Prague is banning night-time pub crawls, popular as stag and hen parties by visitors who, in the words of a city councilor, “come for a short time only to get drunk”
The measure, which bans drinking parties organized by tourism operators between 10 pm and 6 am, does not apply to private parties organized by locals. The focus of the most raucous parties has been in the Wenceslas Square area.
One of the city’s deputy mayors told press that “Unreasonable alcohol consumption and disruptive behaviour associated with pub crawls can give the impression of a lack of culture in society, can reduce the sense of safety and … can have a negative impact on how the city is perceived by tourists, potential investors and residents themselves.” He also indicated the city would like to attract a “more cultured, wealthier tourist.”
The head of the Czech Association of Hotels and Restaurants, Vaclav Starek, told AFP: “Trips to the centre in search of beer have been a problem for local people and for other tourists too. I don’t think this will hurt our sales. Nobody will be banned from going to a pub, but these nightly organized pub crawls … are nothing we would need.”
