How to choose a DMC in Prague: 10 questions to ask before you sign

Choosing a destination management company in Prague means choosing the people who will look after your clients when you are not there. Price matters, but the real differences show on the day: a coach that waits in the right place, a guide who keeps a group of forty engaged, a restaurant that seats everyone together and a phone that is answered late at night. These ten questions help you find out before you sign.

1. What is your legal status, and who contracts each service?

In the Czech Republic, a cestovní kancelář (travel office, the local equivalent of a tour operator) may organise and sell package travel and must be insured against insolvency. A cestovní agentura (travel agency) arranges individual travel services and may sell package travel only on behalf of a travel office. When you, as a foreign tour operator, are the organiser of the trip, your Prague partner supplies the ground services. Ask for the company name, the registration number (IČO) and the trade licences, and check them in the public Czech business registers. The quote should state who provides each service.

2. Which services do you provide, and which do you subcontract?

No DMC owns every coach, venue and hotel. What matters is that your partner knows exactly who will drive, guide and serve your group, and takes responsibility for them. Ask who the vehicle providers and guides are, how long they have worked together and what happens if a supplier fails on the day.

3. Are your guides qualified and experienced with groups like ours?

Since 2021, anyone guiding for pay in the Czech Republic must hold the Czech National Guide Card, and its higher degree requires a recognised qualification, such as the Prague guide exam run by Prague City Tourism. Beyond the card, ask about experience: a school group, an incentive group and an official delegation need different skills. For large groups, ask about the number of guests per guide and about radio headsets. Our page on licensed private guides explains how we match guides to groups.

4. How do you quote?

A good quote is itemised. It states what is included and what is not, how long the prices are valid, the currency and the conditions of each service. Ask whether rates are net or commissionable, and how VAT is shown: travel services in the European Union can fall under the special margin scheme for travel agents, which affects how VAT appears on invoices.

5. What are the payment and cancellation terms?

Deposits, balance dates and cancellation deadlines should match the terms of the hotels and venues behind them. Ask for a schedule that shows the release dates for hotel rooms, the rules for reducing numbers and the cancellation fees for each service, so there are no surprises when your numbers change.

6. How do you handle hotel blocks?

For groups, hotels usually offer an allotment with a release date, after which unsold rooms go back to the hotel. Ask how the DMC negotiates allotments, when rooming lists are due, how late changes are handled and whether a coach can stop at the hotel entrance. See how we work on hotel booking in Prague.

7. How do you plan coaches in the historic centre?

Tour coaches may not enter the historic centre of Prague. They drop off and pick up at designated coach stops for up to 15 minutes and wait in designated coach car parks, and the best stop is often not the closest one. Ask how the DMC plans stops, parking and timings for each day, how long the walks between the coach and the sights are, and what the plan is for guests who cannot walk far. Our group logistics page and our driver and coach hire service describe our approach.

8. Who supports the group on the ground?

Ask for the name of the operations contact, how the tour leader reaches them and whether someone answers in the evening and at weekends. Ask for an example of a problem they solved on the day: a delayed flight, a closed site, a guest who fell ill. The answer tells you more than any brochure.

9. Can you show references and a sample operating plan?

A DMC used to working with foreign partners can share references from similar programmes and an anonymised operating plan: a day-by-day schedule with timings, vehicle movements, guide assignments and restaurant reservations. If the plan is clear, the operation usually is too.

10. How do you handle personal data and liability?

Rooming lists, passport details and dietary notes are personal data. Ask how the DMC stores and shares them under the GDPR, which insurance it holds and how responsibility is divided between you, the DMC and the suppliers if something goes wrong.

Red flags

• A single total price with no breakdown of services.
• Vague answers about who guides and who drives.
• No written confirmation for each service.
• Pressure to pay the full amount long before the trip without a clear reason.
• No named contact for the days of the programme.

How we work with partners

We arrange ground services in Prague and the Czech Republic for tour operators, travel agencies and event planners: transfers and coaches, hotels, licensed guides, venues, restaurants and tickets, with one itemised quote and one operations contact. Read about our DMC services in Prague and about working with us as your incoming travel agency, or send us a brief through our partners page.