10 years of the Alpe Adria Trail: 10 years of great developmental and promotional partnership projects between three countries

Today, hikers from Austria, Italy and Slovenia together with representatives of Kärnten Werbung, PromoTurismo FVG and the Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) met at the tripoint to celebrate a decade of a successful partnership in the Alpe Adria Trail.

The directors of all three tourist organizations participated in the event: MSc. Maja Pak, Director of the STB, Christian Kresse, Director of Kärnten Werbung and ​Pierluigi Zulianello, Vice Director of Promoturismo FVG. The participants were adressed by Martina Rauter from the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of Slovenia, Sebastian Schuschnig, Member of the Government of the Federal Land of Carinthia, responsible for tourism, and Stefano Mazzolini, Regional Councilor of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

The speakers talked about past activities and emphasized successful promotion of attractive active tourist products in contact with pristine nature and top gastronomy. These are the products that tourists who appreciate a responsible attitude towards nature, residents and the local environment search for.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the trilateral Alpe-Adria Trail, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Matevž Frangež, highlighted: "The successful trilateral Alpe Adria Trail project is celebrating an important milestone. On this occasion, I would like to congratulate all who have worked on the project, which connects people, strengthens partnerships between neighbours and enriches the tourist offer of the picturesque Alpe Adria region. The Alpe Adria Trail is one of the most successful tourist products in recent years, which is the result of excellent cooperation between the tourist organizations of the three countries and, in particular, coordinated cooperation with local partners. This project is a great example of green tourism and as such it has also positioned itself in the most prominent European markets, where it has found its place among the leading products in world-famous tourist guides. It fully follows the global trends and directions of Slovenian tourism, as it offers wholesome experiences. In doing so, it implements the principles of sustainability, and treats guests individually. The new agreement between the partners ensures the continuation of close cooperation, and I also believe that the project will be successful in the long term, as it is constantly being upgraded and developed. Uniformly marked trails, a comprehensive reservation system and effective marketing indicate that the project is line with contemporary standards and guidelines and ambitious enough to position itself on the global map of hiking tourism."

MSc. Maja Pak, Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board, emphasized on this occasion: "Ten years ago, Slovenia, Austrian Carinthia and Friuli-Julia established the long-distance cross-border hiking trail and named it Alpe Adria Trail. The results we achieved, confirm the success of this partnership project. We are particularly proud that it was ranked among the 10 best new hiking trails in the world by National Geographic Traveler in 2015. The international recognition and awards that the joint hiking trail was awarded with are the result of an excellent cooperation of the providers and other key partners. This is why I would like to thank everyone involved in the project. I am glad that the cooperation of the three countries in the development and promotion of the Alpe Adria hiking trail has been upgraded and extended to the field of gastronomy as well. We agreed that the products must be based on sustainable principles, non-mass experiences and appeal to guests looking for authenticity and high added value."

In 2012, the project was presented for the first time at the ITB Berlin. At that time, the Slovenian Tourist Board, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and the Kärnten Werbung developed a 750-kilometer long hiking trail called the Alpe-Adria-Trail, which developed into an internationally recognized flagship hiking product. In the past ten years, the route has established itself as a tourist attraction and an important economic factor for partner regions and companies.

On the occasion of the anniversary, Director of Kärnten Werbung Christian Kresse pinpointed: "This proves that sustainable tourism projects can only be developed with great partners, which is why I would like to thank everyone involved in the Alpe-Adria-Trail project." He also added that "only in Carinthia, as many as 180 official partner companies, dozens of mountain guides, several mobility service providers and many other companies, including cross-sectoral ones, have directly benefited from the Alpe Adria Trail."

Antonio Bravo, General Manager of PromoTurismo FVG: "The Alpe Adria Trail is a valuable project for not only improving the Friuli-Julian region, but also for promoting the outdoor tourism products, including hiking and walking, which are the most attractive for tourists. In the post-pandemic period, Alpe Adria Trail allowed us to present an already established and completely sustainable product. It is a project that broke down borders and strengthened partnerships. This was reached through constant and constructive dialogue, which strengthened the bond with two countries, Carinthia and Slovenia, which have been our partners in various projects for decades."

2022 has so far been the most successful year ever

Despite unfavourable conditions (devastating storms in Langalmtal, Arriach; forest fires in the Karst), 2022 will be the most successful year in the history of the Alpe-Adria-Trail. Around 20,000 hikers created 100,000 overnight stays and a total turnover of approximately €10 million.

Signing of the agreement for 2022-2025

On the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of the Alpe Adria Trail, a new agreement was signed for the period 2022-25, which provides the basis for the further development and upgrading of this successful project.

Alpe Adria Trail - from the glacier to the sea

Alpe Adria Trail is a long-distance hiking trail of approximately 750 kilometres, which is divided into 43 stages. It runs from Großglockner in Austria, through Kranjska Gora, the Soča Valley, Brda and Karst, to the Italian coastal town of Milje, which is located on the Istrian peninsula (24 stages are in Carinthia, 11 in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and 8 in Slovenia).

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