The number of Chinese tourists in the Czech Republic has been rising year-on-year, and they seek mainly the romantic impression of heritage sights in Prague and other UNESCO-listed towns, a daily said yesterday.

 

Last year, some 300,000 Chinese arrived in the Czech Republic and this year,their number is estimated to rise by up to 60,000, Jan Papez, from the Association of Czech Travel Agencies, told.

 

However, primarily hotel and restaurant owners in Prague and other Czech towns profit from the boom of Chinese tourists since they are not interested in landscape and wildlife.

 

In reaction to the rising number of Chinese tourists, new direct flights from China to Prague were put into operation.

 

"At present, we have a direct air connection with three large Chinese regions. This is unique, Poles and Austrians can only envy us," Papez said.

 

Prague is traditionally the tourist destination number one not only for the Chinese. Nevertheless the number of tourists visiting the UNESCO-listed Cesky Krumlov, south Bohemia, and other towns, such as Olomouc, north Moravia, whose plague column entered the UNESCO list in 2000, has increased by dozens of percent since 2012.

 

Prague is popular among Asian tourists who like to take romantic pictures, for instance, in wedding outfits, outside its historic buildings.

 

News showed that not only investments in advertisements promoting the Czech Republic, but mainly a film helped attract tourists from Asia to this country, in particular a romantic comedy featuring popular Chinese actors that was premiered in 2014. About 100 million Chinese saw the film in a few weeks after the premiere in 2014 and they admired a romantic scenery with Prague Castle in the background, the presidential seat, on the screen.

 

"This might be caused by the fact that many people decided not to travel to traditional destinations and they chose a country where they can feel safe," Papez said.

 

According to the Czech Statistical Office (CSU), the number of tourists accommodated in Czech hotels and boarding houses increased by 14 percent this spring compared to the same period last year, and hotel operators expect the summer season to be better than in 2015 as well.