In 2008, 30 specialised accommodation providers for hikers and cyclists, in cooperation with Slovenian Tourist Board, established the Hiking and Biking Economic Interest Group. Its purpose is faster development of hiking and biking as tourist products in Slovenia. Besides development tasks, the main activity of the Group is to promote hiking and biking accommodation providers and destinations, and marketing of hiking and biking packages.
The Group is implementing an annual activity programme, approved by its members in cooperation with the Slovenian Tourist Board and partners, i.e. local tourist boards, municipalities, Mountaineering Association of Slovenia, Slovenian Tourist Board, Triglav National Park, and other companies and institutions.
Members of the Grouping:
Alpe Adria Tourism - Hotel Bohinj, Hotel Zlatorog, Unitur, Thermana,
Terme Krka - Hotel Šmarješke Toplice, Otočec-Šport, Laguna-Strunjan
Hotel Lek, Hotel Rakov Škocjan, Hotel Lucija, Hotel Pod
Voglom, Hotel Stare, Residence Triglav, Golte d.o.o., Terme Dobrna - Hotel
Park, Terme Maribor - Hotel Bellevue, Hotel Cerkno , Hotel Krim
Sava hotels Bled- Hotel Park,
Sports Centre Pohorje – Hotels Arena, Videc, Bolfenk, Gostinstvo in
Turizem Metlika - Hotel Bela Krajina, Hotel Vijolica, Kreatur - Eko Hotel
Koroš, Apartmaji in Kamp Koren, Hotel Planinka.
Partners of the Group
Local tourist boards Bled, Sotočje, Kranjska Gora, Bohinj, Bovec, Maribor, Laško, Cerkno/Idrija, Blegoš, Kamnik, Business and Tourism Organisation Brežice, STIK Laško, Logarska dolina d.o.o., Tourist and Information Centre Luče, Development Centre Litija, Raj Jezersko, Triglav National Park, Centre of Health Murska Sobota, Mountaineering Association of Slovenia, Slovenian Tourist Board, Nordic Walking Association, Slovenian Mountain Guide Association, Tehnomat (walking poles, climbing irons), Geoset (Garmin navigation devices), Recreation and Tourist Centre Krvavec, Municipality of Cerklje, Intact d.o.o. (Polar watches), the Slovenj Gradec Municipality, the local tourist board of Koper, Koren Sports
Strategic partner:
Slovenian Tourist Board
The Group’s activities:
promotion
product design
distribution
integral packages marketing
ensuring quality offer of specialised accommodation
development, classification and marking of trails
informing
educating service providers and local population
monitoring legislation
tender applications
cooperation with members and partners of the Group – establishing common guidelines
cooperation with the strategic partner, the Slovenian Tourist Board and other partners
Conducting surveys among hikers from home and abroad
Management and coordination of members of the Group
Encouraging development and marketing, conducting a survey among hikers and cyclists
Coordination and cooperation with members and partners in the implementation of the marketing programme
Preparation of criteria for a hiking destination and cooperation with the Slovenian Tourist Board in monitoring and assessing the fulfilment thereof
Final establishment of a system of national, regional and local trails to be included in the national programme
Cooperation in the specialisation of hiking and biking for hotels and agencies
Designing adventure programmes and marketing packages on the TransSlo and MTB trails
Implementing the arrangement between Mountaineering Association of Slovenia, Slovenian Mountain Guide Association, Ministry of Economy, and Ministry of Education and Sport regarding commercial guidance in establishing a register of commercial hiking guides and cooperation in preparing a system of biking guides
Management and marketing of the programme Via Alpina in Slovenia – cooperation with the International and national secretariats
Providing information to foreign and domestic tourists
Referral of queries to the members of the Group
Cooperation with foreign hiking and biking organisations
Three main activity areas of the Group:
- Development, general
- Promotion
- Marketing
Development, general
Project preparation together with Europa Wanderhotels for uniform criteria of specialisation for
-hiking accommodation
-hiking trails
- hiking town or village
- hiking destination
Cooperation in marketing activities through the catalogue and portal Europa Wanderhotels
Marking system – themed trails for tourists
Coordination of a group of representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Tourism Directorate, Slovenian Forest Service, Nordic Walking Association, Slovenian Tourist Board and Hiking EIG. Preparation of a proposal of regulations for marking, maintenance and financing of trails. Cooperation in the preparation of study of themed hiking trails that will also bring proposals regarding the marking, maintenance and financing thereof.
Commercial management in hiking
Final regulation of relations between mountain and hiking guides and educational forest trail guides, park rangers: areas of guiding, comparative price lists, additional education in tourism-related fields, insurance, uniform register and transmitting up-to-date information of commercial guides to all interested agencies, tourist and information centres, destinations etc.
Final establishment of a system of key regional trails and their inclusion in the promotional activities
Hiking equipment pool
Establishing a system for purchasing hiking equipment for members and partners of the Group.
Active Slovenia Card and Olympic Card
Entering the card system introduced by the Chamber of Mountain Centres.
Cooperation with other associations
To optimise business costs, we should examine the possibilities of cooperation within this Group by bringing together biking organisations, small hotels, the Chamber of Mountain Centres, Mountaineering Association of Slovenia – hiking and biking, Nordic Walking Association of Slovenia and agencies, and at the international level Europa Wanderhotels, Tyrol Wanderhotels and the Cycling Association of Slovenia.
National Secretariat Via Alpina
Searching for possibilities for financing activities in the field of international cooperation with other national secretariats, and of course developing the services and sales packages along the Via Alpina trail and improving the marking of trails.
Monitoring the specialisation standards
Improving the quality of services related to specialised hiking and biking accommodation by monitoring the existing status and lobbying for the inclusion of all specialised non-members into the Group.
Education
Semi-annual education sessions regarding the quality of services at specialised facilities, one of which is a study tour abroad to see good practices from the field of specialised accommodation and destinations.
CONTACT:
Pohodništvo & kolesarjenje giz (Hiking and Biking EIG)
Dimičeva 13
1000 Ljubljana
Mail:
www.slovenia.info/pohodnistvo www.slovenia.info/kolesarjenjetel. 00386 (0) 41-646-566, 00386 (0) 41-764-059
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