Czechia's Gen Z is turning down the pub for more cultural experiences

A recent survey by leisure and discount company Slevomat revealed that Generation Z in Czechia is turning down trips to the pub in favor of more entertainment- and culture-based experiences. According to the findings, just 12 percent of young Czechs go out for beers with friends weekly, whereas more than one-quarter of all adults visit pubs regularly.

Gen Z – or people born in 1997 and later – nowadays prefer to focus on “five entertainment or artistic experiences.” These include visits to galleries, museums, cinemas, musical performances, and long weekend trips.

When it comes to treating themselves, 40 percent of Czechia’s Gen Z go for an entertainment or art-related experience at least once every three months, and four out of five young people do so once a year. Additionally, 57 percent of the younger generation go for a long weekend or a short stay at least once a year. Around half also treat themselves to a spa or wellness center with their own savings.

One in four members of Gen Z go for an adrenaline-based experience annually, and at least one-third take the higher-class option of trying a degustation menu. Slevomat brand director Martin Hrubý comments that younger generations are more oriented toward experiential outings; trying new things.

The decline in pub culture – witnessed not only among younger generations but also across the whole nation – is also likely due to sharply increasing prices of draft beer and restaurant food owing to high inflation and rising rates of cost of living. A survey from 2022 found that seven out of 10 Czechs reported consciously cutting down on their trips to the pub.

The trend of declining pub trips is unlikely to change any time soon. An increase in the value-added tax (VAT) rate for draft beer – from 10 percent to 21 percent – taking effect at the start of this year has seen beer prices bubble over. For example, according to a study from payment-analysis firm Dotykačka, the average price of a pint of draft beer in Prague restaurants has increased sharply over the years. In July 2021, the cost was CZK 52 and in 2022 it was CZK 59. Today, the average stands at around CZK 73.