Slovenia is increasingly attractive to foreigners

Tourism officials boast that 6.2 million tourists visited Slovenia last year, 5.5% more than the year before, while overnight stays increased by 3.5% from 16.1 million the year before. Arrivals were only 0.6 per cent lower than in the record year of 2019, while overnight stays were two per cent higher than in the year before the outbreak of the covida-19 pandemic.

Sustainable and boutique forms of tourism

It is encouraging to see that tourists have behaved in a more sustainable way, in line with the vision of tourism, and that the country has achieved excellent results despite the catastrophic floods in the peak season. Slovenia recovered faster than the European and global average last year. Last year's record number of American tourists is worth highlighting. Their arrivals exceeded those of 2022 by 31%.

Slovenia has also invested significantly in tourist accommodation over the last two years, and ski resorts have been restructured into year-round mountain centres. Public tourism infrastructure facilities and areas in local destinations have also been renovated.

Slovenia - a land of art and culture

A call for proposals to promote the introduction of eco-labels is planned for 2024, as well as a call for proposals for the development of tourism in tourist destinations under the European Cohesion Policy. The latter will make €7 million available. The Ministry of Economy, Sport and Tourism is also preparing to amend the law on catering, which is being drafted together with entrepreneurs, with the aim of bringing it into line with the social partners.

In addition to a number of intensive targeted advertising campaigns, the WTO is also preparing for the European Football Championships and the Olympic Games this year. They will continue to work with Slovenia's top athletes, and as they enter a new two-year central promotional communications theme - arts and culture - they have also unveiled a collaboration with the music group Joker Out, which will appeal particularly to younger generations.

The key objective is to raise the profile and attractiveness of Slovenia as an arts and culture destination. This year, the WTO will also launch a campaign on Spotify, which will mark their first foray into the world of audio advertising. This approach aims to present Slovenia in a fresh and innovative way.

Connecting Slovenia to the world

Slovenia's connectivity with the world is also a major contributor to successful tourism results. On 29 April this year, Norwegian will launch a new route between Ljubljana and Copenhagen. Flights will be twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays in the low season (spring and autumn) and on Tuesdays and Saturdays in the high season (mid-summer).

"We continue to expand our flight network with new destinations and Ljubljana is an exciting new tourist destination offering culture, nature and urban delights for families. It fits well with our ambition to inspire our customers to discover new places," says Magnus Thome Maursund, Chief Commercial Officer at Norwegian, about the connection between Copenhagen and Ljubljana. "We are very pleased that Norwegian will connect the Nordic region with Slovenia with its flights from Copenhagen to Ljubljana. Slovenia is the green heart of Europe - a wonderful tourist destination and an exceptional place for business events," adds Tanja Fajon, Slovenian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs.