Tourism as a stable pillar of the economy
Tourism is one of the key sectors of the Czech economy. In 2023, tourism accounted for 2.36% of the Czecheia's gross domestic product, or CZK 180 billion. It employs approximately 224,000 people, i.e. roughly one in twenty-four people in Czechia. It significantly supports employment and entrepreneurship in the regions, particularly in the Karlovy Vary region and Prague, but also in other regions. At the same time, it generates significant revenue – visitors in Czechia spend about 400 billion crowns annually.
„Tourism is of great importance for Czechia. It brings jobs, supports entrepreneurs and helps develop regions. Our aim is to further strengthen this potential and increase its contribution to the whole economy, Over 10 million tourists from abroad visit us annually and nearly 13 million more come from Czechs themselves. According to international scientific standards of the so-called multiplier effect, every crown invested by the state in supporting tourism will return 3.2 times. That is why we work closely with the founder, regions, cities and the business community to maximize economic benefits while developing tourism sustainably with respect to the needs of local communities and regions,“ says Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism František Reismüller.
Record return of tourists and strong demand
The year 2025 confirmed that tourism in Czechia has not only recovered, but continues to grow. The number of overnight stays has reached almost 60 million and the number of arrivals is approaching the 24 million mark. The positive trend is also reflected in the structure of visitor arrivals. Foreign tourists are staying longer and overnight stays are growing faster than arrivals. Almost 1.9 million overnight stays were added year-on-year alone. The average length of stay has also remained stable. Alongside Prague, the regions are becoming increasingly popular, bringing direct economic benefits to local businesses and municipalities. The structure of source markets also plays an important role. In addition to traditional European countries, the share of more distant and more creditworthy ones is growing. Visitors are coming from these countries and spending more in our country. The top 15 include European countries as well as the USA, South Korea and Israel.
„We are seeing strong interest from abroad and steady demand from domestic tourists. On the positive side, visitors are spending more time in Czechia and more often venturing outside the main tourist centres. This is the kind of sustainable and balanced development that we have long supported. The systematic work of the CzechTourism agency on foreign markets and the increasing number of direct flights, especially from distant countries, are also contributing significantly to the growth. Czechia is becoming an increasingly popular starting destination when travelling to Central Europe and Prague acts as a gateway to Czechia," adds the Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism.
Marketing that gets results
In 2025, CzechTourism significantly strengthened its marketing activities and focused on campaigns with measurable impact. The global campaign “Unexpected Wellbeing” presented Czechia as an ideal destination for active relaxation, spa and quality lifestyle. It ran in two waves (spring, fall) in ten countries and generated nearly 300 million impressions and more than 800,000 clicks. The autumn segment was complemented by a TV campaign on Eurosport, which reached audiences in 50 countries and reached almost 25 million views across Europe.
Conversion campaigns targeting specific bookings played an important role. In partnership with online agency eDreams, for example, they brought 35,000 room nights to the US market, while extending the average length of stay for visitors from Europe from 2.6 to 3.7 nights. The return on investment was up to 33 times.
Performance search campaigns generated more than 1.5 million clicks from users interested in traveling to Czechia. Product campaigns focused on spa or golf, for example, reached hundreds of thousands of potential visitors.
„Our campaigns are built on data and clearly measurable results. We see that marketing investments pay off not only in visitor numbers but also in visitor spend,“ emphasizes František Reismüller.
Better accessibility and global visibility
Transportation accessibility remains an important factor for growth. CzechTourism supports direct flights in cooperation with Václav Havel Airport Prague and foreign partners. For example, a campaign to promote the Philadelphia–Prague connection brought more than 62 million impressions and over 32,000 clicks from those interested in travelling to Czechia.
The visibility of the country abroad is also boosted by major events. The CzechTourism agency has been involved in 21 major cultural and sporting events in the Czech Republic, reaching more than 2.7 billion people worldwide. Some of the most important events included the Biathlon World Cup, MOTO GP, the Czech Tour cycling race and the Beats for Love music festival, which attracted the attention of fans and media from all over the world.
Last but not least, some of the most important projects included participation in EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan, cooperation on global cultural projects or media visibility thanks to the new Dan Brown novel „The Secret of All Secrets” or the sequel to the successful game Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.
Gastronomy as a new magnet for tourists
Gastronomy is playing an increasingly important role in the choice of destination. Czechia is making significant strides in this direction, as confirmed by the publication of the first ever MICHELIN 2025 Guide for Czechia. A total of 79 restaurants were selected, some of which have been awarded Michelin stars or Bib Gourmand awards. Already in the first month, dozens of restaurants saw increased footfall and total media reach exceeded 15 million contacts.
„Czechia is increasingly profiling itself as a destination that combines tradition, local ingredients and a modern approach to gastronomy. This is confirmed not only by the first ever MICHELIN Guide to Czechia, which this year ranks us among the 16 most interesting culinary destinations in the world. The growing quality of domestic cuisine is also evidenced by other authorities such as Gault&Millau or publisher TopLife Czech, showing that top gastronomy is now emerging across the Czech Republic. An important role is also played by the CzechSpecials project, which combines traditional Czech cuisine with modern concepts and helps visitors discover authentic flavours in regions. Gastronomy is thus logically a theme that will play a major role in our communication in 2026 as well," says the Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism.
Digital outreach and inspiration for travellers
Last year, CzechTourism's VisitCzechia and domestic tourism portal Kudy z boredy recorded record visitor numbers. The latter reported over 43 million visits and more than 153 million views. This confirms its position as the leader among travel websites in Czechia. The VisitCzechia platform recorded almost 3 million visits. In addition to tourists, both portals are actively used by tens of thousands of tourism entrepreneurs who manage their offers here. Hundreds of thousands of followers also visit the profiles that CzechTourism manages on Facebook and Instagram, and tens of thousands more on other platforms.
Social networks are playing an increasingly important role in travel decisions. CzechTourism therefore systematically works with video, influencers and authentic content. Part of the agency's communication is also podcast Sbaleno, which brings interviews with personalities from various fields and inspires to discover Czechia. The podcast already has thousands of listeners and is gradually building its own community of listeners.
B2B activities to promote inbound tourism
B2B activities produced demonstrable results last year. For example, the largest event to promote inbound tourism Czechia Travel Trade Day 2025 in Ostrava attracted 70 buyers from 22 countries and brought more than 1,600 business meetings. The Events Club Forum offered over 3,000 B2B meetings in the convention tourism sector. And the Czech Convention Bureau Inspirational Afternoon conference reached more than 190 domestic professionals.
Year 2026: new campaign and data-driven marketing
CzechTourism will follow up a successful year with a new strategy. The main pillar will be the global campaign „Feel Free“, which will present Czechia as a destination full of well-being, authenticity and unique experiences. It builds on four pillars – cultural heritage, accessibility, quality and unique atmosphere. The central theme is the concept of „Feel Free“, which captures the genius loci of Czechia. It represents the unique feeling of freedom to choose how to experience Czechia, along with the authenticity, timelessness and comfort that the country offers visitors. A varied offer, easy accessibility, a tolerant and safe environment – these are the unique elements of destination Czechia. It will use modern formats including Connected TV and will target both distant and nearby markets. Marketing will include product campaigns focused on spa, golf and winter sports or conversion campaigns promoting specific bookings.
CzechTourism in cooperation with Prague City Tourism is now using Mastercard data. This will enable detailed monitoring of visitor behaviour in real time, better management of tourist flows and more effective planning of destination development.
„With detailed data, we will better understand who is coming to Czechia, how long they stay and what they spend on. These insights will help us to more accurately set and target marketing campaigns, increasing the economic benefits of tourism while promoting a more even distribution of tourism across place and time. We want visitors to enjoy their stay in Czechia as much as possible and for tourism to have a long-term positive impact on regions and their inhabitants," says František Reismüller, Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism.
Other key activities in 2026
The year 2026 will also bring a number of significant marketing opportunities for CzechTourism. These include the Frankfurt Book Fair, where Czechia will be a guest of honour, or major cultural and sporting events (such as the World Figure Skating Championships), or cooperation with organisations representing destination operators. Czechia is also joining the prestigious global network Virtuoso, which brings together the world's top luxury travelers. This segment brings a clientele that spends several times more, stays longer and seeks authentic experiences. Participation in prestigious international fairs, which open up new business opportunities and strengthen Czechia's position in key foreign markets, also remains an important part of Czechia's presentation.
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