Prague is also struggling in the trap of mass tourism

Residents have been displaced from the Old Town

The coronavirus pandemic temporarily reduced tourism, but by 2024 the number of tourists will have reached 2019 levels again, and travelers are spending even more than before. This brings significant revenue to the city, but it also creates serious challenges: Prague’s streets are crowded and noisy, and apartment rental prices have skyrocketed.

The Prague municipality has recognized that reducing the number of tourists would be an unrealistic goal, which is why they are trying to influence quality instead. The city administration hopes that by developing cultural life, the composition of tourists will change in a positive direction over time. Some local leaders are confident that higher-quality cultural programs can make Prague more attractive to educated, more demanding visitors.

While the local government is developing a strategy for the quality development of tourism, the Czech government has shown little interest in addressing the problem. There is currently no separate minister responsible for tourism, so the possibility of long-term regulation is also limited.

Prague’s tourism-related problems have also been processed by the European media platform Arte, which makes its reports available in nine languages ​​as part of the EMOVE Network. The project involves such prestigious media as Spain’s El País, Poland’s Gazeta Wyborcza, Italy’s Internazionale, Lithuania’s Ir, Greece’s Kathimerini, Belgium’s Le Soir, and Telex. The initiative, funded by the European Union, aims to demonstrate the impact of local communities and tourism.