European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Rss try Vav Mwry a str str a f a a a a a Ltd s&3 Laah Lirten i Ati i the Charles Bridge stretching across the Vltava River is one off in attractions luring a new surge of tourists to  agencies helping Prague Cope with tourist crus by Patricia Koza United press International a drab three room office tucked away in Prague s Central railway station houses the Headquarters of the bustling private tourist Agency ave. Its Dingy Walls Are filled with messages scribbled by customers grateful Graffiti testifying to the Success of the four month old private company. Quot Monika we love you Quot says a note about one of the staff members from a Trio of satisfied customers. Other messages provide travel tips Quot remember the left Luggage office Only takes bags less than 15 pkg 33 pounds Quot ave which Means Quot Hail Quot or Quot Welcome Quot in latin is one of 111 private tourist agencies Given a License to operate in the czech Republic in May. During the hectic summer months a Long line snaked out of the ave offices and Down the railway station corridor As tourists a most of them Young people a paid $5 to $25 to be booked into scarce Prague accommodations by ave s staff of 30. The line was not so much a sign of ave s popularity As of the state tourist ministry s total inability to Cope with a 40 percent jump in tourism that taxed Prague s already overbooked hotels to the breaking Point. The peaceful revolutions of 1989 unleashed a horde of tourists on Eastern Europe that is Only now abating As Winter sets in. But Czechoslovakia which was considered one of the most repressive states in communist times suffered the worst onslaught. Hungary has had More than a decade of experience catering to Western tastes thanks to its policy of gradual moves toward a Market Economy. Poland had a More gradual Rise in tourism from the West but was Quot invaded Quot from the East by russians seeking to Trade soviet made espresso makers and vacuum cleaners for cheap clothing and computers. In die first Quarter alone nearly 7 million foreigners visited Czechoslovakia a an 85 percent jump from the same period in 1989 taking away with them millions of dollars Worth of souvenirs including the famous Bohemian Glass a in the Moser Crystal store on a Prokope a fashionable shopping Street at the foot of Wenceslas Square the shelves in the main showroom were practically Bare. Even simple Crystal wine glasses had disappeared from the stores for most of the summer. Yet ave still struggles for life in the As yet hostile business atmosphere a legacy of four decades of state ownership of practically All property. 8 stripes Magazine november 15, 1990 we Are a share company so we wanted to establish ourselves before the private Enterprise Law went into effect Quot said manager Jiri Prochazka. The Law was passed in april but ave had been seeking permission to open Well before that. Quot it was a great Effort because practically cd quote tft0 help us Quot he recalled he sat in his spartan office decorated Only with a picture of president Vaclav Havel the Leader of november s Quot gentle  when you opened the doors at the ministry you saw the same faces As under the communist system Quot we beef business literally through the Back door by cooperating with the czechoslovak red Cross which has an office Down the Hall in the railway station Quot we agreed we d help them renovate their offices and accommodate refugees from Romania Quot Prochazka said. Quot then we got these offices in the Middle of the season. We had no time to renovate and even getting furniture was a problem. It was  Prochazka who graduated from University and then cleaned carpets fora living until forming ave said now that Czechoslovakia has opened up to the West the tourist business has changed dramatically. Whereas 90 percent of the tourists used to come from Germany and Austria mainly in package deals Many tourists now Are Young people from the United states Canada Austria and new zealand. Along with the influx of tourists there has been a sudden surge of czechoslovak wanting to see the West a Many for the first time. Through the efforts of agencies like ave their Lack of foreign currency does t hold them Back. Bus trips have been organized to Venice and Rome in which the travellers sleep on the bus or on the Side of the Road and czechs also use German agencies to go cheaply to Spain this approach has its own unique problems. One tour that stopped by the Road near Venice after Nightfall and Laid out sleeping bags found out the next morning that the group s members had been sleeping on a garbage dump. Back in the capital enterprising Prague residents could be found this summer parked on major thoroughfares into the City the windshields of their cars displaying signs advertising rooms for $12 to $15 a night. Private bus companies have popped up that offer cheaper fares for travel Between Prague and Brno than the Public bus system a with attendants on Board serving refreshments