Prague is preparing to use anonymized payment card data to better understand how tourists move through the city, what they spend money on and how they use local services.

City officials say the information will help them manage visitor flows and limit the negative effects of overtourism.

The initiative is being developed through cooperation between Prague City Tourism (PCT) and CzechTourism, which jointly selected the data provider.

According to PCT representatives, the data will provide insight into the behavior of international visitors, including their nationality, age groups and the types of experiences they seek in the city.

The information will also show how tourists distribute their spending across accommodation, dining and other services.

Officials say the dataset will allow experts to monitor changes in tourism patterns and react more quickly when visitor numbers rise in certain locations or seasons.

The system will rely on aggregated and anonymized information from Mastercard, combined with analytical tools that focus on data from ten key tourism markets, including Poland, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Tourism experts believe such data can also improve forecasting of future visitor numbers, using information from flight routes, reservations and payment activity.

Connecting tourism data with digital tools

Prague plans to integrate some of the insights into the My Prague mobile application, which serves as a digital guide for visitors.

City officials say the app could eventually help steer tourists toward less crowded neighborhoods and attractions, while providing recommendations based on real-time information.

The contract between the city and Mastercard will run for four years.

According to Prague City Tourism, 8.3 million visitors came to the Czech capital last year, setting a new record.

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