Czech lawmakers are backing a plan to increase the nightly accommodation tax for short-term visitors to align Czech tourist destinations with other European cities.

A group of MPs has introduced an amendment to the tourism business law that would allow municipalities to raise the maximum nightly fee from 50 to 100 Czech crowns per person. The measure, if passed, would affect stays of up to 60 days and leave the final decision on pricing to local governments.

One of the amendment’s backers, Michal Zuna of the TOP 09 party, argued that the increase brings the Czech Republic more in line with its European peers. “It’s a 100 percent increase, from 50 to 100 crowns. Four euros — that’s a mid-range amount in the European context,” he explained.

The proposal has broad cross-party support and is signed by MPs from several parties, including STAN, ODS, and TOP 09. They argue that the current cap, set in 2021, is outdated and fails to reflect the financial demands posed by modern tourism, especially in areas dominated by short-term rental platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com.

Supporters of the hike say municipalities are struggling to fund infrastructure and public services in the face of mass tourism, especially from visitors using platforms that are harder to regulate.

“Cities like Vienna, Paris, and Amsterdam charge far higher tourism fees than we do, yet their tourism sectors remain vibrant and competitive,” the proposal states. “This shows that higher fees don’t deter visitors, especially when the money is used to improve local services and the quality of the tourist experience.”

Tourism businesses and local officials in smaller cities have voiced concerns that abrupt price increases could backfire. Recently, the city council in Jihlava opted for a more modest rise, increasing its own accommodation tax to 25 crowns per night. In Prague 1, however, the most sought-after tourist area in the capital, district mayor Terezie Radoměřská wants to hike the tax fourfold to 200 crowns per night.

Last year, Prague collected nearly 900 million crowns (€36.5 million) in tourist fees, which were directed toward public maintenance, transport, and infrastructure repairs.

According to Prague’s mayor, Bohuslav Svoboda (ODS), raising the fee could generate over 3 billion crowns (€121.5 million) annually. “Generally speaking, the revenue is reinvested in tourism, as well as transportation and roads,” he said, describing the increase as necessary to cope with rising infrastructure and maintenance costs.

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