UK pub crawlers expected to head to Portugal after Prague ban

Following Prague’s recent decision to ban organized pub crawls between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., Portugal is anticipated to see a significant rise in stag and hen parties from the UK.

The Czech capital’s ban, aimed at curbing noise pollution, overcrowding, and security issues, particularly in the central district of Prague 1, is prompting agencies to predict a shift in party tourism to popular Portuguese hotspots, according to The Portugal News.

The Prague regulation, spearheaded by the city council and local tourism bodies, responds to longstanding complaints about “alcohol tourism.” Earlier this month, the Deputy Prague Mayor and city council cited the excessive noise and disturbances caused by large pub crawl groups as factors that burden city resources and tarnish its reputation among both locals and visitors.

The new restrictions limit agency-run pub crawls to designated hours, allowing only traditional tour services between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., and affect services broadly considered to facilitate pub-hopping.

In light of Prague’s decision, UK stag and hen agencies like StagWeb.co.uk and GoHen.com report a spike in interest in Portuguese destinations like Lisbon and Albufeira. According to Jon Stainer, Creative Director at StagWeb and GoHen, Prague’s popularity as a party destination has waned since 2019 due to pandemic shifts and geopolitical concerns.

Source: StagWeb.co.uk

"Introducing a pub crawl ban is a statement for stags and hens to think twice about heading to Prague, and we expect even more to turn to Spain and Portugal next year," Stainer told The Portugal News.

With the pub crawl ban now in place, Portugal, which has already seen a 145 increase in stag and hen tourism to Albufeira from 2019 to 2024, is expected to draw even more visitors, a boon for the economy that also raises concerns about over-tourism particularly in coastal regions already grappling with overcrowding and residential disturbances in recent years.

The city of Sintra, for instance, has seen a significant increase in tourism-related activity, leading some locals and officials to advocate for stricter regulations on short-term rentals, noise control, and public behavior.