Prague tourism councillor: Lack of tourists in capital will be felt by whole country

The massive decline in the number of tourists visiting Prague this year as a result of coronavirus border restrictions will be felt by the whole country with many businesses in the service sector also being dependent on tourism, the Prague Councillor for Culture and Tourism Hana Třeštíková told Czech Radio’s news site iRozhlas.cz in an interview published on Sunday.

She said the real size of the losses caused by the pandemic will be counted in the autumn of this year, but she also stressed the positive fact that no large cultural institution has thus far been forced to close.

Ms Třeštíková also said that the sudden crash in tourism could be used as an opportunity to reform some of the tourist locations in Prague, removing what has been called the “visual smog” in the capital, such as the many Thai massage parlours.

Earlier this week, Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib posted on his Facebook account that the city had created a new “Manual for a Cultivated Prague”, which delineates visual esthetic practices for the capital’s businesses.