Prague - Interest in 2- and 3-star hotels on the Mediterranean has hit a low among Czechs, a fact that travel agency representatives have confirmed off the record.

There have been fewer enquiries for package tours, particularly to Spain and Tunisia. In contrast to recent years, travel agencies have also experienced a drop in sales for trips to the Greek Riviera and Rhodos.

As a result, travel agencies are currently offering discounts to those destinations.

"The discounts are applicable only to selected offers, usually for 2- and 3-star hotels, where we have seen a drop in interest among the travellers," explains Tomáš Brejcha, a Čedok spokesperson.

Other travel agencies, such as CK Fischer, Exim Tours, Blue Style and Sunny Days, are also advertising discounts on their internet sites.

The Sunny Days website, for example, is currently advertising a week-long vacation in Tunisia with accommodation and half-board at the 4-star Mariqueen hotel for 5,990 CZK. Last year, the same vacation had cost 4,000 crowns more.

Luxury hotels in higher demand

Conversely, enquiries for 4- and 5-star hotels are growing. Bookings for package tours with such holtels during the main tourist season have already reached approximately 60-percent capacity.

More than two million package tours were sold last year. The average cost paid by each client for a vacation totalled up to 19,177 CZK, including the cost of accommodation.

According to the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ), the total amount spent on package tours bought through travel agencies, excluding expenses incurred while away, was around 13.5 billion CZK.

Last year, Czechs spent a total of 69.5 million CZK on vacations abroad. This year, that figure is expected to rise by five percent, according to the Association of Tour Operators and Travel Agents of the Czech Republic. As a result, total holiday spending will amount to 73 billion CZK.