A month has passed since the end of Brno Christmas and TIC BRNO reports the most successful Christmas market in the last 9 years. Not only did it take place for the first time in the European Capital of Christmas, but there was positive feedback from stallholders and visitors alike, and it did well economically.
Brno was European and visitors were satisfied
"We have had the most successful year of Christmas markets, also thanks to the title of the European Capital of Christmas 2024. Brno Christmas resonates beyond the borders. With the consistent development of the city's contributory organisation TIC BRNO, which has been building their good reputation for a long time and promoting Brno in the field of tourism, they have become one of the key products. They also inspire other cities, as evidenced by the visits of organisers of similar events from the Czech Republic and abroad," She told Kristýna Černá, Brno City Councillor for Tourism.
The satisfaction of visitors is evidenced by data from the sociological survey of the Focus agency. "The survey showed that 74 % out of 1,000 surveyed visitors would recommend Brno Christmas to their friends. The resulting Net Promoter Score (NPS), which is a basic indicator of satisfaction, reached a very high value of 71, which is a significant improvement compared to 2019, when it was 51. In addition, the number of people who came to Brno specifically for this event increased by 14 %, which confirms the growing attractiveness of Christmas markets," said the summary of the survey Kristýna Černá. Other results of the survey show that three quarters of the non-Brno Christmas visitors were Czechs. They usually come with their partner, family or friends. Most respondents came for one day.
TIC BRNO, in addition to running its own markets, also promotes Brno as a Christmas destination in the Czech Republic and abroad. "We perceive Brno Christmas as an important tourism product with great destination potential. The Christmas campaign of the City of Brno has had a significant response abroad. TIC BRNO, in cooperation with us, approached journalists from neighbouring countries and organised a number of press trips. This is a great example of promoting a destination through a city festival," said the director of the CzechTourism agency Frantisek Reismüller. Brno was visited by 25 journalists and influencers from Germany, Poland, Austria and Hungary. For example, the German Press Agency's article, which was picked up by more than 80 German online daily newspapers with a total reach of over 66 million readers, had a huge media impact. The German radio campaign was also successful, with 83 stations broadcasting it.
The increased interest was also reflected in the online environment - the Facebook profile of Brno Christmas was viewed by 3.4 million users, the Instagram profile by 1.7 million. The website brnenskevanoce.cz was viewed by 1.13 million pages, visitors spent a total of 314 days on the website.
TIC BRNO reports positive feedback from retailers
TIC BRNO organizes Christmas markets on Liberty Square, Dominican Square and the courtyard of the Old Town Hall. In total, there are 78 sales stalls open for the 32 days of the Brno Christmas (with the exception of the Winter Bar and Jesus Bar, which are open until 7 January 2025). "The aim of our organisation is to provide a public service in the field of tourism and culture of the highest possible quality. That is why we put all the proceeds from the rental of the stands, which this year amounted to CZK 19.6 million, back into the organisation of Brno Christmas. We are planning costs at the maximum level of revenues, yet this year we made a profit of CZK 35,371, which will be transferred to the investment fund to cover long-term investments, mainly to improve the offer of Brno Christmas," said the director of TIC BRNO Jana Janulíková.
Investments in expanding the accompanying programs and cultivating the square are positively evaluated not only by visitors, but also by the vendors themselves. "This year's Christmas market at Svoboda Square was a success from my point of view - thanks to good organization, elaborate promotion and a varied program. Thanks to this, the number of visitors to the market increased significantly this year and we also saw a lot of tourists from abroad, especially from Slovakia, Poland and Austria. I liked the illuminated Dragon's Egg, the swings, the illuminated BRNO sign with video transmission, but also the garlands above the stalls and the evening DJ production, which added to the pleasant atmosphere." said the long-time operator of one of the popular stalls, Christmas Bar. Similarly, it is also perceived Adam Vodickaco-owner of the legendary Turbomost: "Turbomost has been a part of Brno markets since 2009. This year we were delighted by the varied programme and the completely full square, even on weekdays, which was not common in previous years. I especially appreciate the effort to reach out to the younger generation with an interesting musical programme, which greatly enlivened the atmosphere. The long-standing cooperation with TIC BRNO, which communicates annually with the vendors and takes into account our suggestions and comments, is essential for us and we are in line with the vision of this key partner."
For the second time, the courtyard of the Old Town Hall also came alive with gourmet markets, which became a showcase of Brno's famous gastronomy. "We perceive the Gourmet Christmas in the courtyard of the Old Town Hall as a pleasant extension of our cooperation on the Gourmet Brno project. We have the opportunity to present Brno gastronomy in the winter season at a prestigious festival that is widely attended and in a very pleasant environment. Such a concept of a gastronomic event was definitely missing in Brno," He mentioned Ron Winkler from Eggo Break Feast Bistro. A total of 9 Brno businesses presented themselves in the courtyard.
Over a hundred concerts and light installations
During the whole Brno Christmas, 124 concerts, performances and events took place on the stage on Liberty Square. Among the main stars were names such as Michal Hrůza, Hana Holišová, Sebastian, P/\ST or Pam Rabbit, NobodyListen and Aiko, who attracted especially the younger audience. A rich programme was also offered by the Zelný trh (Green Market), which was organised by the Brno-střed district.
In addition to music, TIC BRNO also focused on the visual aspect of the markets. The changes were reflected in the squares themselves and the adjacent streets. 12 light installations, 9 of them by renowned Brno artists and studios, appeared in them, in local churches and in the Yellow Hill water towers. One of them was last year's successful novelty - the Brno Dragon in a Sweater, which won the 1st place in the Innovative Marketing Communication category in the 2024 Tourism Grand Prix, as well as significant media attention. "I very much appreciate the organisers' efforts to cultivate public space and create markets as a contemporary aesthetic and cultural experience for all age groups. The involvement of local artists, architects and designers gives the markets a flair and authentic touch that can make visitors much more entertained and engaged in non-commercial activities. In addition, it manages to promote Brno's identity and specific humour, whether it's the Brno dragon in a red and white sweater or the Dragon's Egg, or the children's village with the Golden Wood," Reviewed by Janica Šipulová, architect from Consequence Forma architects, the studio behind the design of the village at Zelný trh.
"In cooperation with our partners, we have built a strong brand, Brno Christmas, which has made Brno one of the top European Christmas destinations. At the same time, thanks to year-round communication with our partners, we have managed to maintain the local character of the event, which makes not only market visitors but also Brno residents feel comfortable. And we consider this to be crucial for the long-term sustainability of the event. We all benefit from the multiplier effects of the event, especially the economic and marketing effects in the form of significantly increased visitor numbers to the city. The profitability of the event allows us to bring innovations and improvements every year for the best possible experience of Brno citizens and visitors. This year we have introduced a number of innovations - Dragon's Egg on Freedom Square, light installations in the city, a much more progressive dramaturgy of the music program, ... We are at the top. Our approach is clearly working and we want to continue it in the years to come, we have plenty of ideas already," concluded the director Jana Janulíková.
