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Current AffairsThousands left high and dry as Tomi Tour travel agency goes under
One of the country’s largest travel agencies, Tomi Tour, declared
bankruptcy on Friday, a development that left around 3,000 Czech tourists
temporarily stranded at a number of vacation sites and thousands of others
without holiday plans. Just a week earlier, Tomi Tour executive Václav
Fischer had assured clients they could look forward to their holidays
“without worries”. A few days later it was a different story.
More
Current AffairsCzech tourists make last-minute dash to Vienna for Canadian visa
We’ve heard about the diplomatic fallout from Canada’s decision to
reintroduce visas for Czechs, but what about the effect it’s having on
Czech tourists – 30,000 of whom visit the country each year? Well,
it’s
inconvenient to say the least; hundreds of Czech travellers are now
heading
for Vienna – the nearest place they can obtain a Canadian visa at short
notice. More
Current AffairsPrague sees significant dip in tourist numbers
Prague’s reputation as a tourist hotspot has been viewed as a given for
years. But now, new statistics reveal a serious slump in visitor numbers.
The reasons are the strong crown and apparently poor services. Can Prague
reverse this trend? Or are there serious troubles ahead?
More
Current AffairsPrague City Hall imposes hefty fines for litterbugs
Prague City Hall has taken its toughest measures yet to clamp down on the
capital’s litter problem. As of this Tuesday, those caught dropping
litter could face a fine of up to 30,000 crowns (nearly 2,000 USD).
More
Current AffairsCroatian authorities force thrifty Czech holiday makers to hide their salami
The favoured Czech holiday destination par excellence is Croatia – with
its miles of sandy beaches, beautiful coastal towns and exquisite
Mediterranean cuisine. Well, actually, not many Czechs go for the cuisine -
in fact a huge number of Czech tourists bring their own food with them.
That obsessive self-catering seems to have irritated the Croatian
authorities to such an extent that they’ve now banned tourists from
bringing in meat and dairy products, to the fury of thrifty Czech visitors.
More
Current AffairsPrague sees boom in luxury hotels
More and more people are checking into the Czech Republic’s four and five
star hotels. Last year, the number of people holidaying in the lap of
luxury in this country rose by over ten percent to nearly 3.5 million. To
respond to the surge in demand, tens of new and deluxe high-end hotels are
planned. Prague alone can expect nearly 20 of them in the next couple of
years. But will this phenomenon be felt outside of Prague in the regions?
More
MailboxMailbox
Today in Mailbox: the Czech team's qualification for Euro 2008, author
Milan Kundera, plans by a neo-Nazi group to march through Prague's historic
Jewish Quarter, response to an interview with Czech-Japanese businessman
Tomio Okamura, and the proposed US radar base to be built in the Czech
Republic. Listeners quoted: Ted Schuerzinger, Tom Lane, Jana Zimmer, Hanka
Stibingerova, Lynda-Marie Hauptman.
More
Current AffairsCourt rules Prague taxis can charge more
For years Prague City Hall has been doing battle with the city's taxi
drivers, whose reputation for overcharging passengers has become blight on
the city's name. Now that battle has taken a new turn. A Prague court has
ruled that taxi drivers do not have to respect a maximum fare per kilometre
set by the city's authorities.
More
Current AffairsSharp decline in visitor numbers prompts Okamura to speak out
Last year was a record year for Czech tourism, with over 6.4 million
tourists visiting the Czech Republic. So far this year, visitor figures
have been down by ten percent on last, prompting speculation that tourism
in the Czech Republic has reached its peak. But Tomio Okamura,
spokesperson for the Association of Czech Travel Agencies, has a different
view. He believes that the potential for tourism here has been left largely
unrealised, and last week launched a blistering attack on those who, he
said, were watching Czech visitor numbers fall and doing nothing about it.
Rosie Johnston has the story:
More
One on OneTomio Okamura - between two cultures
In today's One on One Jan's guest is successful Czech-Japanese businessman
Tomio Okamura. Today in his mid-thirties, Tomio moved to Prague from Tokyo
in
1994 and within a number of years found his passion in the travel
industry. Gradually, he has become a household name here in the tourism
business, bringing thousands of Japanese visitors to the Czech Republic
each year. But, Tomio makes clear success didn't come easily. More
