According to councilor Hana Třeštíková (Prague to herself), last year’s support program was clearly successful. The metropolis wanted to extend it until the end of the year in September, but everything was ruined by the resumption of covid-19.
“In any case, it became clear that the overall attraction was this event for families with children and holiday visitors. That is why this year the program will run exclusively from the beginning of July to the end of August, “said Třeštíková. “During last summer, thanks to the program of our application, we will attract more than 70,000 visitors to Prague, and at least partially mitigate the drastic effects of the coronavirus crisis,” we will ensure.
Point per night
The councilors have now agreed to receive 60 million crowns from the city treasury, both for the promotional program and for the compensation of individual vouchers, which guests of accommodation facilities will be able to use again as benefits for entry into memory, entertainment attractions or theater performances. The accommodated client will receive one imaginary point worth 200 crowns for each night. “I believe that this will enable us to start the upcoming tourist season and speed up the return of tourists to the metropolis,” Třeštíková continued.
Last year, the city set aside 120 million crowns for the program, of which only half was used up, and the municipality therefore transferred the remaining amount to the current year. According to the representatives of the metropolis and its tourist agency Prague City Tourism (PCT), the last one was clearly profitable.
Zoo and National Museum
Visitors to Prague who used the vouchers spent 3.2 days in the heart of the city and spent over 220 million crowns there. It can be accommodated in more than four rooms of hotels or boarding houses, which have been used extensively by hotels of the two highest categories. The call for the involvement of individual hotels is launched by the PCT on June 1 and expects comparable interest as last year.
In the current offer of institutions, where it is now possible to apply, there are already fifty of them on the vprazejakodoma.cz website, mainly state or municipal, to a lesser extent also private. Among them are, among others, the National Museum, zoo, DOX center, Bílek’s Villa or the buildings of the Gallery of the Capital City of Prague.
There are also sixteen different guided tours on topics such as Jewish Prague, Prague in Film or In the Footsteps of Fast Arrows.
One such tour, with which the municipality wants to support a professionally affected professional guide, will cost two vouchers. It will also be possible to exhaust them on the summer stages of Prague’s theaters, for example in Holešovice’s Asylum78 or on the stage of the Karlín Theater in Letňany. For theater tickets, the voucher will work as a discount.
Visitors to Prague will be able to book a specific event or visit an institution from the moment you book a night in a hotel.
Concerns disappear with vaccination
Last year, support was mainly used by Czechs at home in Prague. At that time, the number of domestic visitors to the capital also increased by 16 percent year-on-year. The “incentive” is also essential for foreign tourists, and the CzechTourism agency, in cooperation with the PCT, is preparing a summer campaign for it in the neighboring countries and the Benelux.
“I believe that overall, this year’s summer tourist season could be stronger than the minus one. People are no longer so worried, especially thanks to vaccinations, “said Councilor Třeštíková.
Last year, the city’s incentive program was appreciated at Camping Sokol Prague Dolní Počernice. “Before the crisis, foreigners formed the main part of our clientele. Many Danes and Dutch people came to us with motorhomes. It is still atypical for Czechs to spend a week or two in a camp on the outskirts of Prague. In the second half of last summer, however, no one could arrive, and I would say that this was part of the merit of the motivational program in Prague as at home, “Kateřina Borovičková, the reception manager, told the Prague daily.
She believes that thanks to the easing of travel restrictions, interest in accommodation will gradually grow during the summer, both among Czechs and foreigners, which was also the case last year.