Cesky Krumlov introduces tax for tourist buses in city center

Prague, Czech Republic – The popular South-Bohemian getaway destination Cesky Krumlov will be introducing a mandatory fee for tourist buses, reports local media.

Cesky Krumlov implements tourist entrance fee in city center

The Czech city of Český Krumlov, located in southern Bohemia a few kilometers away from the Austrian border, has decided to introduce a tax for tourist buses wishing to enter and park in the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992.

According to municipal authorities, up to 20.000 tourist buses travel to the south Bohemian town every year. They’ll now have to pay a tax of 1.250 Kc (around 50 euros) to get into the city center if they booked ahead of their arrival, or 1.500 Kc (around 60 euros) without reservation.

The city, the first in the Czech Republic to launch such a program, expects the new measure to bring in about 8 million Kc (more than 300.000 euros) this year, and 15 million Czech crowns (around 580.000 euros) in 2020.

The entrance to the city center, however, will remain free for school buses and athlete tours.

More than 1.5 million visitors per year in Český Krumlov

Český Krumlov is, after Prague, one of the main tourist destinations in the Czech Republic. Many day-trips are organized from the Czech capital city to visit this Medieval Bohemian town, which attracted more than 1.5 million visitors last year.

This unprecedented influx of both foreign and domestic tourists hasn’t been without consequences, with Český Krumlov being often cited as a textbook example of the impacts of mass-tourism. Last year, a Czech artist went so far as to launch an experiment offering a job and paid accommodation for people willing to (attempt to) live “a normal life” in Český Krumlov’s city center and provide their feedback on their experience.

The town has become so renowned, including for Asian tourists, that Chinese tech giant Huawei has decided to build a replica of its city center for its new mega-campus in China.