During the first quarter of this year, a total of 4.4 million guests arrived in domestic hotels, guesthouses and other mass accommodation establishments, up 5.2% year-on-year. Almost 52% (2.3 million) were domestic tourists, while 48% (2.1 million) were visitors from abroad. Domestic visitors from neighbouring countries - Germany (474,000), Poland (188,000) and Slovakia (172,000) - most often chose Czechia as their holiday destination during January-March 2026. Tourists from Great Britain (129 thousand) and Italy (114 thousand) also arrived in larger numbers. The number of overnight stays also increased year-on-year by 5.7% to a total of 11.1 million nights. The average length of stay was 3.55 days.
Tourists from the USA and Asia are heading to Czechia more often
Data for the first quarter of this year confirm the growing interest of tourists in Czechia. Among distant markets, the United States (73.7 thousand), South Korea (49.8 thousand), Taiwan (36.8 thousand) and Israel (33.4 thousand) dominated. In general, foreigners most often head to the Prague, Karlovy Vary and South Moravia regions. In terms of overnight stays, domestic visitors increased by 4.1% to 5.7 million nights, while foreign tourists spent 5.4 million nights in Czechia, 7.3% more than in the same period last year.
„Czechia confirms that tourists are increasingly interested in it. The number of arrivals and overnight stays is growing, both for domestic and foreign guests. It is also positive that visitor arrivals have increased year-on-year in all regions. At the same time, we see that tourism today is influenced not only by price and quality of service, but increasingly also by a sense of security, accessibility and ease of travel. And it is in these areas that Czechia has a really strong position," says Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism František Reismüller and adds: „This confirms that Czechia is increasingly establishing itself outside Europe. Of course, we are also monitoring the situation with regard to developments in the Middle East. This may have an impact on tourism mainly through airline disruptions and lower willingness to travel from the regions concerned. However, we do not expect a dramatic impact in the short term. In addition, Czechia is not dependent on one or a few markets, so any disruptions from certain regions can be better handled by domestic tourism. It is all the more important to strengthen awareness in the countries from which tourists come to us in greater numbers in the long term, and at the same time to open up new opportunities, for example in Central Asia, where the Czech spa industry has great potential.“
Prague leads, Karlovy Vary holds the longest stays
The number of guests increased year-on-year in all regions of Czechia. The largest number of guests stayed in Prague in the first quarter, almost 1.7 million. Tourists spent 3.8 million nights in the capital. This was followed by the Hradec Králové region, where 372,000 visitors headed. More than 250,000 guests also stayed in the South Moravian, Karlovy Vary and Liberec regions.
Foreigners mostly stayed in Prague, Karlovy Vary and South Moravia regions. Apart from the capital city, domestic visitors also went to the Hradec Králové and Liberec regions. Overnight stays increased year-on-year in all regions. Most nights were spent in Prague, while the Hradec Králové and Karlovy Vary regions also recorded more than one million nights.
The Karlovy Vary Region recorded the longest stays in the long term, where the average length of stay reached almost 5 days. The Hradec Králové, Liberec, Olomouc, Jihočeský and Zlín regions were also above the national average. The Karlovy Vary Region is also one of the regions with the highest share of foreign clients.
Hotels continue to be the most popular choice
Hotel accommodation recorded a 5.6% year-on-year increase in visitor arrivals. A total of 3.4 million guests stayed in hotels in the first quarter of 2026. Domestic visitors showed a 6.4% year-on-year growth and international visitors grew by 5%. Overnight stays in hotels grew by 6.3% and guests spent nearly 8 million nights there.
Four-star hotels remain the most visited category, with 1.7 million guests using them during the first quarter. It is this segment that has long benefited from the growing demand of foreign tourists. Guesthouses received 0.4% fewer guests year-on-year, but the number of overnight stays rose by 1.2%.
Air links strengthen, Czech reputation grows
The latest data for the first quarter of 2026 shows that air links with Czechia are also continuing to strengthen. At Václav Havel Airport Prague, the number of flights increased by 8.6% year-on-year and the number of available seats by 11.2%, with low-cost airlines growing faster than conventional airlines. Long-haul flights are showing the greatest dynamics, which is confirmed by the opening of direct routes to more distant markets, mainly to Asia and America. Of the individual source markets, Korea and Germany have shown the strongest growth. The strong growth in long-haul flights also corresponds to the continued return of visitors from non-European markets.
„Support for direct air links has been a long-standing component of CzechTourism's strategy, and thanks to the agency's activities, the accessibility of Czechia from abroad continues to improve. From the end of May, a direct line between Prague and Philadelphia in the USA will start operating, while new connections with ten other cities across the world are also in operation. The data available to us also confirms that Czechia has maintained a very positive image in the eyes of foreign visitors over the long term. In addition to the aforementioned safety, tourists from key markets such as the USA, the UK, Germany, Italy and Korea appreciate the quality of service, the range of experiences on offer and the overall atmosphere of the destination. In general, foreigners are also very positive about the climate, the weather and the diversity of the tourist offer," adds František Reismüller.
Foreign visitors are most interested in culture and sightseeing, active holidays and family activities. This is followed by gastronomy, entertainment, nature and wellness. Gastronomy saw the biggest year-on-year improvement, with a 6.1% increase in positive ratings. Growing interest in Czech gastronomy and greater international attention, such as the first ever Michelin Guide to Czechia, may also play a role.
Czech spas have a chance in Central Asia
In addition to traditional foreign markets, the Czech spa industry is increasingly opening up to Central Asian countries. At a time when tourism is affected by the changing geopolitical situation and conflicts in the world, it is important to look for new opportunities and expand the range of foreign visitors.
The inhabitants of these countries have long been close to Czech spas, know their tradition and quality of services, and at the same time, thanks to direct flights to Prague and in some cases to Karlovy Vary, have very good transport accessibility. CzechTourism is therefore strengthening its promotion in these destinations. For example, it is building on the successful roadshow in Astana, Almaty and Shymkent and is preparing further business activities in cooperation with the Association of Travel Agencies of Kazakhstan and participation in a trade fair in Uzbekistan.
Further details and up-to-date dates are available on the website.
Data for the first quarter of this year confirm the growing interest of tourists in Czechia. Among distant markets, the United States (73.7 thousand), South Korea (49.8 thousand), Taiwan (36.8 thousand) and Israel (33.4 thousand) dominated. In general, foreigners most often head to the Prague, Karlovy Vary and South Moravia regions. In terms of overnight stays, domestic visitors increased by 4.1% to 5.7 million nights, while foreign tourists spent 5.4 million nights in Czechia, 7.3% more than in the same period last year.
„Czechia confirms that tourists are increasingly interested in it. The number of arrivals and overnight stays is growing, both for domestic and foreign guests. It is also positive that visitor arrivals have increased year-on-year in all regions. At the same time, we see that tourism today is influenced not only by price and quality of service, but increasingly also by a sense of security, accessibility and ease of travel. And it is in these areas that Czechia has a really strong position," says Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism František Reismüller and adds: „This confirms that Czechia is increasingly establishing itself outside Europe. Of course, we are also monitoring the situation with regard to developments in the Middle East. This may have an impact on tourism mainly through airline disruptions and lower willingness to travel from the regions concerned. However, we do not expect a dramatic impact in the short term. In addition, Czechia is not dependent on one or a few markets, so any disruptions from certain regions can be better handled by domestic tourism. It is all the more important to strengthen awareness in the countries from which tourists come to us in greater numbers in the long term, and at the same time to open up new opportunities, for example in Central Asia, where the Czech spa industry has great potential.“
Prague leads, Karlovy Vary holds the longest stays
The number of guests increased year-on-year in all regions of Czechia. The largest number of guests stayed in Prague in the first quarter, almost 1.7 million. Tourists spent 3.8 million nights in the capital. This was followed by the Hradec Králové region, where 372,000 visitors headed. More than 250,000 guests also stayed in the South Moravian, Karlovy Vary and Liberec regions.
Foreigners mostly stayed in Prague, Karlovy Vary and South Moravia regions. Apart from the capital city, domestic visitors also went to the Hradec Králové and Liberec regions. Overnight stays increased year-on-year in all regions. Most nights were spent in Prague, while the Hradec Králové and Karlovy Vary regions also recorded more than one million nights.
The Karlovy Vary Region recorded the longest stays in the long term, where the average length of stay reached almost 5 days. The Hradec Králové, Liberec, Olomouc, Jihočeský and Zlín regions were also above the national average. The Karlovy Vary Region is also one of the regions with the highest share of foreign clients.
Hotels continue to be the most popular choice
Hotel accommodation recorded a 5.6% year-on-year increase in visitor arrivals. A total of 3.4 million guests stayed in hotels in the first quarter of 2026. Domestic visitors showed a 6.4% year-on-year growth and international visitors grew by 5%. Overnight stays in hotels grew by 6.3% and guests spent nearly 8 million nights there.
Four-star hotels remain the most visited category, with 1.7 million guests using them during the first quarter. It is this segment that has long benefited from the growing demand of foreign tourists. Guesthouses received 0.4% fewer guests year-on-year, but the number of overnight stays rose by 1.2%.
Air links strengthen, Czech reputation grows
The latest data for the first quarter of 2026 shows that air links with Czechia are also continuing to strengthen. At Václav Havel Airport Prague, the number of flights increased by 8.6% year-on-year and the number of available seats by 11.2%, with low-cost airlines growing faster than conventional airlines. Long-haul flights are showing the greatest dynamics, which is confirmed by the opening of direct routes to more distant markets, mainly to Asia and America. Of the individual source markets, Korea and Germany have shown the strongest growth. The strong growth in long-haul flights also corresponds to the continued return of visitors from non-European markets.
„Support for direct air links has been a long-standing component of CzechTourism's strategy, and thanks to the agency's activities, the accessibility of Czechia from abroad continues to improve. From the end of May, a direct line between Prague and Philadelphia in the USA will start operating, while new connections with ten other cities across the world are also in operation. The data available to us also confirms that Czechia has maintained a very positive image in the eyes of foreign visitors over the long term. In addition to the aforementioned safety, tourists from key markets such as the USA, the UK, Germany, Italy and Korea appreciate the quality of service, the range of experiences on offer and the overall atmosphere of the destination. In general, foreigners are also very positive about the climate, the weather and the diversity of the tourist offer," adds František Reismüller.
Foreign visitors are most interested in culture and sightseeing, active holidays and family activities. This is followed by gastronomy, entertainment, nature and wellness. Gastronomy saw the biggest year-on-year improvement, with a 6.1% increase in positive ratings. Growing interest in Czech gastronomy and greater international attention, such as the first ever Michelin Guide to Czechia, may also play a role.
Czech spas have a chance in Central Asia
In addition to traditional foreign markets, the Czech spa industry is increasingly opening up to Central Asian countries. At a time when tourism is affected by the changing geopolitical situation and conflicts in the world, it is important to look for new opportunities and expand the range of foreign visitors.
The inhabitants of these countries have long been close to Czech spas, know their tradition and quality of services, and at the same time, thanks to direct flights to Prague and in some cases to Karlovy Vary, have very good transport accessibility. CzechTourism is therefore strengthening its promotion in these destinations. For example, it is building on the successful roadshow in Astana, Almaty and Shymkent and is preparing further business activities in cooperation with the Association of Travel Agencies of Kazakhstan and participation in a trade fair in Uzbekistan.
Further details and up-to-date dates are available on the website.