Prague drew around 1.7 million tourists in the first quarter of 2026, about 5% more than a year earlier, as the Czech capital kept pulling visitors from Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The early-year numbers point to a city that has moved well beyond a rebound. Prague received more than 8 million visitors in 2025, and more than 12% of them came from Asian countries, helped by direct flights from Taipei, Seoul and Beijing that made the city easier to reach.
That growth matters now because another route is on the way. American Airlines plans to begin a direct flight from Philadelphia to Prague in the summer of 2026, adding to the expanding web of connections that has made the city more accessible to U.S. travelers. Prague has also been getting a lift from its reputation as a safe and relatively affordable place to visit, with Prague Castle and Charles Bridge still among the main draws for short-stay and first-time visitors alike.
The pricing pitch has started to carry as much weight as the postcard view. Before this article was published, Travel + Leisure named Prague the No. 1 most affordable European city to visit in the winter, while The Economic Times included it in its list of 10 Cities in Europe You Can Visit if You're Young and Broke. That value message sits alongside another selling point: Prague is considered one of the world's safest cities for tourists according to the Global Peace Index, and Czechia consistently ranks as one of Europe's safest countries.
The tension for Prague is that popularity now depends on both access and balance. More direct flights have helped fill the city’s hotels and sightseeing routes, but the same easy access that feeds the market also increases pressure on a destination known for its luxury experiences, historic center and heavy foot traffic around its best-known landmarks. For now, the numbers suggest the formula is working: Prague is attracting more visitors, from more places, at a pace that keeps the capital firmly on travelers’ lists heading into the summer.
