According to Eurostat data, the number of accommodated tourists last year was 0.2% higher than in 2019 – specifically, 22 million tourists were accommodated, of which fewer than 7.5 million stayed in Prague.

This year, the numbers continue to grow by low double-digit percentages year-on-year. However, the short-term rental market remains subdued – now at approximately three-fifths of pre-Covid volumes. With the planned introduction of the online information system eTurista, no major recovery is anticipated.

Prague now has approximately 7,500 active shared accommodation offers, compared to 13,000 pre-Covid, according to the Czech Association of Landlords and Private Accommodation Providers (ČAPUS).

Last year, a total of 8.9 million overnight stays were booked through platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia Group, and Tripadvisor. Nearly three-quarters of these bookings were made by international tourists, while the remaining 28% were domestic residents.

Prague Collected CZK 800 Million in Tourist Fees

Last year, 4.7 million overnight stays were booked in Prague via accommodation platforms, used by almost 1.5 million tourists. Private accommodation accounted for nearly 22% of the total number of overnight stays in the capital.

The average length of tourist stays has also returned to pre-pandemic levels. In collective accommodation facilities, the average stay last year was 2.3 nights, while for private accommodation platforms, it was 3.2 nights.

“On average, stays in private homes are one full day longer than hotel stays, making this a desirable form of tourism,” summarized Matěj Koutný, chairman of ČAPUS.

With the revival of tourism, city revenues have also grown.

In total, CZK 801 million was collected from tourist fees in Prague last year – almost 44% more than in 2022, surpassing the expectations of the municipality and city districts.

“From this perspective, longer stays are more advantageous for the capital. If the tourist fee were increased, it could bring billions more to the Czech Republic,” noted Koutný, adding that the statutory fee of CZK 50 in the Czech Republic is among the lowest in Europe.

The Reality of Shared Accommodation in Prague

Since the Covid era, the private accommodation market has undergone significant changes. Pre-Covid, there were approximately 13,000 active offers in Prague; today, there are around 7,500, according to the Golemio data platform.

Over half of these are for entire apartments or houses regularly rented out. The most active listings are in Prague 1, with nearly 3,000 offers. Other popular areas include Prague 2 (approximately 1,500 offers), Prague 3 (900), and Prague 5 (more than 700).

“The market has become more professional in recent years, with fewer providers operating in the grey zone. At the same time, it has stabilized – the number of active listings now balances the number of newly created and closed offers,” confirmed Koutný.

The composition of guests has also shifted. “Today, the typical private accommodation guest is a young family, which tends to prefer this option over traditional hotels. Large groups now account for less than 15% of all stays,” he added.

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