Record number of visitors to the brewery and Brewery Museum

Plzensky Prazdroj one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region

Last year saw the Pilsen brewery and Brewery Museum welcome twelve percent more tourists than in 2004. A new trend is the increase in the number of visitors from exotic countries and the growth in services and goods purchased in the brewery and the museum. 2005 was also the first year when Plzensky Prazdroj, the city of Pilsen and the Pilsen region developed joint activities with the aim of attracting to the region the maximum number of tourists from the Czech Republic and abroad.

In 2005, almost 157 000 visitors from dozens of countries all over the world learned something about the history and present of the most famous Czech beer brand – Pilsner Urquell. That’s the number of people welcomed by the Pilsen brewery and the Brewery Museum to its visitor route, the only one of its type in the Czech Republic. More than a quarter of the guests are from the Czech Republic, who form the majority of visitors to the Brewery Museum. The brewery, on the other hand, is the most popular attraction for guests from Germany, who make up the largest group of tourists (that’s 7 thousand more for the year than Czechs). Other significant groups are visitors from Russia, France, the USA and Great Britain. Third place went to tourists from Taiwan, whose numbers rose by 78 % to almost 9 000.

At the Holiday World 2005 tourism fair in Prague, the representatives of Plzensky Prazdroj, the Pilsen region and the Pilsen city jointly announced their aim to create and coordinate activities to attract tourists to the region. This will be seen in the organisation of joint presentations of events to support tourism, in coordinated work with the Czech Tourism agency and in cooperating on a number of important regional events (Liberation Day in Pilsen, the World Tourism Olympics, the tradtional Pilsner Fest).

For further information please contact:      
Marketa Formanova, tourism manager, Plzensky Prazdroj, a. s.
Phone: 377 224 955
e-mail: 

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• With total brand sales at home and abroad of more than 9.5 million hectolitres of beer, Plzensky Prazdroj, a. s. is the leader on the Czech market and also the largest exporter of Czech beer. It is part of the international group SABMiller plc, one of the largest companies in the world. SABMiller’s flagship is the Pilsner Urquell brand. Plzensky Prazdroj’s main brands in the Czech Republic are Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, Radegast and Velkopopovicky Kozel.
  
• Plzensky Prazdroj’s activities for visitors to Pilsen and the Pilsen brewery include the Visitor’s Museum in the brewery courtyard, the visitor’s route and the Brewery Museum in the city centre. Visitors can use the Na Spilce restaurant in the brewery grounds – in the summer, with the outside terrace – the souvenir gift shop, representative areas and conference centre. The brewery has become a social centre for the region, a place sought after for a wide range of cultural, educational and presentation events.
  

Pilsen