The Czech Republic’s tourism board, in collaboration with Czech Embassy and Czech Trade hosted a roadshow in Delhi to promote Czechia as a top destination for Indian travellers. The event, organised by VFS Global, that represents Czech Tourism in India, focussed on wellness tourism, addressed visa challenges, facilitated B2B networking, and showcased the diverse attractions of Czechia beyond its capital, Prague and encouraging visitors to explore the country’s diverse offerings.

Barbara Andělová

“The objective of this roadshow is to promote Czechia to Indian travellers, as this is our first roadshow in India post the Covid-19 pandemic. This year we have targetted Delhi and Mumbai because that is where the mass is. And we decided to go to Bengaluru because it is picking up very fast and there are many technology companies and travel agents over there and it is a good market for us. Frankly speaking, we have never been to Bengaluru, only to Delhi and Mumbai,” Barbara Andělová, International Marketing Manager, Czech Tourism told India Outbound on the sidelines of the roadshow in Delhi, after which the delegation from Czechia also conducted roadshows in Mumbai and Bengaluru.

“So, this is a new for us. And we are looking forward to cover more cities besides these three in 2025. We would like to come again and cover other metropolitan cities of India as well,” she added.

Officials of Czech tourism emphasised their strategy during the roadshow, highlighting a focus on two key segments, MICE, that is Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions and FIT or Free Independent Travellers.

“I think we identified that FIT is the most appropriate for Delhi, while for Bengaluru and Mumbai, it is more MICE. We are mostly focussing on expanding the leisure travel segment  and MICE,” Jana Štumpová Konicarová, Director of Marketting and Foreign Offices, Czech Tourism, told India Outbound on the occasion.

Eliška Žigová

The roadshow began with a welcome address by Ambassador of the Czech Republic, Eliška Žigová, who expressed her enthusiasm for strengthening ties with India.

Following the welcome address, VFS Global addressed challenges in the visa application process, including last-minute submissions, missing documents and changes to customer lists. VFS also highlighted several measures being implemented by the Czech Embassy and VFS Global to streamline the visa process, such as doorstep visa services, prime-time submissions, and the merger of visa appointments for groups. In the first half of the current year, a total 34,754 Indians visited the country.

“As a strategic partner to Czechia, it was essential for us to reconnect the Czech delegation with a diverse array of travel trade and media representatives in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai as they return to India post-pandemic. Our commitment to promoting Czechia will be unwavering, focusing on streamlining visa facilitation and cultivating strong trade relationships to enhance leisure, ‘b-leisure’ and corporate travel to Czechia. We are confident that this collaboration will significantly increase visitor arrivals to the ‘Heart of Europe’,” said GB Srithar, Head of Tourism Services at VFS Global.

During the roadshow, Andělová showcased Czechia’s unique offerings and emphasised the rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes and diverse experiences which make the Czech Republic an attractive destination for travellers.

She also highlighted the top destinations in the Czech Republic, including Prague, the capital and largest city, renowned for its stunning architecture and vibrant culture. She also showcased, Karlovy Vary, said to be Europe’s largest spa town and Brno, the political and cultural hub of the South Moravian Region. Additionally, South Bohemia was noted for its picturesque landscapes.

The presentation emphasised the rich gastronomy and cultural heritage of the Czech Republic, along with relevant statistics on Indian travellers.

Jana Štumpová Konicarová

“I think that that is the beauty of Czech Republic that we have multifaceted experiences to offer. I think in terms of exploring the culture, we have 17 UNESCO sites, not just sites but we also offer a glimpse into our rich traditions. There are also things like herbs or culinary aspects and even our glassworks, we have a lot to offer to travellers. So, depending on what the customer wants, we can tailor the trip,” said Konicarová of Czech Tourism.

“There is also beautiful and well-preserved architecture. Some very well-known towns and some less-known ones like Telč. We also host a lot of cultural festivals like the Prague Spring, which is a classical music festival,” she added.

The Czech Embassy also highlighted the reopening of the Mumbai Consulate by early 2025, aimed at improving visa accessibility for Indian travellers.

Seven private sector representatives showcased their services to Indian stakeholders (Photo: India Outbound/ Palak Chawla)

The Czech officials are also hopeful that the number of Indian travellers visiting the country would increase in 2025, adding that they are looking at multiple avenues to begin direct flights to the Czech Republic from India.

“Sadly, we do not have any direct flights to Czech Republic from India right now, but we heard very positive news. I cannot really tell which company we spoke with, but it looks like there is a promising future ahead,” Konicarová told India Outbound.

Petr Krivonozka

Seven private sector representatives from destination management companies such as NextMile and JustEurope, leading retail shopping outlets and spa resorts also showcased their services to Indian stakeholders during a series of presentations.

“At the moment, we have a very good frequency of Indian travellers visiting our outlet. In this season, through one of my contracts in India, we had over 370 Indians visiting our outlet,” Petr Krivonozka, Tourism Business Development Manager, Fashion Arena, a shopping outlet in Prague told India Outbound.