Tourism in 2025: Moderate Growth with a Clear Focus on Sustainability, Quality and Satisfaction

Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, Matjaž Han, said: "On World Tourism Day, I would first like to extend my gratitude to all tourism professionals who, day after day, ensure the well-being of our guests and represent Slovenia to the world through their work. Tourism is a powerful force for peace, as it connects people and fosters dialogue – something especially valuable in today’s world. Its positive effects go far beyond travel experiences: with strong multiplier impacts, it drives economic growth, creates jobs and supports balanced regional development. In Slovenia, we are committed to advancing sustainable tourism, developing year-round offers and products that help distribute visitor flows more evenly. Our vision is a form of tourism that is inclusive and respectful toward both our environment and our people. In achieving this, we embrace technology – but never at the expense of human warmth, a handshake, or a kind word. The old saying still rings true: ‘tourism is people.’ That is why today I also wish to thank the people of Slovenia for their hospitality."

STB Director, MSc. Maja Pak Olaj, emphasised the 30th anniversary of the Slovenian Tourist Board: "In the past three decades, Slovenia has made extraordinary progress in tourism, a fact reflected in the excellent results of the first eight months of this year. Globally, Slovenia is recognised not only as an attractive destination for visitors from across the world, but also as a benchmark for responsible and sustainable development. Today, tourism is much more than an economic activity – it is a way of co-creating quality of life, strengthening communities and enhancing our visibility on the global stage. On this day, I wish to sincerely thank all those who, with their knowledge, dedication, and vision, continue to shape Slovenia’s reputation as a green, boutique, and welcoming destination. May this day remind us of the power of cooperation, which remains the solid foundation for bold steps into the future."

Tourism Growth on a Global Scale

According to the UNWTO, the first half of 2025 saw nearly 690 million international trips worldwide – 33 million more than in the same period in 2024. Despite global challenges, tourism remains resilient and continues to have a significant economic impact on local communities, employment, and revenue.

Data from the European Travel Commission (ETC) show that the European tourism sector also maintained its success in the second quarter of 2025, despite economic and geopolitical challenges. International arrivals in Europe increased by 3.3% compared to the same period in 2024.

A Vibrant Start to the Year for Slovenian Tourism

Between January and August, Slovenia recorded more than 5 million tourist arrivals and 13.2 million overnight stays, representing a 6% increase compared to the same period last year. More information is available in the press release of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.

The highest number of overnight stays in the eight-month period came from Germany, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, followed by Hungary and Croatia. These key foreign source markets remain unchanged from last year. Among German tourists, the most overnight stays were recorded for the 35–44 age group, followed by the 25–34 group. Italians were most often aged 45–54, while Austrians staying in Slovenia this year were most often 65 or older.

In June, July and August alone, Slovenia welcomed more than three million tourists, 6% more than last summer. Overnight stays in this period increased by 6.5% to 8.3 million. The first eight months of 2025 will be remembered for their vibrant tourism activity and the highest number of arrivals and overnight stays ever recorded. The results reflect strong guest confidence in Slovenia as a destination that combines safety, authenticity and high-quality offers at fair value. Encouragingly, visitors are increasingly discovering less familiar destinations: Pomurje, for example, exceeded one million overnight stays for the first time last year and continues to grow in 2025, while Nova Gorica has stood out this year with its rich European Capital of Culture programme, recording a 16% rise in arrivals and nearly a 19% rise in overnight stays in the first eight months.

The quarterly Barometre of Slovenian Tourism indicates stable conditions and optimistic expectations for the months ahead. Experts forecast further growth in arrivals and overnight stays in the third quarter. The biggest challenge identified is labour shortages, while Slovenia’s safe and stable environment is seen as one of its key advantages.

Focus on Quality and Satisfaction

In recent years, Slovenian tourism has clearly shifted its focus from the sheer growth of arrivals and overnight stays to enhancing quality and added value, in line with the Slovenian Tourism Strategy 2022–2028. The long-term success of the sector depends on the quality of experiences, sustainability of the development model, and satisfaction – both of guests and residents.

An analysis of 255,000 online reviews in 2025 shows that Slovenia earned an impressive average rating of 8.9 out of 10, demonstrating high visitor satisfaction. Residents’ positive attitude toward tourism is confirmed by the Resident Sentiment Index (RSI) survey, which shows that 64% of Slovenians believe tourism brings more positive than negative effects, while only 8% disagree.

When asked whether their region should continue to be promoted as a tourist destination, Slovenians expressed a net support level of 71%.

Travel exports are also rising: between January and July 2025, they reached €1.91 billion, 5.1% more than in the same period in 2024, according to the Bank of Slovenia.

Sustainability as the Green Thread

Slovenian tourism is firmly committed to sustainable development. The Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism, which welcomed its first members a decade ago, now includes 58 destinations accounting for more than 90% of all overnight stays in the country. Five destinations – Bohinj, Brežice, Kranj, Laško, and Ljubljana – proudly hold the highest, platinum-level label. More than 230 tourism providers also carry the Slovenia Green label.

A new step towards an even more sustainable future is the launch of the National Tourism Information Hub (NiST) this year. The system tracks tourism performance across economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Drawing on domestic and international data sources, it will include over 70 use cases by the end of the year – from visitor density and tourism intensity, average length of stay, and carbon footprint to resident and visitor satisfaction, employment, and company performance. The platform will also enable digitalisation and further development of the Slovenia Green scheme, while serving as a valuable tool for government bodies, destinations, businesses, universities and other stakeholders.

On World Tourism Day: Together for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future of Slovenian Tourism

This year’s World Tourism Day, marked on 27 September, is held under the theme Tourism and Sustainable Transformation. It highlights the transformation of tourism into a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable sector – a vision Slovenia is already bringing to life through innovation, digitalisation and stakeholder cooperation. In the year of the 30th anniversary of the Slovenian Tourist Board, we especially emphasise that cooperation, knowledge, and the courage to embrace change are the key foundations of our future.

Read more about World Tourism Day on the UN Tourism website.

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DID YOU KNOW?

• Tourism in Slovenia contributes 8.6% of GDP and employs almost 60,000 people.
• Most foreign visitors travel to Slovenia as couples or with family, followed by solo travellers and group visitors.
• Slovenia is most often visited by middle-aged guests (35–64 years). The age profile shifts with the seasons: spring and autumn attract older visitors (65+), while summer and winter are dominated by the 35–54 and 25–34 age groups.
• Autumn and summer record the highest share of first-time visitors: 57% in summer and as many as 61% in autumn. Winter (65%) and spring (49%) are dominated by returning visitors.
• A quarter of tourists visiting Slovenia in winter or spring had visited more than three times – some even up to 10 times – demonstrating exceptional visitor loyalty.
• Slovenia’s central tourism portal, slovenia.info, recorded 12 million page views between January and August 2025. The top visitor markets were Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, Hungary, the USA, France, and Spain.
• Alma, the AI-powered virtual assistant on slovenia.info, received over 58,000 questions in the first eight months of 2025. In August alone, it answered nearly 12,000 questions, half from Slovenian users, followed by Italian, English, German and Spanish speakers.
• The STB has more than 1.7 million social media followers, who generated over 16 million interactions in the summer months. The most popular Instagram post was a reel of the Volleyball on the Ljubljanica event, organically reaching more than 2.1 million views and 23,000 interactions.
• In the 2024–25 global digital campaign across 22 foreign markets, the STB created more than 22,000 creative ads in 15 languages. The campaign achieved more than 13 million clicks on Google, Pinterest and LinkedIn, 89 million video views on YouTube and TikTok, and over one billion ad impressions on platforms including X, Snapchat, Spotify and Meta.
• On 29 April 1995, the Centre for the Promotion of Slovenian Tourism (CPTS), the predecessor of today’s Slovenian Tourist Board, was established. In 2025, we celebrate 30 years of the STB and three decades of systematic tourism promotion.

 

Sources: MMGY TCI Research, TravelSAT; Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia; STB

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