The Ministry of Regional Development is responsible for coordinating and setting guidelines in the tourism sector. The Tourism Department carries out activities related to the development and implementation of tourism policy. It implements measures arising from tourism-related strategies, and undertakes activities to enhance awareness and recognition of tourism as an important industry within the national economy, and strengthen international co-operation. The Ministry is also responsible for preparing relevant legislation as well as monitoring and collecting statistical information, developing tourism in the regions and supporting the quality and structure of tourism services.
The Czech National Tourism Board, CzechTourism, is a grant-aided organisation supported by the Ministry of Regional Development. Its principal mission is to generate awareness of the Czech Republic as a tourism destination. Its main partners are the regional tourism organisations, municipalities and business enterprises. CzechTourism’s objective is to promote tourism in co-operation with the private sector, and to review the medium-term strategy for the marketing of tourism products in domestic and international markets.
The organisation of tourism in the Czech Republic is strongly influenced by the respective administrative systems of the 14 self-governing regions in the country. The regions and individual communities are represented by different public institutions and co-operation between national and regional tourism organisations is critical. In every tourist region, a coordinator is appointed to coordinate the marketing activities of all public tourism bodies and act as the communication channel between regional public tourism bodies and CzechTourism. Ad hoc working groups are set up as required to assist with tourism policy, drafting of tourism legislation, the preparation and elaboration of tourism support programs, etc.
The National Collegium of Tourism is the consultative and advisory body of the Ministry, facilitating co-operation between state administrative bodies, self-administrative bodies, professional associations, the academic sector, independent experts, the public, unions and other stakeholders.
The Tourism Department’s budget in 2016 was EUR 8.4 million, a reduction of 15.9% on the previous year. CzechTourism’s budget in 2016 was EUR 17.1 million representing a reduction of 14.8% from 2015.
New operational programmes in tourism over the 2014-2020 period have also been cut back compared to the programming period 2007-2013. The most significant impact is on the development of tourism infrastructure, marketing activities, statistics and market research.
