Exclusive Virtuoso Chairman's Event Wraps Up to Exceptional Guest Praise
The exclusive Virtuoso Chairman's Event, hosted by Slovenia, concluded over the weekend with an exceptional response from over 200 influential luxury travel advisors and tour operators. Slovenia captivated Virtuoso partners with its commitment to sustainable tourism, authentic offerings, and seamless collaboration between public and private sector stakeholders. Many participants expressed their eagerness to return to Slovenia privately and to recommend it to their guests. Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso, also shared his intention to visit Slovenia again.
The Virtuoso Chairman's Event, held in Slovenia from 6 to 10 November, served as a premier opportunity to highlight the country’s exceptional luxury offerings to an exclusive audience from across the globe. A significant number of participants came from the USA, Canada and Australia.
Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso, was asked to share his impressions of Slovenia, and he expressed deep admiration for the country: "While Slovenia has been seen through the eyes of customers with great feedback, nothing compares to experiencing it firsthand. Expectations were completely exceeded – it's truly extraordinary. From the moment of arrival, it felt like stepping into a fairy-tale. The quality of the food, the warmth of the people, and the distinct sense of purpose the destination exudes all stand out. When it’s said that Slovenia is the only country with the word 'love' in its name, the most important part is that you can truly feel it."
Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso. Video: Krona Produkcija.
Slovenia also received high praise from Virtuoso for the excellent cooperation between all stakeholders. Upchurch remarked: "You’ve done an exceptional job. Slovenia was chosen not only for its outstanding reputation in sustainable travel, authenticity and passion for what it does, but also for the remarkable cooperation between the public and private sectors. We always like to highlight such strong partnerships. It has been fantastic to witness how national and destination tourism organisations work hand-in-hand with the private sector to craft extraordinary experiences that guests will remember and cherish forever. More importantly, Slovenia can look forward to welcoming many more Virtuoso guests in the future."
Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso. Video: Krona Produkcija.
Upchurch also sees significant potential in linking Slovenia’s offerings with other traditionally more prominent destinations nearby. "Our relationship with Slovenia has been excellent for many years. Being able to bring this group here – and this is a highly exclusive group, the best of the best from Virtuoso's global network – speaks volumes about Slovenia's growing prominence. This will undoubtedly result in much more business. Additionally, many participants, myself included, are eager to return with our families. The experience was nothing short of amazing. Another key aspect is that luxury travellers, especially those with higher spending power, tend to revisit destinations they are already familiar with and connected to, but they also seek new experiences. Slovenia's unique position presents a fantastic opportunity to blend both elements, and I believe that exciting times lie ahead for the destination," he concluded.
Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso. Video: Krona Produkcija.
STB's Director, MSc. Maja Pak Olaj, expressed her pride in the success of the event: "We are truly proud to have hosted more than 200 of the most influential travel agency owners from the USA, members of Virtuoso, specialising in luxury tourism. Over the course of these four days, we had the opportunity to showcase nearly all that Slovenia has to offer, highlighting its diverse experiences while discussing our vision for sustainable development. I am confident that they were impressed and will return to Slovenia in the future." She also highlighted that most of Virtuoso’s partners come from the USA, which remains a key long-distance market for Slovenian tourism with significant growth potential.
STB's Director, MSc. Maja Pak Olaj. Video: Krona Produkcija.
Tourism Partners Join Forces and Reap the Rewards
The Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) organised the Virtuoso Chairman's Event in cooperation with the Virtuoso partners from Slovenia: Luxury Slovenia, InterContinental Ljubljana, Kempinski Palace Portorož and Otočec Castle Hotel, as well as Ljubljana Tourism and the Portorož Tourist Board.
Alongside the Virtuoso members from Slovenia, the project received strong support from a diverse range of esteemed partners, including the Julian Alps Association, Bled Tourism, Radovljica Tourism, Maribor Tourism, Koper Tourism, Izola Tourist Board, Brda Tourism, Postojna Cave, Lipica, Škocjan Caves, Sečovlje Salt Pans and many others.
The event kicked off on Wednesday in Ljubljana with a welcoming gala at the iconic Ljubljana Castle, where MSc. Maja Pak Olaj presented Slovenia as a green, active and boutique destination, perfectly suited for discerning guests. On Thursday, a business meeting at the InterContinental Hotel was held, where, at Virtuoso's initiative, MSc. Maja Pak Olaj and Matej Knific, co-founder and co-owner of the Luxury Slovenia travel agency, delivered an insightful talk on sustainability in Slovenian tourism. Participants then immersed themselves in Ljubljana’s cultural and culinary delights during the exclusive 'Ljubljana Gourmet Food Crawl,' before enjoying an exquisite dinner at the Rog Centre. Here, renowned Slovenian chef Ana Roš, in partnership with Ljubljana Tourism, curated a selection of dishes that showcased the best of Slovenian cuisine.
Friday’s itinerary featured carefully crafted study trips across Slovenia, with stops in Bled, Radovljica, Otočec, Maribor, Postojna Cave and Ljubljana. The evening brought the action to Portorož with an elegant reception at the Kempinski Palace Hotel. On Saturday, the exploration continued as guests ventured through the charming towns of Portorož, Piran, Izola and Koper, as well as the cross-border gems of Istria, Goriška Brda, Lipica, Škocjan Caves, Sečovlje Salt Pans and Predjama Castle. The event culminated in a grand evening at the former Grando Salt Warehouse, in partnership with the Portorož Tourist Board.
You can find some photo highlights of the event here.
The USA stands as Slovenia's most important long-distance market for tourism, with a remarkable 18% increase in arrivals and overnight stays from US visitors during the first nine months of the year.
2023 marked a record year, with US tourists contributing nearly 3% of all foreign overnight stays in Slovenia. More than 340,000 overnight stays were recorded from American guests, a 28% rise compared to the previous year. Ljubljana led the way with nearly 144,500 overnight stays, followed by top destinations like Bled, Piran, Bohinj, Kranjska Gora, Bovec and Maribor.
American tourists are drawn to Slovenia for its boutique, personalised experiences and a focus on culture, nature and gastronomy. They value Slovenia’s authentic natural beauty, the warmth of its people, and its reputation for safety and tranquility.
On the cover photo (from left): MSc. Patricija Gržinič, Director of Portorož Tourism, MSc. Petra Stušek, Director of Ljubljana Tourism, MSc. Maja Pak Olaj, Director of the STB, Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso, Mattej Valenčič and Matej Knific, co-founders and co-owners of Luxury Slovenia, Uroš Žibert, Head of Krka Otočec Hotels, and Željko Stašević, Director of Kempinski Palace Portorož.
Be up to date about what’s happening in Slovenian tourism. By subscribing to our newsletter you will receive the latest trade news in the field of tourism and other current information on a monthly basis.
The form contains errors
Please verify the marked fields and try again.
Share with friends
Scroll down until you see the heart icon on the left.
Click on the icon and the content will be added to favourites.
When you revisit the page (in the same browser), the content will still be saved in your favourites.
The General Terms and Conditions determine the conditions and manner of using the Slovenian Tourist Board’s Media Library services. In the Media Library, users have at their disposal high-resolution photos and audio-visual recordings of the products and services offered by Slovenian tourism, which are to be used solely for non-commercial purposes as defined below.
General rules of application
Registration is required to use the Media Library’s services. Registration is available to any legal entity in the Republic of Slovenia and abroad, regardless of their legal form, whose activities involve marketing, promoting and presenting Slovenia as a tourist destination.
Photos and audio-visual recordings (hereafter: materials) may be used free of charge for all non-commercial publications that constitute promotion of Slovenia as a tourist destination, abroad or in the Republic of Slovenia, in accordance with these General Terms and Conditions.
The right to use the materials is not limited in terms of time or place (the use is permitted in Slovenia and other countries) unless a restriction relating to location and duration of use is specifically provided for an individual item of material.
The Slovenian Tourist Board reserves the right to revoke a user’s right to use certain materials at any time.
The rights acquired based on these General Terms and Conditions may not be transferred to third parties.
Citing the source and authorship
Photos and audio-visual recordings may only be used with consistent citation of author/co-authors and source: www.slovenia.info.
Rights of use
A registered user of the Media Library shall obtain the following non-exclusive economic rights to use the downloaded photos and audio-visual recordings:
the right of reproduction and distribution,
the right of making available to the public,
the right of public presentation,
the right of including photos in other copyright work.
The above rights refer to all forms of non-commercial and free-of-charge online posts, print media, audio-visual media services and other communication channels, regardless of the type of media (print, digital), which includes:
Digital catalogues, e-magazines, newsletters (solely for the purposes of free distribution);
Publication in print and other media that report on the Slovenian tourism products and services or promote Slovenia as a tourist destination;
Use on social media as part of organic posts (reporting on an event, press releases (solely unpaid posts);
Printed promotional materials, prospectuses, leaflets, brochures (solely for the purposes of free distribution);
Promotional events in the Republic of Slovenia and abroad (e.g., tourism fairs, exchanges, workshops, presentations, etc.) that are exclusively or predominantly intended to promote Slovenia as a tourist destination.
The above forms of use include solely a free-of-charge form of using materials for the purposes of promoting tourism activities and services in the Republic of Slovenia or presenting Slovenia as a tourist destination.
Prohibited forms of using materials/commercial use of materials
Using materials for commercial purposes, such as reproduction on postcards, T-shirts, books, magnets, embedding audio-visual inserts in one’s own promotional materials, all forms of external advertising (stationary billboards, digital advertising, etc.), use in advertisements unrelated to the promotion of Slovenia as a tourist destination, use on websites that are not intended to present Slovenian tourism products and services and similar activities, is not included in these General Terms and Conditions and is prohibited.
It is strictly prohibited to use materials on media and distribution channels that are marketed or sold to users (books, school textbooks, other commercial publishing, calendars, postcards, fast-moving consumer goods (clothes and other products), advertising of non-tourism products and services, reproduction of materials on vehicles, etc.).
Using audio-visual materials is allowed only in the unchanged form available in the Media Library. Transformations, adaptations, clips, embeddings, and instances of using individual shots in one’s own audio-visual works, even if intended for promotional purposes, is prohibited.
Breaches of General Terms and Conditions
Any breach of economic and/or moral rights of the authors of photographs or audio-visual recordings may constitute a criminal offence and may result in substantive and damage liability of the user.
The entity breaching copyright pertaining to the material shall reimburse the Slovenian Tourist Board for all the damage incurred to it due to the breach of rights.
The Slovenian Tourist Board shall not be liable for any use of photos and video recordings that is contrary to these rules. The user of the material shall be entirely responsible for the content and manner of use.
General provisions
These Media Library General Terms and Conditions shall apply for all instances of using the material unless the Slovenian Tourist Board and user agree on special terms of using the material in advance and in writing for a specific instance of using the material.
These General Terms and Conditions shall be subject to occasional amendments. Upon the user’s publication of the material, the version of the General Terms and Conditions that is current at that particular time shall apply for the use of materials. If the user disagrees with the amendments made to these General Terms and Conditions, they shall immediately cease using the material and remove it from all media and other communication channels.
Alma is a ChatGPT-based virtual travel guide designed to help you find information and inspiration for your next visit to Slovenia. She is full of ideas for great experiences, knows Slovenian destinations and the variety of activities you are particularly interested in, so she can offer you personalised content and inspiring stories available on the official slovenia.info tourism portal.
Our virtual advisor was inspired by the intrepid world traveller Alma M. Karlin; therefore, we named her ALMA.
For an optimal experience, we suggest talking to Alma as a real interlocutor, mentioning the destination you are interested in, the activities you want to experience and when you want to visit Slovenia.
All information provided by Alma is for information purposes only and may contain limitations and errors.
The solution is based on ChatGPT technology, which is owned by OpenAI, and programming upgrades from our partner, Creatim d.o.o.. The content of conversations is retained for 30 days. Access to the content of conversations is limited to authorised persons of the Slovenian Tourist Board and the company Creatim d.o.o., who may process this content solely for the purpose of user support, optimisation, statistical analysis and further development of the Alma service. For the purpose of formulating Alma`s responses, user queries are forwarded to OpenAI servers located outside the EU. The data are encrypted before transmission and when saved to OpenAI servers. OpenAI guarantees compliance with GDPR standards and global best practices in data protection when processing data. Please do not enter your personal information (name, surname, email, phone number, etc.) in the chat window.
I give my consent to the Slovenian Tourist Board to use cookies that enable the display of content (e.g.: audio clips, video clips, images) from other online sources (YouTube, Spotify, etc.) and remember my language selection on the www.slovenia.info website. I also confirm that I have been acquainted with my rights related to the provided personal data.
Personal data controller:
Slovenian Tourist Board, Dimičeva ulica 13, Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 5898 550
Email: info@slovenia.info
I give permission for the Slovenian Tourist Board to record and store anonymised data about my activity on the website, which will be used to provide a better user experience for visitors to the portal in the future. I also confirm that I have been acquainted with my rights related to the provided personal data.
Personal data controller:
Slovenian Tourist Board, Dimičeva ulica 13, Ljubljana,
Phone: +386 1 5898 550
E-mail: info@slovenia.info
I give permission for the Slovenian Tourist Board to record my activities on the website regarding my visits to individual types of content in order to produce and display better quality content that is of interest to me.
As the Slovenian Tourist Board strives to display high-quality and interesting content on the website, it wishes to measure responses to the displayed notifications and content, track user activity on the website, and create user profiles for targeted advertising, and therefore automatically processes and analyses personal data and assesses user interest in displaying and receiving notifications. I also confirm that I have been acquainted with my rights related to the provided personal data.
Personal data controller:
Slovenian Tourist Board, Dimičeva ulica 13, Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 5898 550
Email: info@slovenia.info
I give permission for the Slovenian Tourist Board to record and store information about my interests, displays, and clicks on advertising content for the purpose of providing specific, topical, high-quality, and targeted advertising content, as well as for the purpose of measuring the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and limiting the repetition of advertisements. These settings apply to advertisements displayed by the Slovenian Tourist Board via advertising on social media platforms (e.g.: Meta, LinkedIn, etc.), international search engines (e.g.: Google), as well as through online applications and activities that directly address the user. Such cookies allow us to track our campaigns online. I also confirm that I have been acquainted with myrights related to the provided personal data.
Personal data controller:
Slovenian Tourist Board, Dimičeva ulica 13, Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 5898 550
Email: info@slovenia.info
Privacy settings