates with partners in the Tourism Without Traces initiative or participates in the development and implementation of digital tools such as the EPU app. The aim is for tourism to benefit the whole country – economically and socially. If visitors experience something exceptional, they will return to Czechia.
Books can awaken curiosity and lead people to explore places they wouldn't otherwise go. It's not just Brown's bestsellers that continue to inspire readers to travel in Professor Langdon's footsteps from Paris to Rome and Florence to Barcelona. In Czechia, Karin Lednicka's Slanting Church trilogy had the same effect, kick-starting tourism in and around Karviná and opening up debate about the region's history. Similarly, the novel Habermann's Mill had a similar effect, increasing interest in the Jeseníky Mountains. Also worth mentioning is the Trujkunt detective series by Petr Sagitarius, which takes readers to the easternmost corner of our country – the tri-border of Czechia, Poland and Slovakia.
„Dan Brown's novel is a major event with huge potential for tourism, propelling Prague into the ranks of leading cultural capitals that attract foreign tourists. Our capital city has made it onto the pages of a global bestseller, and readers will want to experience its unique and mysterious atmosphere in real life. We'll show them the way beyond – to regions that offer comparably powerful stories and experiences. The metropolis remains the gateway to Czechia, but we want it not to be the only destination," says Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism František Reismüller and adds: "As in our international marketing, we are presenting places associated with Franz Kafka, Bohumil Hrabal or Václav Havel – not as monuments, but as places with an atmosphere where visitors are attracted by a strong story.“
Stories that change tourism
Literary inspiration has a clearly measurable effect in Czechia and abroad. For example, the series about Commissaire Dupinov has brought thousands of readers to Brittany. In Czechia, the Prašina trilogy for young people has enthused a new generation of readers for the lesser-known corners of Prague. and created a literal map of adventure for families with children.
And it doesn't stop with the books. Other forms of cultural production have a similar effect. The video game Kingdom Come has brought a significant increase in interest and attendance: Deliverance. Following the launch of the second installment of this gaming phenomenon, Kutná Hora received 30% more domestic tourists in April alone than at the same time last year, an extra 22,000 or so people, according to data models from the O2 Dataclair.ai Centre for Artificial Intelligence. The Town of Suchdol even saw a 45% increase in visitors, and State Castle Trosky saw a 22% increase. The positive thing about this data is that the game had a major impact on increasing the number of visitors from the young Generation Z, i.e. around 25 years old. This group has clearly become the most represented visitor group in all the locations surveyed after the game's release. And their numbers increased by up to 300% year-on-year in some locations.
„Kingdom Come shows how a story can become an invitation to travel. We can expect the same effect with Brown's book – in fact, an authentic story motivates more than traditional advertising. The game has a huge potential to make Czechia more visible in the world, as well as among domestic visitors. It reaches target groups that would be hard to attract with conventional campaigns. In this respect, we cooperate very closely with our colleagues from the regions," adds Tereza Hofmanová, Director of B2B and Product Marketing at CzechTourism,
CzechTourism's strategy: how to harness literary potential
CzechTourism is responding to the publication of the book with targeted activities. It is promoting the bestseller on the Kudy z nudy portal, which targets mainly a domestic audience. International visitors, on the other hand, will find regularly updated information in an engaging format on the VisitCzechia website, which contains, among other things, links to events related to the book's release and thematic tours of Prague City Tourism. Starting September 9, fans of Brown's novels will also find a special page featuring locations from the novel. Communication also takes place on the agency's official social media profiles. A large part of the communication is provided by foreign representations of CzechTourism, for example through competitions for stays in Prague, cooperation with book chains or media.
In the USA, the agency took part in the Dan Brown book tour at the largest American bookstore Barnes & Noble in New York and cooperated with the publishing house Penguin Random House. In the UK, an interactive game Where Am I? is running, for which the agency there has secured discount codes for the Prague City Pass. It is also involved in special screenings of The Da Vinci Code at the Everyman boutique cinema chain as well as the original Secret Keeper event for creators on TikTok. In Poland, book competitions in collaboration with Sonia Draga publishing house are taking place, a launch event was held in Bratislava and a similar event was enjoyed by fans of Brown's novels in Amsterdam. In Germany, CzechTourism cooperates with the Bastei Lübbe publishing house and, in addition to video-mapping activities, organises a joint competition for a trip to Prague. Colleagues abroad communicate the topic directly in the countries where they operate, reach out to local media, collaborate with influencers with high followings and prepare press and influencer trips for them. The promotion also involves Prague City Tourism and other regional partners.
„Cultural tourism is a solid part of our campaigns to highlight Czechia as a premium cultural destination. We prepare presstrips and influencertrips, create content for global and product campaigns and add new digital formats, for example, we are planning to develop an online game like “scavenger hunt”. Brown's book provides us with a unique impulse that we can turn into concrete experiences and greater interest in travel," emphasizes Director of Marketing and Foreign Representations Jana Štumpová Konicarová.
Direction Frankfurt 2026
Brown's work comes out as Czechia prepares for a major cultural event – the role of guest of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2026, which it will assume this autumn. A year later, from 7 to 11 October 2026, contemporary Czech literature will be presented during the 78th edition of the fair under the slogan “Czechia – the land on the coast”. In the meantime, as part of the Year of Czech Culture, a series of exhibitions, cultural presentations, author readings and debates will take place in the German-speaking countries in cooperation with partner institutions to attract the attention of the public and stimulate interest in the hosting itself. Further support for publishers, authors, literary agents or translators is also planned
Film venues are also pulling in
The film industry also plays an important role in the domestic economy. Filming does not only generate income for the filmmakers themselves, but also for other industries – from accommodation and transport to construction and catering to textile services. As much as 60% of the revenues from filming go to these segments. In addition, filming locations become attractive points of interest for tourists. A typical example is the Pachinek Glassworks, which received worldwide attention for the film On Knives: Glass Onion.
Both Hollywood and European productions present Czech locations as universal backdrops with a historical atmosphere, inspiring travellers to explore familiar and lesser-known places. According to data from 2022, almost half of domestic tourists have visited a location associated with a film or series in the last five years. Among the most popular are the historical centres of Prague and Český Krumlov, the castle of Hluboká, castles of Karlštejn, Křivoklát or Bouzov, but also Adršpašské skály, Telč or Lednice.
Czechia has appeared in a number of major productions – from the Bond film Casino Royale, to The Chronicles of Narnia and Mission: Impossible, to the Oscar-winning Edith Piaf. In recent years, this has included Gray Man and the second part of Remission, which was originally supposed to be filmed in Australia but was eventually made in Czechia. Bollywood films have also played a significant role, with spectacular scenes from Prague or Karlovy Vary (Superstar, Jab Harry met Sejal, Bang Bang) long boosting Indian tourists' interest in our country. The Korean romantic series Lovers in Prague was also a success, which kick-started the interest of Korean tourists in Czechia, and the Dutch reality show Wie is de Mol?, whose episodes filmed in Czechia, for example in Brno, at the Valtice Castle or at the Great America Quarry, have generated huge interest in the places associated with it.
In addition to films and TV series, Czechia has also become the backdrop for famous music videos. Ozzy Osbourne, for example, made several music videos in the 1990s, including I Just Want You, which was filmed in Prague, near the Charles Bridge or in the Invalidovna area. Depeche Mode used the romantic stone bridge in Rabštejn nad Střelou for the remix of Personal Jesus. The American singer Anastacia also chose the capital city as a backdrop for her video What Can We Do (A Deeper Love), which was filmed, among other places, at Jánský vrch, Havelský trh or Mánesův most.
Domestic projects have also made a strong contribution. The Police Modrava series brought new visitors to the filming locations in Šumava and the regional partners were able to translate them into concrete tips for trips. Moreover, in recent years, there has been an increasing amount of conscious cooperation between authors, cultural institutions and tourist organisations. Examples include the Šumava Litera festival, which combines literary creation with the offer of experiences directly in the region.
A similar effect can be expected for Chinese reality show Divas Hit the Road: Bond of Hearts, whose seventh season was filmed in Czechia and will run on Chinese TV screens in the autumn. Such high-profile formats bring huge publicity, present Czechia as an attractive destination and can significantly motivate travellers to visit the destination in person.
Sustainability as a priority
Prague is attracting more and more visitors and it is important to strike a balance. CzechTourism builds on the principles of sustainable travel and strives to ensure that tourists discover lesser-known parts of the country with equally powerful experiences.
„Accompanying activities based on Brown's book allow us to channel interest so that tourists spread out to more places and everyone takes away a more enjoyable experience. Preparation, timing, and collaboration among all partners is key. Brown's book will bring in new visitors and we need to work to motivate them. We want them to take away strong experiences from Czechia, but we also want their trip to benefit the locals. If we keep the balance, the whole country will benefit from this literary event," adds František Reismüller.
CzechTourism therefore prepares projects that inspire responsible travel, such as the Responsible Tourist Manual, cooperates with partners in the Tourism Without Traces initiative or participates in the development and implementation of digital tools such as the EPU app. The aim is for tourism to benefit the whole country – economically and socially. If visitors experience something exceptional, they will return to Czechia.