Safe in the Mountains: Experts and Tourism Working Together for Safer Visits to Slovenia’s Mountains

Project partners continue to strengthen cooperation as a core guiding principle on the path towards more sustainable safety and responsible visits to the mountain environment.

2025: an alarming year for mountain safety

From a safety perspective, 2025 was a concerning year in Slovenia’s mountains. The Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia (GRZS) carried out as many as 660 rescue operations. Particularly alarming is the figure of 50 fatalities, including 15 foreign nationals. According to experts, a large proportion of accidents could have been prevented with better preparation, responsible decision-making and basic knowledge of moving safely in the mountains.

Greater awareness and knowledge to reduce accidents

In the first part of the event, panellists highlighted the most common causes of accidents – from slips and lack of terrain knowledge to inadequate equipment and poor physical fitness. They stressed that hikers too often overestimate their abilities while underestimating conditions in Slovenia’s mountain environment.

Matej Ogorevc, representative of the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS) and mountain rescuer, warned of the growing trend of accidents in mountainous and hard-to-reach terrain, peaking during the main summer season. The highest number of rescue operations occur in popular tourist areas such as Bohinj, Ljubljana and Bovec, as well as in the Triglav area and the Kamnik–Savinja Alps. He also highlighted the issue of bivouacs, which are intended exclusively as emergency shelters but are increasingly being mistaken by foreign visitors for free accommodation.

Preparation is key – accidents cannot be fully prevented, but can be reduced

In the round table discussion, Klemen Belhar, Vice-President of the Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia, pointed out that not all accidents in the mountains can be completely prevented. “However, we can significantly reduce them through thoughtful trip preparation. The key guidelines remain careful route selection and planning, appropriate mountaineering equipment, informing others of your plans, and calling 112 immediately in case of an accident,” he said. Referring to recent dog rescues in the mountains, he also appealed to dog owners to act responsibly and take dogs into the mountains only if both owners and dogs are properly prepared.

Learning safe mountain travel is a lifelong process

The Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS) also stressed the importance of knowledge and preventive action. Vice-President Martin Šolar stated: “You cannot learn safe mountain walking overnight. Our goals and ambitions must always be adapted to our abilities, knowledge and the conditions in the mountains we plan to visit. Knowledge also includes choosing the right objective and equipment, and knowing how to use it. Mountaineering is, in a way, a lifelong process. It is encouraging if people take up mountaineering in midlife or later, but the path must be gradual, thoughtful and responsible.”

PZS successfully trains its members based on these principles and notes that there are fewer accidents among them, although they still occur. Joint awareness-raising and prevention campaigns such as Safe in the Mountains are therefore essential, as no single organisation can succeed alone. A major challenge remains how and where people can learn safe mountain travel outside traditional association programmes. The answer lies in structured training that follows the principle of gradual progression – “You can’t go to Triglav overnight,” Šolar added.

The role of the police and tourism stakeholders

The Police also shared their experience. Matej Brajnik from the Mountain Police Unit noted that Slovenian mountains are still often underestimated. Hikers encountered during interventions are frequently poorly prepared, failing to consider weather, route difficulty, duration, equipment, overall route assessment and an honest evaluation of their own abilities. For inexperienced hikers, a route that looks simple on a map can quickly become a technical trap. He appealed especially to “trend-driven” visitors and those with less experience to seek mountain guides or join alpine clubs.

Among foreign visitors, authorities observe excessive reliance on digital navigation tools without the ability to properly assess terrain difficulty or changing conditions. Tourism professionals, accommodation providers and others who advise visitors must therefore equip themselves with accurate information or direct guests to the appropriate expert organisations.

Qualified mountain guides as a key safety factor

Safe movement in the mountains is enabled by properly trained mountain guides. Uroš Grilj from the Association of Mountain Guides of Slovenia (ZGVS) encouraged tourism professionals to direct visitors considering mountain trips to licensed guides. Demand for mountain guides is particularly strong among foreign visitors, but interest among Slovenian guests is also growing. Training courses are available for those wishing to improve their skills, while for last-minute trips, mountain guides remain the safest option.

Responsible communication must also reach foreign visitors

The second part of the discussion focused on awareness-raising and communication. Speakers agreed that changing behaviour requires long-term, clear, expert-based, understandable and accessible messaging that encourages reflection and responsible conduct.

The Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) presented a new series of video content designed to equip hikers with basic knowledge and a sense of responsibility before they even head into nature. Aleksandra Jerebic Topolovec highlighted that the communication campaign has been expanded in cooperation with partners to enable year-round awareness-raising, including in winter.

Safety as a system, not an individual choice

The coordinating role within the Safe in the Mountains partnership is carried by the Slovenia Outdoor Association. Its President Valerija Pučko emphasised that mountain safety is not an individual decision, but the result of a system – a system that can only work if experts, tourism stakeholders and destinations communicate in a coordinated way, even before visitors set foot on a mountain trail.

Weather information, protected areas and data-driven communication

Reliable weather forecasts remain one of the key factors for safe decision-making. The Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO) presented a new daily-updated avalanche bulletin available in multiple languages for a wider Alpine area, and announced a new website with enhanced mountain forecasts in foreign languages.

Representatives of Triglav National Park stressed the importance of respectful visits to protected areas and cooperation with local communities. With increasing visitor numbers and misinformation, unified, data-driven and coordinated communication is essential for both visitor safety and nature conservation, supported by modern digital tools.

Julian Alps: prevention before promotion

The Julian Alps Community, a partner in the Safe in the Mountains initiative, treats mountain safety as the foundation of responsible tourism and a high-quality visitor experience. Preventive activities are carried out through digital channels and on-site tourist information centres, combined with systematic training of local information providers. The long-term vision is to position the Julian Alps as a reference Alpine destination for safe, thoughtful and sustainable visits.

STB's winter campaign on 18 foreign markets

Participants agreed that safety is a shared responsibility. The Safe in the Mountains partnership remains committed to long-term cooperation to improve safety in Slovenia’s mountain environment.

As part of the initiative, the STB has launched a new winter communication campaign together with partners. Informative videos in 14 languages address common mistakes, essential knowledge and recommendations for responsible movement in winter conditions. The campaign is part of STB’s global digital promotion and is being advertised on 18 foreign markets, aiming to set realistic expectations and improve visitor preparedness before arrival.

In 2026, a new project will introduce filmed mountain routes that visitors can preview in advance, including winter ascents of Grintovec, Velika Planina and Ratitovec. New printed guidelines for safe mountain visits will also be distributed through tourist information centres across Slovenia.

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