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A group of demonstrators gathered in Prague’s Old Town Square on Saturday afternoon to protest what they called the unchecked commercialization of the city’s historic core. Organized by the activist group Kolektiv 115, the event was staged as a symbolic football match between “Team Prague” and “Airbnb,” a reference to the growing presence of short-term rentals that critics say are pricing out local residents.
Though numbering only a few dozen, the protesters delivered a pointed message: tourism, while economically significant, has been allowed to expand without regulation, leading to higher housing costs, strained infrastructure, and loss of public space.
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Locals say city center is becoming a ‘museum for tourists’
The protest was intended to draw attention to the impacts of overtourism, particularly on housing availability and affordability. Organizers emphasized they are not opposed to individual tourists but to the broader model of commercialized tourism that they say prioritizes profit over residents' well-being.
“What we reject is the current form of tourism—deregulated, commercialized and purely profit-driven,” said one organizer during the demonstration.
Participants carried signs and banners, calling attention to the growing number of short-term rentals and what they see as the transformation of historic neighborhoods into “open-air museums” devoid of everyday life.
The symbolism of Old Town Square, long a magnet for international visitors, was central to the protest. Organizers said the square, once a civic gathering place, has become largely inaccessible to residents due to crowds and commercial activity.
Most Prague residents now avoid the square, the organizers said. Another concern raised was the climate impact of air travel, particularly the popularity of short weekend visits by plane.
“The fact that tourists come here for two nights by plane inevitably and fundamentally destroys our climate,” stated one protest flyer. “We don’t want to stand idly by as Prague turns into a dystopian landscape dominated by capital.”
Overtourism debate grows amid record-breaking numbers
The protest comes as tourism in the Czech Republic reaches record levels. According to the Czech Statistical Office, 22.8 million tourists stayed in the country in 2024—an increase of nearly 4 percent from the previous year and a historic high surpassing pre-pandemic figures.
Of those, about 10.5 million were foreign visitors, a nearly 10 percent increase year-on-year. Prague remains the most popular destination, often absorbing a disproportionate share of tourist traffic. However, some experts say Czechia does not yet meet the criteria for overtourism seen in countries like Spain or Italy.
Do you think Prague suffers from overtourism?
“Compared to Spain or Italy, the Czech Republic cannot be said to suffer from overtourism,” said CzechTourism director František Reismüller.
Still, critics argue that the concentration of tourists in Prague's center creates localized problems, particularly in the housing market. The rise of platforms like Airbnb has been cited as a major contributor to rising rents and the disappearance of long-term housing options.
Organizers of Saturday’s protest stressed that these developments are affecting not only residents but also the character and function of the city itself.
Protesters argued that addressing these issues requires long-term civic engagement. The fight against mass tourism and unaffordable housing is “a long-distance run,” said one Kolektiv 115 member, adding that speaking out about the issue is the first step towards finding a solution.
