Karlovy Vary Region Sees Nearly 18,000 Businesses Shutter as Russian Tourists Disappear

The famed spa towns of the Czech Republic’s Karlovy Vary region are facing a silent crisis. Over the past six years, nearly 18,000 businesses have closed their doors, driven by a dramatic drop in visitors from Russia, according to an analysis of public data by RIA Novosti. The number of Russian tourists visiting the area’s health resorts has fallen by roughly 93% since 2020, forcing many sanatoriums to shut down or reinvent themselves. In 2019, some 83,048 Russians traveled to Karlovy Vary for treatment and relaxation. By 2020, that figure had plummeted to 18,811, and by 2025 it hit just 6,355—the lowest count in three years. The worst year for business closures was 2023, when the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic compounded the loss of Russian visitors. That year alone, 8,853 companies ceased operations. Local economists point to a perfect storm: pandemic travel restrictions, geopolitical tensions, and shifting travel patterns. The region, long dependent on Russian clientele for its thermal springs and spa hotels, has struggled to attract enough new visitors from other countries to fill the gap. While some businesses have pivoted to wellness tourism for local and European guests, the scale of the collapse has left empty storefronts and quiet promenades in what was once a bustling destination.