Reader story: "Border closures have wiped out my tour business"

The closure of the borders has been a total wipeout for our business. It hit us like a tsunami on March 13, as soon as the state of emergency was declared. We provided full refunds for tickets for tours that could not take place due to the State of Emergency. Every reservation we had for private tours, including university groups and groups from travel agencies, has also been canceled. Not only have we had to make dozens of refunds, but all promised future income has also disappeared.

I’m not actively searching for alternative employment at the moment. I’ve always been self-employed (I started Naked Tour Guide while I was still a student, during an exchange year in Prague) and I’m reluctant to turn my back on my company. I’m open to the possibility of a change of career, but it’s hard to think about it right now when so much of society is shut down at the moment. It seems strange to think about a career in something that isn’t happening at the moment.

I think that the calamity is going to change the face of tourism in Europe forever. It’s my belief that the era of the cheap flight and “weekend away” tourism has ended. I would not be surprised to see airlines collapse over the months ahead, and I expect that when planes start flying again, that flights will be less frequent and more expensive. I think that the higher end of the market will rebound faster, so our plan is to concentrate on that market segment, which means we will focus more on private tours. I think also that there is a possibility that US study aboard programs will bounce back again, and we’ve had some wonderful experiences running tours for university groups in Prague, so I hope that we’ll be able to do more of this in the future.

I’ve been very lucky with my quarantine. I love to cook, and my boyfriend loves to eat. A trip to the supermarket is a highlight of the week, as I look at what’s available and imagine meals for the days ahead. I’ve noticed that as we’re eating at home all the time, that there’s very little food waste — things don’t go bad in the fridge. I also managed to source some yeast (which I’m willing to trade for toilet paper!) so I’ve been trying my hand at yeast breads and fresh pizza dough.

There are several positives to the situation. Firstly, Prague’s cancerous short-term-letting industry has been shut down overnight. Hopefully, the city would actually do something to regulate the situation now, while the shutdown continues, rather than letting them start back up again. Given the collapse in tourist numbers, and the abundance of hotel accommodation (hotels have planning permission, provide employment, meet fire safety standards and pay taxes, unlike Airbnbs), it’s hard to see the argument for the reintroduction of Airbnb. The return of former Airbnbs to the housing stock will also make city center accommodation available to locals once more, and give Prague back to its people. 

Secondly, global pollution has plummeted, and I think that the Green movement has a real moment of opportunity now. It seems that now is the time to promote a green future, while the oil-driven industry is in hiatus. It would be a pity if, once the pandemic passes, we resume polluting as normal. Finally, and most importantly, this situation gives the city an opportunity to think about how it wants to address tourism in the future.

Now is the time for an engaged conversation about the future of tourism in Prague. There was a blanket assumption that the 8 million visitors that came to Prague last year were a good thing for the city as they brought money. However, the money they brought was not distributed to the citizens of the city as a whole but rather concentrated into very few pockets. The city center that was ever more congested with tourists, and local shops and residents disappeared to be replaced by candy stores, trdelnik stalls, and short term rentals. The net result for most people living in Prague was that rents soared and life became less and less affordable to the average Czech citizen. Do we really want a return to that?

For tour guides, our worst-case scenario has already taken place, and the best that we can hope to do is hibernate until this has passed. I think life is going to become difficult for the people who used to work in the tourism sector once restrictions are lifted and other people go back to work. It isn’t so bad when everyone is quarantined, but when other people go back to jobs, start eating in restaurants again, going for nights out, and returning to their pre-pandemic lives, I think that the realization of lost livelihoods will really hit home.