Russian Visitors to Czech Spa Region Plunge by Nearly 93% Over Six Years

The number of Russian tourists visiting the Czech Republic’s famed spa region of Karlovy Vary has dropped dramatically, falling nearly 93% over the past six years, according to new data from the Czech Statistical Office reviewed by RIA Novosti.

In 2019, the health resorts of the Karlovy Vary region welcomed 83,048 Russian guests. By 2025, that figure had dwindled to just 6,355. The decline in overnight stays was even steeper: Russians booked 762,547 nights in 2019, compared to only 30,680 in 2025.

The collapse follows a series of compounding setbacks. The COVID-19 pandemic first disrupted travel, and then European Union sanctions against Russia—along with severe restrictions on air travel—made it far harder for Russian visitors to reach the Czech Republic.

Back in 2023, Karlovy Vary’s mayor, Andrea Pfeffer-Ferkova, publicly lamented the loss of Russian tourists, who had long been the region’s primary clientele. Several sanatoriums were forced to close or pivot to other services. Once a staple of the local economy, Russian visitors now represent a fraction of the numbers seen just a few years ago.