Prague is issuing 121 million CZK vouchers to boost the cultural sector reopening after the COVID-19 lockdown.
The vouchers can be used to buy items and tickets within the tourism, education, sports, leisure and entertainment industries.
Anyone who sleeps more than one night in a hotel will receive a voucher from the city to visit, for example, cultural facilities.
The campaign will start on July 1.
“The project is designed to restart tourism. It is now focused on Czech tourists but we will eventually extend the program to travelers from different countries,” said Councilor Hana Třeštíková (Praha Sobě).
“For every night spent in our country, the visitor will receive benefit points, and visit for example Prague zoo, the botanical garden, Planetarium, galleries and museums,” said Třeštíková.
The system will be fully operational from 1 July and its end is currently scheduled for 30 September 2020.
Institutions supported by Prague City through grants will also be involved. Among them, Třeštíková mentioned Dox and Kampa Museum.
Between the start of January and the start of April, 3.1 million tourists were recorded – a fall of 22.2 percent in the same period in 2019.
The number of nights paid for in the country’s hotels, guest houses and campsites declined by 16.7 percent to 8.9 million, the Czech Statistics Office said.
While international visitor numbers declined by 26.1 percent in the first quarter mainly on the back of the events of the second half of March, domestic tourist numbers also fell, by 18.1 percent.
