Almost €80 Million of fresh investments into Slovenian ski resorts, empowered by a €55 million boost from the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport
Almost €80 Million of fresh investments into Slovenian ski resorts, empowered by a €55 million boost from the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport
Nine Slovenian ski resorts have undergone a transformative makeover, with a total investment of €76.5 million dedicated to enhancing infrastructure, expanding year-round offerings, and crafting richer experiences. The Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport (MGTŠ) has generously supported the conversion of ski resorts into year-round mountain hubs with an infusion of over €55.4 million.The Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) has enhanced promotional activities, unveiling the makeover of the mountain resorts and introducing new experiences for the upcoming winter season of 2023/2024. Underlining the significance of this investment wave, both the Outdoor Slovenia Association and the Slovenian Cable Car Association have emphasized the pivotal role these investments play in transforming ski resorts into year-round mountain destinations.
Krvavec, Vogel, Velika Planina, Cerkno, Golte, Rogla, Kope, Mariborsko Pohorje and Trije kralji will have undergone significant infrastructure investments by the end of 2023, totaling €76.5 million. This extensive upgrade is empowered by co-financing from the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism, and Sports (MGTŠ), contributing an impressive €55.4 million. The strategic vision is clear — the modernization of Slovenian ski resorts is intertwined with the development of sustainable year-round tourism.
Last year, the MGTŠ supported the transformation of 9 ski resorts into year-round mountain resorts, securing an investment exceeding 55.4 million euros. In the words of Dubravka Kalin, Director General of the Directorate for Tourism, "With this state-backed support, we fostered investments in cable cars and other infrastructure for outdoor tourist activities, totaling an impressive 84 million euros. The tender strategically targeted investments in cable cars and diverse tourist infrastructure for outdoor activities beyond the winter season." Kalin explained that modern infrastructure of mountain resorts, including cable cars and chairlifts, forms the basis for year-round tourism and tourist offer available throughout the year. All the recipients of the funds are also obliged by the project co-financing contracts. Kalin pointed out: "This means that they also had to invest in the construction or renovation of the infrastructure for outdoor activities that are not exclusively linked to the winter season (e.g. zip line courses, adrenaline parks, downhill and mountain biking courses, arrangement of thematic hiking trails, theme parks, adventure parks). This way, we enabled ski resorts to increase the added value of these mountain resorts throughout the year. By doing this, we significantly contributed to the development of year-round tourism not only in these mountain resorts but also in all other tourism-related activities in the wider region."
Dubravka Kalin, Director General of the Directorate for Tourism. Photo: Jošt Gantar
The Ministry of the Economy, Tourism, and Sport led one of the most significant investment drives in Slovenian tourism, unveiling three strategic tenders last year and this year. These initiatives targeted investments in tourist accommodation, the restructuring of mountain resorts and accommodation, and public tourist infrastructure. Across all three public tenders, the ministry championed a grand total of 136 projects, providing co-financing amounting to 142 million euros sourced from European and public funds. This effectively catalyzed investments in Slovenian tourism, amounting to an impressive 359 million euros. The funds from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, the React EU Fund, and allocations from the Republic of Slovenia's budget, underscore a dedicated push to enhance the Slovenian tourism sector.
STB spotlights the latest mountain resort investments and 2023/2024 winter holidays in Slovenia
The STB has intensified and upgraded its promotional efforts to present 2023/2024 winter holiday offer and novelties at the mountain resorts in Slovenia.
Ana Savšek, Head of the Content Digital Marketing Department, emphasized: "At the Slovenian Tourist Board, we carry out a series of promotional activities aimed at showcasing Slovenia as a top destination for winter holidays. We aim to inspire both domestic and international guests to choose Slovenia, which offers a diverse range of experiences: from activities on the snow, enriched this year by significant investments in ski resorts, to indulgent spa treatments, gastronomic delights, and festive events like Christmas and New Year's fairs in the cities. We have intensified our promotional efforts, reaching out to the general public, businesses and the media. The largest campaign by the STB, the global digital campaign, highlights top holiday experiences during the winter months from November to February. In foreign markets, through outdoor advertising, online platforms, specialized print media, and radio stations, we position Slovenia as an exceptional winter destination, employing advertising and numerous articles about the winter tourism offer. The slovenia.info portal welcomes you with current and engaging winter content, while special winter-themed newsletters captivate with new stories and selected winter experiences. In early December, we are hosting Slovenian and Croatian media on a special study tour during the winter months. As a novelty at the STB, we are preparing advertising with audio content on the Spotify platform, featuring sounds from Slovenian nature in winter, such as the sound of climbing in flight, the sound of an ice ax, crampons, skiing, cross-country skiing,and more. With this innovative approach to promotion, our aim is to deliver the active winter experiences in Slovenia to tourists in a unique and engaging manner."
Ana Savšek, STB's Head of the Content Digital Marketing Department. Photo: Jošt Gantar
The STB is spotlighting Slovenia as an exciting winter destination through an array of promotional activities across both Slovenian and foreign markets with an interest in active experiences on the ski slopes. In Slovenia, these promotions unfold under the umbrella of the "Vzemi si čas. Moja Slovenija" campaign showcased on STB's digital channels, in a dedicated newsletter for the general public, a thematic press trip scheduled for December, stories about Slovenia's winter offer and insights into why Slovenia is an ideal choice for a winter vacation. The Slovenia.info portal is also updated with fresh and engaging content.
Internationally, winter tourism offer plays a prominent role in a global digital campaign in 21 foreign markets. Next to the campaign, targeted communication and promotional activities are underway, particularly in key markets such as Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria and Germany.
As part of its promotional and communication activities this winter, the STB not only showcases innovations in Slovenian ski and mountain resorts but also highlights advancements from various tourist providers and destinations. This includes numerous Slovenian natural spas, which are gearing up to welcome guests with new investments and experiences.
Slovenian ski resorts have a significant domestic visitor base, with 80% of guests being Slovenian. In the last winter season, over 1.2 million skiers visited 32 ski resorts in Slovenia. During the summer season, almost half a million guests explored Slovenian mountain resorts, with one-third being international visitors and two-thirds domestic tourists.
Unveiling exciting updates at the Slovenian ski resorts 2023/2024
Matej Kandare, Director of the Slovenia Outdoor Association, and Boštjan Paradiž, Chair of the Slovenian Cable Car Operators Association, shared insights into the progress of investments in cable car infrastructure and the crucial transformation of ski resorts into year-round mountain hubs for active outdoor activities.
Matej Kandare, director of the Slovenia Outdoor Association. Photo: Jošt Gantar
During the presentation, Matej Kandare highlighted the deep-rooted culture of winter outdoor activities, expressing the desire to showcase their passion for winter to a discerning audience. He emphasized: "Winter outdoor activities are deeply rooted here, and we want to show our passion for winter to that circle of visitors who will appreciate this passion, along with our hospitality, diversity, and the perfectly sized mountain resorts. In our most important foreign markets alone, 17 million people ski. Through coordinated efforts, involving all stakeholders and the development of innovative integrated products, we have a good chance of convincing some of these guests to experience winter in Slovenia. Winter in Slovenia is not just about skiing; it encompasses a whole array of outdoor activities combined with a rich cultural, historical, and culinary backdrop, offering a unique Alpine experience."
Boštjan Paradiž, Chair of the Slovenian Cable Car Operators Association. Photo: Jošt Gantar
Boštjan Paradiž emphasized the positive impact of approved European funds and state assistance through targeted tenders. He expressed optimism about the upcoming season, stating: "Approved European funds and help from the state with targeted tenders have enabled us to step into the upcoming season with a lot of innovations and full of energy and to look optimistically into the future. We must not forget that this kind of infrastructure needs long-term orientations and mechanisms so that we can keep up with the competition in the Alpine region and the Balkans. Long-term innovative solutions for the year-round development of mountain resorts are absolutely necessary because only functioning and developed mountain resorts, with their multiplier effects, have a positive impact on the local economy, the community, and the development of the region and, last but not least, the country."
As highlighted, passionate skiing enthusiasts can now access an all-Slovenian ski pass, with detailed ticketing information conveniently provided on the freshly revamped website www.skislovenia.eu.
For a comprehensive overview of the current snow conditions across all Slovenian ski resorts, visit Slovenia Outdoor website.
In response to the growing popularity of cross-country skiing, there's exciting news. A unified cross-country ski pass, applicable in the majority of Slovenian cross-country ski resorts, is introduced this year. Find additional details can be found on the Slovenia Outdoor website, including links for purchasing and checking the latest snow conditions at the running centers.
Investments boosted by The Ministry of the Economy, Tourism, and Sports Restructuring Funds
In the upcoming winter season, Slovenian mountain resorts are set to captivate snow enthusiasts with the addition of 11 new cable cars—comprising 3 six-seaters, 6 four-seaters, one cable car, and a circular cabin cable car. These enhancements are made possible through support from cohesion funds, specifically the React EU initiative.
Introduction of the new Mašinžaga six-chairlift with heated seats and protective cabins, replacing existing lifts Mašinžaga I and Mašinžaga II.
Expanded operations outside the main seasons, offering year-round experiences.
Creation of 8 new jobs.
Increased surface area of cable car lines by 10.4%.
Enhanced cable car capacities by 1.
Acquisition of two environmental certificated.
Addition of a flying slide, bike park, forest adventure challenge, gravity-driven mountain buggy track, hiking and cycling festival, and new culinary&art products.
Construction of a new six-seater connecting three stations, spanning from the Šimnovec station at 1,400 m above sea level to the Zeleni rob guesthouse at 1,614 m and the highest peak, Gradišče, at 1,660 m.
Construction of new cable car infrastructure: KOPNIK a four-seater, PAHERNIK four-seater and the new VELIKA KOPA ski lift.
Introduction of new tourist products extending the season, including new bike trails, e-bikes, an adrenaline park, and digitalization through the DIGI KOPE card and APP KOPE.
Construction of an adrenaline-adventure park (start of operation in summer 2023),
Climbing wall (start of operation in summer 2023),
Purchase of 50 electric bicycles,
Digitalization of three cycling tours,
Purchase of an energy-saving cannon,
Implementation of the Zero waste strategy in Hotel Cerkno,
Update of the electronics, control system and steering on the four-seater Brdo, four-seater Davča and six-seater Lom (operation from the beginning of the winter season 2023/24).
Financing and co-financing investments in the high-quality and sustainable transformation of mountain resorts, cable car systems, and ski resorts in Slovenia represent crucial measures outlined in the Slovenian Tourism Strategy 2022-2028. The infusion of funds into cable car infrastructure and the conversion of ski resorts into year-round mountain destinations for active outdoor experiences, available to guests year-round, significantly boost the competitiveness of Slovenian ski resorts. This, in turn, enhances the user experience for tourists and visitors, ultimately contributing to higher added value and the broader goal of deseasonalizing Slovenian tourism. The strategy emphasizes the need to adhere to strategic directions in the field of tourism, focusing on the development of sustainable, authentic, boutique tourism anchored in quality products and the harnessing of exceptional natural potential. Simultaneously, the strategy underscores the importance of recognizing the sensitivity and vulnerability of the mountain world and the tradition of mountaineering. This requires a sustainable approach to visiting, minimizing the burden of infrastructure and leaving a minimal environmental footprint in the mountain world.
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