Erasmus+ Sustainable Tourism for the Future

Autor: Geert van Overloop <geert(at)gymck.cz>, Téma: _Anglický jazyk, Vydáno dne: 05. 06. 2018

Tourism in Krumlov



Textové pole: SUSTAINABLE TOURISM BELONGS IN THE FUTURE  

Châteaudun, France   -   Biedenkopf, Germany  -  Český Krumlov, Czech Republic 

 

Questions for the Český Krumlov Tourist Info Centre

Sustainable Tourism for the Future

  1. What makes Český Krumlov such a popular tourist destination ?

Cesky Krumlov is popular because of its very well conserved and renovated sights such as the castle, monasteries, narrow streets, and various houses with unique architecture as well as breathtaking views of the city from high above from the castle or views from the city to the castle and its tower.

Also, Cesky Krumlov is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site and as such a favourite destination for tourists. Other tourist „catches“ might be the various cultural events such as the open air theatre in castle garden, the International Music Festival, the Five-Petalled-Rose Festival, Christmas Markets and so on.

 

  1. Which part of Český Krumlov do tourists most visit?

The most visited place in the city is the castle and the whole castle area – garden, courtyards, tower.

 

  1. How many tourists come to Krumlov ?

It is hard to estimate the number of tourists that visit every day. There might be somewhere around 2,000 tourists in the non-castle season (November-March) and up to 5,000 tourists from April to October. During big festivals such as the Five-Petalled-Rose Festival or the International Music Festival, the number of visitors might be even higher, somewhere around 10,000 visitors.

  1. How many of them make use of the tourist info centre every day?

There are approximately 300-1,500 visitors to the Infocentre daily (a rough average of the whole year). We have around 250,000 visitors/year.

  1. What is the proportion of domestic and foreign tourists?

90% of the visitors are tourists from a foreign country.

  1. Which languages do they expect at the tourist office?

English is an essential language and used 95% of the time. German is also important, but English is a must. Obviously the Czech language is also essential, also some of the employees can speak basic Russian, Spanish, or French and use them occasionally.

  1. What do they buy in Český Krumlov? (Really jewellery?)
  2. What is the biggest problem concerning tourism in Český Krumlov?
  3. Are there more tourists than there should be? When was the tipping point?

The biggest problem with tourism is its ever growing intensity. Since the last world economic recession the number of visitors has increased every year. Almost 2 million visitors per year are way too many for a town with 13,000 inhabitants. Not only do we have an overcrowded historical centre, but also a problem with congested traffic, especially in the summer season.

A specific problem with city tourism is the high number of short-term, one-day tourists, or even several-hour visitors.

  1. Does the city have any plans to reduce or limit tourism?

The town reacted to these negative tendencies by compiling a brand-new tourism strategy that was finished in 2018 with help from an external consulting company. Besides an analysis of the current situation, suggestions were made to take measures for tourism to become more sustainable. This means eliminating the biggest problems caused by intensive tourism that have a negative impact on life within the city.

 

  1. What about the many short visits by tourists who spend no money but block the streets?

The city is preparing necessary regulations: make tour groups pay higher fees upon bus arrival and also higher parking fees for buses.

  1. How much money comes to Český Krumlov from tourism?

Krumlov has benefited a lot from tourism since the fall of communism. It has significantly contributed to restoring almost the entire historical centre of the city, including the area of ​​the castle, which was almost a ruin in 1990; other properties located outside the centre have also been restored, public spaces have been revitalized, so the city has changed its face for the better. Tourism provides hundreds of business opportunities and thousands of jobs. About 40% of jobs are available thanks to tourism. These are the greatest economic benefits of tourism for the city itself. 

 

 

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