Slovenia sees the presentation of the tenth Sejalec award

Within the scope of the 8th Slovenian Forum of Innovation, the national awards for innovation and creativity in tourism were bestowed at a special event marking the 10th anniversary of promoting innovation in Slovenian tourism. This year, the title of SEJALEC 2013 was awarded to Penzion Raduha in Luče for its product named “Dreaming and Sleeping in a Tree Top”.

The first Sejalec (Sower), the Slovenian “Oscar” for tourism innovation, went to Celica Hostel in 2004, which is regarded as the beginning of a systematic promotion of innovation in Slovenian tourism. Celica Hostel is still considered an innovative practice not just in Slovenia, but globally as well. Ten years on, the SPIRIT Slovenia public agency and the Tourism and Internationalisation Directorate of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology announced the 10th Sejalec.

This year’s Sejalec invitation yielded 20 innovations submitted through the portal of the Bank of Tourism Potentials of Slovenia. Among them a nine-member expert panel selected three finalists within the scope of a multi-stage assessment procedure.

These were products entitled: (1) Kayaking through the Underworld of Mount Peca by the applicant Podzemlje Pece, (2) The Heart of Slovenia – A Caravan-Friendly Destination by the applicant Razvojni center Srca Slovenije, and (3) Dreaming and Sleeping in a Tree Top. Only the last one won the title Sejalec 2013.

The Breznik family from Luče had already presented its vision of sustainable combining of tradition and contemporary design to the expert panel in 2010 and received the national Snovalec award, which is a promotional and financial incentive for the realisation of the most promising ideas in Slovenian tourism. Three years later, houses in the tree tops, the glass self-catering apartment in a kozolec hayrack and the renovated Old Stable successfully complement the long-standing hospitality tradition of the Raduha boarding house. As highlighted by the panel, these innovative compositions of high-quality accommodation facilities enriched with the story of space and high-level architecture can serve as an inspiration in designing small innovative accommodation facilities in the Slovenian countryside. More information about Raduha House.

The special importance for the enrichment of the Slovenian tourism market with an innovative offer was recognised by the panel in two other applications, which were awarded the title of finalist.

The product Heart of Slovenia – Caravan-Friendly Destination tries to attract the niche target group of tourists who mostly look for an individual contact with nature and genuine local culture. Product providers work deliberately and with a high level of dedication with the service providers in the field. This is why they were able to jointly develop a comprehensive system that is ready and suitable for the expansion of the caravan destination approach throughout the entire country.

The second finalist of the Sejalec 2013 selection was the company Podzemlje Pece. The company certainly does not lack ideas in designing innovative products in underground tunnels dug out by the miners of Mežica. They initially opened the mine tunnels to cyclists, which already earned them the title of “Silver Sejalec 2004”, while the panel decorated them this time for a unique tourism product involving the exploration of the mining underground in kayaks.

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