VisitChef.com

Central Europe has plenty to offer international visitors: historic cities, cultural monuments, natural beauty, gastronomy and year-round travel opportunities. And because Prague, Budapest, Warsaw and Bratislava are relatively close to one another, individual countries can naturally form part of a single trip.

It is precisely this potential that the Central Europe Marketplace builds upon. This new international event will take place on 2 March 2027 in Prague, and its aim is to create a space for concrete business cooperation between Central European destinations and international buyers. The event is being organised by ETOA and New Deal Europe in collaboration with the Discover Central Europe alliance.

Discover Central Europe brings together the national tourism organisations of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. The four countries therefore wish to jointly promote the region in international markets and encourage travel that allows visitors to explore multiple destinations during a single holiday.

“The Central Europe Marketplace responds to the growing interest in holidays that combine visits to several European countries. Thanks to their location, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia offer ideal conditions for precisely this kind of travel. Short distances make it easy to explore several countries in a single trip, with each offering its own history, culture, cuisine, natural beauty and unique experiences. Together, we are creating a diverse range of options that can encourage international visitors to stay longer. This new initiative will help international partners better understand this potential and turn it into new, attractive travel products,” agree representatives from all countries in the Discover Central Europe alliance.

One day, dozens of business opportunities

At the heart of the Central Europe Marketplace will be pre-arranged one-to-one meetings. International buyers—including travel agencies, tour operators and other companies that develop and sell travel products—will meet, in the space of a single day, with hotels, regions, tourism organisations and other partners from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

This is not merely about presenting individual destinations. The aim is to bring the offering directly to those who can incorporate it into their products and offer it to international travellers. Face-to-face meetings can thus pave the way for new partnerships, joint products and concrete business opportunities.

“The fact that the first edition of the Central Europe Marketplace is taking place in Prague confirms the Czech Republic’s significance as the natural centre of Central Europe. It is a fantastic opportunity to introduce our country to international partners and show them the places and experiences they can offer their clients. I believe that this new event will bring new business opportunities to Czech regions, hotels and other partners and will help attract more international visitors to the Czech Republic,” says Tereza Hofmanová, Director of the Czech Tourism Authority—CzechTourism.

Familiarisation trips will also form an important part of the programme. Foreign partners will therefore not be limited to presentations and meetings, but will head straight to the destinations to experience what they have to offer first-hand. They can look forward to historic towns, cultural monuments, natural scenery, gastronomy and opportunities to travel outside the peak season.

It is precisely this personal experience that can be crucial in tourism. When a buyer actually visits a destination, samples the local cuisine, walks through its streets or gets to know a specific hotel or attraction, they gain a much clearer idea of what they can offer their clients.

“Successful tourism is based above all on trust and personal relationships between people and businesses. The Central Europe Marketplace will create a space where international buyers and partners from Central Europe can meet in person, establish cooperation and develop new products for travellers. That is precisely why, together with New Deal Europe and the Discover Central Europe alliance, we have decided to organise this event,” emphasises ETOA Chief Executive Tom Jenkins.

The Central Europe Marketplace will thus connect two key parts of the travel market: on the one hand, the offerings of regions, hotels, attractions and tourism organisations; and on the other, international companies seeking new destinations and products for their customers.

Prague as the starting point for a new collaboration

The first edition of the event in Prague comes at a time when tourism is increasingly focusing on more comprehensive travel experiences and combining multiple destinations. For Central Europe, this presents an opportunity to demonstrate that individual countries do not have to promote themselves solely on their own in foreign markets. They can create a joint offering in which their different characteristics complement one another.

The organisers therefore expect that the Central Europe Marketplace will not merely be a one-day event, but also a platform for forging longer-term business relationships. The programme will be complemented by a social evening and subsequent familiarisation trips, which will enable international partners to discover the individual destinations first-hand.

Both international buyers and representatives of companies and organisations operating in the tourism sector in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia can now register for the event.