Without crowds of tourists, Prague looks just as beautiful, but not very optimistic
As Radio Prague notes, now Czech tourists are winning the 'battle for the bridge,' while businesses count their losses and gradually lose hope for the future.
Outwardly, the city no longer looks as deserted as during the strict lockdown – crowds again gather in front of the Prague Orloj to watch the procession of the Apostles, and pedestrians hurry along Wenceslas Square. It seems that the tourism industry has seen better days, but this impression is deceptive.
Czech tourists use a limited range of services, mainly catering establishments. Musicians have disappeared from Charles Bridge, and the main attraction of Prague itself looks completely different from what it used to be in August, when a dense human mass moved between the towers of the Old Town and Malá Strana, and numerous vendors briskly sold souvenirs while sitting in the shadow of baroque statues.
'We came with the children on vacation. When we were here a month or a month and a half ago, it was completely empty – we were practically alone,' say Radek and Liana from Karlovy Vary, who decided to show Prague to their children. 'There are no street musicians or artists anymore.' However, Liana is not bothered by this, because without the buzzing crowd around, it is much more pleasant to walk around the city.
However, besides the 'winners,' there are also many 'losers.' Hana Entlicherová sells artistic ceramics – cats, angels, mugs – in a small shop near Charles Bridge: 'People only buy trdelník, ice cream, cheap lunches here. I have a good assortment, but Czech tourists are not interested in this shop at all. I cannot sit here all day because I cannot mentally endure it. I also depend on Czech ceramic producers, who are also in despair because nothing is selling. Sometimes people may not even inquire about my goods all day.'
According to Hana Entlicherová, her sales have dropped by 99%, and on Monday she sold only two mugs for a hundred crowns. In the spring, she was not charged rent, but now she has to pay the full amount again.
Czech tourists typically do not buy ceramics, glass, or souvenirs, preferring to spend money in cafes and bars. On one of the side streets to the left of Charles Bridge, Stanislav Havel invites tourists into a restaurant serving Czech cuisine. He explains that his establishment continues to operate, albeit with reduced prices.
'Thank God, Czech customers come to us. They say: "Okay, we'll stop by to support you!" But, honestly, I don't expect anything good anymore. Before, I was sure that as soon as the borders opened, everyone would rush to Prague. But that didn't happen, and I don't expect anything from winter, especially when they started talking about introducing new restrictions,' Stanislav laments.
The decline in the flow of foreign tourists can also be seen in the example of Prague Castle. As the Castle's press secretary Jan Pastor reported, attendance there fell by more than 70% in the first half of the year compared to 2019. The Czech Statistical Office reports that the number of guests in Prague hotels and boarding houses decreased by 93.6%.