2.4 OUTGOING AND DOMESTIC TOURISM In 2012, Czech Republic residents made 11.7 million long trips for leisure and recreation purposes, of which 7.3 million were domestic and 4.4 million foreign long trips. Traditionally, the most popular foreign destination was Croatia (over 800,000 long trips), followed by Slovakia (over 580,000) and Italy (almost 550,000 trips). As concerns domestic tourism, Czechs spent most of their vacations in the Central Bohemia region (17.5 % of all domestic long trips), followed by the South Bohemia (14 %) and Liberec regions (8.8 %). The total number of short trips of Czech residents was 19.7 million, of which 18.6 million were domestic and over 1 million foreign trips. Most of these trips abroad not exceeding three overnight stays were to neighbouring countries. Almost 1.5 million business trips with at least one overnight stay were recorded, of which approx. 900,000 in the Czech Republic and 560,000 abroad. Methodology Source of information about outgoing and domestic tourism by the citizens of the Czech Republic is the sample survey on tourism, which is performed by the CZSO in households. Information on travelling habits is collected continuously. In survey the respondents answer the questions concerning their tourism trips realised in with a one month reference period. Data results are published quarterly. Surveyed are all the persons that usually live in the household selected by sample survey on the territory of the Czech Republic. He/she is asked about trips that he/she has realized in the reference period for the private purpose (holiday or leisure time, visit of relatives or friends etc.) and for the business purpose. Only trips outside the usual environment (i.e. outside of permanent residence, workplace, school etc.) – not exceeding 1 year – are included into tourism. Data collected in sample survey are calculated for the entire population above 15 years of age. Main published indicators Domestic tourism – tourism realized by residents in domestic environment in the Czech Republic outside of their usual environment Outgoing tourism – represents tourism by Czech residents abroad. Long trip – trip for the purpose of spending leisure time and recreation, where a person at least 4× in a row has stayed overnight outside of his/her usual environment. Short trip – trip for the purpose of spending leisure time and recreation, where a person at least 1× and at most 3× continuously stayed overnight outside of his/her usual environment (including weekend stays). Business trip – stay that is of employment/work character outside of the usual environment of a person with at least one overnight, length of which cannot exceed 12 months (congresses and conferences, trade fairs and expositions, business negotiations and company missions, trips for the purpose of signing a business or another contract, installation and repair, trade (purchase and sale), professional trips, trainings for the purpose of raising expertise and qualifications, service accompaniment of other persons etc.) Average number of overnights – charged to one trip, characterizes the trip length. Average costs per 1 trip/1 day of trip – average expenses per participant for one trip/one day of trip in CZK. All the data relate to the Czech Republic in 2012, unless otherwise stated. More detailed information is found at www.czso.cz TOURISM IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC IN 2012