Flow Of Beer Tourists Growing

While global economy crisis rages over Europe and tourism and travel industry shows all the signs of slowdown, the segment of beer tours is rising. About 380,000 amateurs of beer are expected to visit Czech breweries by the end of this year or 8.5 per cent more than in 2007.

One of the most successful breweries in this field is Plzeňský Prazdroj situated in Plzeň, Western Bohemia. More than 180,000 visitors among which about one half is Czechs and the rest are mostly Germans, Americans and Chinese selected this brewery to take an excursion there. There the beer amateurs can visit the brewery itself and then descend to the cellars for a look and testing, also watch a movie about producing very popular all over the world Pilsner Urquell beer.

The important thing about Czech beer tourism is that it is not completely controlled by large well-known breweries belonging to international corporations. Tiny family-run businesses and regional producers also offer excursions and beer testings. For instance, according to Milan Vedra, a member of director board of Staročeský pivovárek located in Dobruška that produces the Rampušák, such a program introduced only this year proved to be a success and attracted a lot of new visitors eager to taste new beer.

Photo: pivni.info/pivovary