Prague City Tourism has launched a digital promotion campaign to attract foreign tourists
The arrival of the year end festivities makes several European cities magnets for tourists, with their traditions, cultural activities and of course the Christmas markets. Christmas is also one of the main tourist seasons in Prague, the capital of central European nation of Czechia.
With this in mind, the Prague City Tourism has launched a digital promotion campaign to attract foreign tourists. The company estimates that up to half a million visitors will travel to the metropolis, corresponding to 75 pc of the 2019 numbers. Moreover, the available data shows that the shortfall of traditional visitors from Russia is being successfully replaced with domestic guests or travellers from the Netherlands, Germany and Poland, among others. The campaign will run in neighbouring countries and in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain and will be financed for the first time entirely by the company, which has set aside a dedicated budget for it.
“We looked forward with anticipation to the number of travellers visiting the capital this year in view of the pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine. Based on current data, we are at 70 pc to 75 pc of the 2019 figure – an ideal state of affairs for the city given the overtourism of past years. Moreover, it is clear that by targeting other source markets we have successfully managed to compensate for the absence of tourists from Russia,” says Petr Zeman, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Prague City Tourism.
According to a press statement by the Prague City Tourism, around half a million travellers will arrive in the capital during Christmas. The number of visitors to Prague remains at 75 pc compared to the pre-pandemic figures of 2019. The PCT experts believe that thanks to targeted campaigns, the drop in tourists from Russia, who traditionally made up a large group of foreign visitors, will manage to be replaced. The Christmas campaign is likewise adapted to this goal, drawing visitors to the unique magical atmosphere of Prague in December and a carefully selected program promoting the traditional and authentic customs of celebrating Christmas.
“In designing the Christmas campaign, we referred to data from the summer ‘Stay in Prague’ campaign, meaning we are targeting neighbouring countries as well as the Netherlands, Italy and Spain, where it showed the best results,” says František Cipro, Chairman of the Board of Prague City Tourism.
“During the Advent season, tourists from all over the world come to Prague. That is why we have launched a Christmas website prague.eu/Christmas alongside the campaign, where visitors can find comprehensive information about Christmas in Prague, markets and individual events. It includes practically everything related to Advent in the capital,” Cipro adds.
The campaign visual underlines the sophisticated image of Prague. It depicts Prague’s landmarks and the magical atmosphere that the city, and the people in it, evoke. Within the campaign, Prague City Tourism targets travellers interested in history, culture, dining and unique experiences. The campaign will run until the end of 2022.
For the Christmas season, the company is also expanding the range of services offered with the Prague Visitor Pass. In addition to the classic monuments, public transport around Prague or guided walks, it has newly included HC Sparta Prague hockey matches or a festive cocktail at Manifesto Anděl. The Christmas atmosphere has also taken over the tourist circuit tram line 42, which has been festively decorated, says the press statement.
