Just two more weeks until the world sports spectacle in Slovenia

This is a unique opportunity to raise the global visibility of Slovenia as a green destination for top sports events, which is why the Volleyball Federation of Slovenia, the Government Office for Communication (UKOM) and the Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) have joined forces and prepared a number of promotional activities. The aim is to address more than 2.3 billion volleyball fans worldwide and present Slovenia as an excellent destination for active outdoor experiences and as one of the best organizers of major sports events in the world, and increasingly popular for sports training.

The FIVB World Volleyball Championship is the oldest and most elite volleyball competition in the world, which will be hosted by Slovenia and Poland this year. As an exceptional host of top volleyball competitions, Slovenia has proven itself several times both in terms of organization and sports: most notably at the last European Championship in 2019, when congratulations for the excellent organization came both from foreign national teams and the media. At the same time, our volleyball team impressed with a silver medal. Slovenia will use the top sports event for comprehensive promotion of the I feel Slovenia brand and Slovenia as a top destination for major international sports competitions and training of athletes. With an intensive digital campaign on the STB's Feel Slovenia social networks, which have more than 1.5 million followers, the STB will ensure the positioning of Slovenia as a sustainable destination with diverse active experiences. This summer, STB also launched the first sports and tourism platform Sports fans of Slovenia, which connects domestic and foreign fans of top Slovenian athletes during the biggest sports events and includes the promotion of active experiences for various recreational sports in Slovenia. For fans, virtual fan props are also available in GIF collections on Instagram and special filters for Instagram stories, which can be found under the keyword Fans of Slovenia.

How well do Slovenian volleyball players know Slovenia?

Jan Kozamernik and Rok Možič, who are already eagerly awaiting the climax of this year's national team volleyball, are among the world's top volleyball names. In order to promote Slovenia as a tourist destination for the upcoming World Cup, the STB prepared a special video quiz about Slovenia with Jan Kozamernik, who was chosen as the best blocker at the 2019 European Championship, and Rok Možič, who is considered one of the most promising volleyball players in the world.

In an entertaining conversation, top Slovenian volleyball players answer unusual questions about Slovenia and its attractions, such as: how many volleyball courts could fit into Škocjan Caves, which represent one of the largest cave systems in the world? Which is the highest peak in Slovenia that Rok Možič conquered? In the video, they also reveal which is their favourite victory with the volleyball team so far.

Spectacle on Ljubljanica, Maribor will also be coloured by volleyball

As an introduction to the world volleyball championship, Ljubljana will once again revive the unique volleyball spectacle on Ljubljanica, which was the first in the world to be organized three years ago for EuroVolley. On Tuesday, August 16, a match between volleyball stars will take place on the floating court in the middle of Ljubljanica. Fans and visitors will watch the spectacle from the river embankment. The playing field will be bordered with luminous lines and the picturesque evening atmosphere will give the spectators the feeling that they are following the volleyball players as they move just above the water surface. It is a unique implementation of the volleyball court, which Ljubljana first presented three years ago.

In the group stage that will take place in Slovenia, 16 of the 24 best national teams in the world will play the round of 16 matches and two quarter-final matches. A fan zone will be organized in front of the Stožice hall, where international gathering of fans from 16 countries (Slovenia, Brazil, Cuba, Japan, Qatar, France, Cameroon, Turkey, China, the Netherlands, Egypt, Argentina, Germany, Iran , Italy and Canada) will take place.

The opening match of the world championship will be held in Stožice, when the teams of Cuba and Brazil, which are among the best volleyball teams in the world, will compete. In the opening part of the competition, the Slovenian national team, which is the current European runner-up, will first face the Cameroonians, on August 28 the current Olympic champions France and on August 30 the Germans. Matches, especially with France, are an excellent springboard for Slovenia's promotion at the World Cup. The representatives of Slovenia and France are aiming for the highest places at the World Cup. Before the match, UKOM will organise a number of accompanying activities, including the capacity tests, various sports games, a performance by the Fuskabo circus and a circus skills workshop.

For journalists, UKOM will prepare a press trip, in cooperation with Volleyball Federation of Slovenia, Ministry for Sports and the Slovenian Tourist Board. They will be able to learn about Slovenian sports venues, the Slofit program and other areas which prove that Slovenians are indeed a nation of athletes.

From August 19 to 21, a preparatory tournament of three national teams, including Slovenia, will be held in the renovated Tabor hall in Maribor. Maribor will thus be one of the central venues of the championship. The Slovenian national volleyball players are excited to greet their rivals in front of their home fans, who will definitely help them to perform even better at the championship by creating a real fan fever.

Slovenia has tremendous potential for large international events

The 2022 Men's Volleyball World Championship marks an important milestone, as it will be the jubilee, 20th championship, which today is considered the most prestigious volleyball competition in the world. The trust shown by the International Volleyball Federation by awarding the co-hosting of the championship to Slovenia is a great recognition and also an exceptional opportunity to promote Slovenia as a sustainable and sports destination that successfully combines green tourism and sports for economic and social development. Major sporting events create many new opportunities for the promotion of the country and its economy, both in the short term and in the long term. In addition, they connect the international community and encourage young people to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. By co-hosting the World Volleyball Championship, Slovenia has a great opportunity to show the world the diversity of natural beauty and the uniqueness of experiences, as well as the traditional social commitment to sport as one of the most important values ​​of Slovenian society.

Cover photo: video quiz about Slovenia with Jan Kozamernik and Rok Možič

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