The Institute of Tourism of the Czech Tourist Board surveyed to measure the so-called index of irritation of residents due to the presence of a large number of tourists. It turned out to be surprisingly low – only 2.02 for areas popular with travelers and 1.89 for the country as a whole, the SchengenVisaInfo portal reports.
The data obtained during the research show that the Czechs are aware of the positive impact and benefits of tourism on their economy, so they are warm to the presence of travelers. This especially applies to the population that lives directly in places popular with foreigners.
But residents of Nakhod, Hrzhensk, and Bezdez expressed a moderate level of irritation with tourism with a rating of 2.63, 2.32, and 2.29, respectively. However, these estimates are also low, so the level of concern on the part of the local community is almost balanced or in a state of equilibrium.
“Around 24% of people living in tourist settlements are literally delighted with the growth of tourism, so they are very welcoming and positive about the development of the industry. The same applies to the entire Czech Republic,” said the director of the Czech Tourism Bureau.
He also noted that the Czech population generally has a positive attitude towards tourism and considers its current level in their regions to be satisfactory. As for negative opinions, residents are most concerned about the impact of tourism on the traffic situation in their areas, rather than just the presence of tourists.
According to the head of the Institute of Tourism Petr Janeček, 63% of the Czech population and even 67% of the residents of tourist areas are calm about a large number of tourists. Only 13% of respondents across the country have a negative attitude towards tourism, and even less – 3% – show hostility. At the same time, among residents of popular tourist destinations, only 9% show a negative attitude towards tourism and an impressively low 1% show hostility.
Earlier, the Czech Statistical Office released data showing that 3.8 million guests were registered in hotels across the Czech Republic in the first quarter of this year. Commenting on these data, the director of the Department of Trade, Transport, Services, Tourism and Environment Statistics of the Czech Statistical Office Marie Bošková noted that, compared to last year, the number of guests from abroad increased by almost 90%.