Why the Czech Republic should be your next MICE pick

With more than 42,000 hotel rooms in total, and more five-star hotels than Vienna and Madrid combined, there are endless MICE opportunities--and if your clients wanted to host a MICE event in a castle, why not? The Czech Republic is home to more than 200 of them.

The Czech Tourism Board and the Consulate General of the Czech Republic hosted a Lunch and Learn in Toronto yesterday afternoon, to explain why the destination is quickly becoming a hub for MICE activity.

Two Czech tour operators, Senator Tours, represented by Martin Lehky, and Eastern Europe Tours, represented by Vendula Unden, were also in attendance, and on-hand to connect with agents.

Extraordinary MICE opportunities and venues

“Prague is a great destination for meetings, incentives, and conferences for your clientele,” said Jiri Duzar, assistant director, digital & strategy manager, Czech Tourism, USA & Canada. “Last year, we were selected as the eighth-best meeting destination, according to ICCA statistics. According to TripAdvisor, we’re the seventh-best destination to visit worldwide, and Prague has also been recognized as one of the greenest cities in Europe.”

Hotel meeting rooms and conference centres don’t always deliver the excitement required for a major industry event or important meeting.

Two of Prague’s largest convention centres include the O2 Universum (where the Red Hot Chilli Peppers played in 2016), which can accommodate up to 9,000 people and the Prague Congress Centre.

Seamless connections for your clients

Air Canada currently offers non-stop flights to the Czech Republic, arriving in the city of Prague. Air Transat also offers flights during the summer season.

Sixty-seven airlines fly in and out of the country, and with direct flights to 157 destinations in 51 countries, the Czech Republic, located in the heart of Europe, is truly an accessible place. No visas are required for citizens from 89 countries, including Canada and the United States.

Prague prides itself on being a very accessible city, and is fully connected by subway, trains, streetcars, and busses. “You can get to the city centre from the airport within 25 minutes, so it’s very convenient,” Duzar added.

Getting around

Prague, a very vibrant and cosmopolitan city, is extremely walkable, which is also great for bleisure clients, who are looking to squeeze a bit of sight-seeing into their business trips.

A 24-hour transit ticket would cost Canadians approximately $6. According to Duzar, for a nice business lunch or dinner, Canadians shouldn’t expect to pay any more than $50 for a three-course meal.

But, Prague is not the only city Czech Republic has to offer, especially when it comes to hosting an event or meeting. The entire country is home to 12 UNESCO Heritage Sites, and numerous historic buildings, many of which are available to be rented.

For more information on how to make the Czech Republic your next MICE pick, check out Czech's MICE scene!