Slovenian Tourism Enters Summer with a Strong Focus on Quality and Responsible Management

Ensuring a high quality of life for local communities remains a key priority. To achieve this, destinations, tourism businesses, and national stakeholders are implementing a range of measures designed to balance visitor growth with sustainability and long-term benefits, ensuring that tourism creates value for visitors, employees, local residents, businesses, and the wider economy alike.

Tourism is one of Slovenia’s most important and forward-looking economic sectors, generating benefits that extend far beyond visitor spending. It supports balanced regional development, creates employment opportunities, fosters entrepreneurship, particularly among small businesses and young people, preserves cultural and natural heritage, strengthens rural communities, enriches the country’s cultural and gastronomic landscape, and reinforces pride in local identity and place.

Its contribution to the Slovenian economy is substantial. Tourism directly generates 5.4 % of the country’s GDP, while its overall contribution rises to 8.7 % when indirect effects are taken into account. Tourism-related value added represents 3.9 % of Slovenia’s total national value added (Source: Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia – SURS). More than 23,000 businesses operate within the tourism sector (Source: AJPES), providing employment for nearly 60,000 people. In 2025, travel exports reached €3.49 billion (Source: Bank of Slovenia), accounting for 26 percent of all service exports and making travel the second-largest export category within Slovenia’s services economy.

Despite numerous concerns, particularly related to geopolitical tensions, visitor figures at the beginning of the year have been encouraging. According to SURS experimental statistics, tourist arrivals increased by 6 % and overnight stays by 7 % during the first five months of the year, outside the main season. Domestic overnight stays rose by 3 %, while foreign overnight stays increased by 9 %.

“The key question for Slovenian tourism today is no longer how to attract more visitors, but how to direct them in a way that generates greater value with lower pressures and contributes to the quality development of local communities. At the Slovenian Tourist Board, we support this approach on multiple levels. Through tools such as the National Tourism Information Centre (NiST), which includes more than 60 indicators, we enable data-driven decision-making. We encourage the development of high-quality experiences and strengthen the knowledge and competencies of destinations and tourism providers through educational programmes and professional events. Our promotional activities focus on visitors with higher spending power, longer lengths of stay, and a greater willingness to travel outside the peak season. At the same time, we inform visitors about safe and responsible travel, while encouraging domestic travellers to discover lesser-known parts of Slovenia and raising awareness of tourism’s importance. Tourism stakeholders are already working closely together to achieve our strategic goals, while challenges extending beyond the tourism sector must be addressed more broadly and in a coordinated manner,” said MSc. Maja Pak Olaj, Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board.

Through tools such as the National Tourism Information Centre (NiST), which includes more than 60 indicators, we enable data-driven decision-making.

Slovenian tourism is built on strong foundations of quality, sustainability, and hospitality. The average online satisfaction rating of Slovenia’s tourism offering throughout the year stands at 8.9, the same rating achieved during the 2025 summer season (Source: MMGY TCI Research). More than 280 holders of the Slovenia Green label are included in the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism, while 78 percent of Slovenian residents surveyed through the Resident Sentiment Index stated that they enjoy interacting with tourists, offering advice, and sharing useful recommendations (Source: MMGY TCI Research).

However, visitor experiences vary by destination, season, and specific location. Although the average annual occupancy rate of all tourism accommodation capacities in Slovenia is around 50 percent, certain locations experience more pronounced local and seasonal pressures during summer peaks, particularly in relation to traffic, parking, public spaces, and infrastructure used by both domestic and international visitors.

The objectives of Slovenian tourism are clear: creating greater added value, encouraging visitation throughout the year and across the entire country, strengthening destination cooperation, accelerating digital and sustainable transformation, and managing visitor flows intelligently in line with the strategic vision of Slovenian tourism: a smaller footprint and greater value for all.

Achieving these goals requires coordinated, data-driven, and cross-sectoral measures, as many challenges cannot be solved by tourism alone. It is essential that destinations have clearly defined development strategies. Destinations, tourism businesses, and national stakeholders are implementing a broad range of activities, from developing supporting data platforms and responsible tourism schemes to providing timely visitor information and guidance, encouraging visits to less crowded areas and periods, managing visitation at popular natural attractions, introducing traffic and parking management measures, and maintaining dialogue with local communities, participants highlighted at the event.

Branka Gradišar, Senior Public Relations Advisor at Ljubljana Tourism, said: “Ljubljana remains a popular summer destination, and we expect high occupancy levels in accommodation facilities. To ease pressure on the city centre while maintaining residents’ quality of life and a positive visitor experience, we direct visitors to less frequented parts of the city and the wider Central Slovenia region. As Ljubljana has been named Europe’s Best Creative City Destination, we are highlighting experiences that allow visitors to connect more deeply with the city and its residents. Among them are new unique experiences with contemporary artists and creatives, including jewellery making, shoelace design, T-shirt creation from discarded textiles, and comic illustration workshops that allow visitors to actively co-create their destination experience.”

To ease pressure on the city centre while maintaining residents’ quality of life and a positive visitor experience, we direct visitors to less frequented parts of the city and the wider Central Slovenia region.

Jure Struc, Director of the Maribor Tourism Board, highlighted: “Slovenian tourism has a major opportunity in achieving a more balanced distribution of visitors across regions, and I believe that connected regional stories will be key to the future competitiveness of Slovenian tourism. Maribor and the Štajerska region offer exactly what today’s travellers increasingly seek: authentic experiences, meaningful connections with local communities, outstanding gastronomy, wine culture, and active outdoor experiences. Thanks to the Old Vine, Maribor is no longer a hidden gem of Slovenia but is becoming one of Europe’s most exciting wine and culinary destinations.”

Thanks to the Old Vine, Maribor is no longer a hidden gem of Slovenia...

Ana Savšek, Head of Content Digital Marketing at the Slovenian Tourist Board, explained: “Tourism communication is no longer only about inspiration; it is also about responsibility. The role of the Slovenian Tourist Board is to help visitors make better decisions: when to travel, where to go, and how to respect nature, local rules, and the people who live in destinations. Through the upgraded My Slovenia platform, we encourage domestic travellers to discover lesser-known parts of the country while also raising awareness of tourism’s benefits. During the summer season, our communication on international markets focuses particularly on promoting safe and responsible travel, including through partnerships such as Safe in the Mountains. We will once again intensify our invitation to visit Slovenia in the autumn months, supported by our regular activities and a new campaign promoting off-season travel.”

During the summer season, our communication on international markets focuses particularly on promoting safe and responsible travel, including through partnerships such as Safe in the Mountains.

Fedja Pobegajlo, Director of the Slovenian Chamber of Tourism and Hospitality (TGZS), stated: “According to forecasts from the members, booking levels and revenues indicate a successful summer season ahead. Continued growth will require stronger promotion in markets with the highest potential, particularly the Visegrád countries. High operating costs often exceed revenue growth, limiting investment capacity and the ability to maintain competitiveness in a demanding global market. The structure of accommodation supply has been negatively affected by the excessive expansion of short-term rentals, making regulation necessary. Labour shortages have eased as businesses have improved working conditions, while wages in the sector increased by 48 percent between 2019 and 2025. Tourism employees are crucial to visitor satisfaction, both in hotels and across destinations. Destination development must be based on carrying capacity and prevent the emergence of bottlenecks.”

According to forecasts from the members, booking levels and revenues indicate a successful summer season ahead.

Dominik S. Černjak, President of the Slovenian Tourist Association (TZS), noted: “Slovenia’s tourism identity is built on nature, health, and authentic experiences. Clean water, preserved nature, a high-quality environment, and contact with local people are values we often take for granted at home but are increasingly appreciated worldwide. Volunteers, associations, and local initiatives play an important role in preserving these advantages by maintaining destinations, organizing events, and safeguarding heritage. This often invisible infrastructure creates authentic experiences and strengthens sustainable tourism. At the same time, it is important to engage young people in these values, as they will help shape the future of Slovenian tourism.”

Volunteers, associations, and local initiatives play an important role in preserving these advantages by maintaining destinations, organizing events, and safeguarding heritage.

Blaž Cvar, President of the Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia (OZS), emphasized: “The summer tourism season is just around the corner, and expectations remain positive despite the challenging conditions facing the hospitality sector. Among the greatest challenges are significantly higher operating costs, particularly labour costs, which cannot be fully passed on to the market due to limited pricing flexibility. Hospitality businesses and tourism providers are already adapting to new circumstances, changing guest habits, and emerging tourism trends. We also see great opportunities in the further geographical dispersal of visitor flows and the development of lesser-known destinations and hidden corners of Slovenia. More and more visitors, including cyclists and other active travellers, are seeking authentic experiences, making it essential to adapt our offer to their needs and expectations. Slovenian tourism and hospitality have repeatedly demonstrated their adaptability, innovation, and resilience, and we are confident that we will successfully seize the opportunities offered by the market this season as well.”

We also see great opportunities in the further geographical dispersal of visitor flows and the development of lesser-known destinations and hidden corners of Slovenia.

Klemen Langus, Director of Tourism Bohinj and Coordinator of the Julian Alps Community, stated: “Managing visitor flows is one of the key challenges facing Slovenian tourism. Growth in visitation is also the result of successful deseasonalisation, with the tourism season increasingly extending into the spring months while visitors gradually disperse from the most heavily visited locations into the wider region. Mobility remains a particular challenge, which is why destinations are increasingly promoting public transport and other sustainable modes of travel. In the Julian Alps, for example, visitors can now enjoy a high-quality travel experience without relying on a private car. Determining carrying capacity also plays a crucial role in future development, helping to balance visitor numbers, residents’ quality of life, and the protection of the natural environment.”

In the Julian Alps, for example, visitors can now enjoy a high-quality travel experience without relying on a private car.

Workshop on Developing Slovenia as a Health and Well-Being Destination

A workshop involving destination representatives, tourism providers, and the Slovenian Tourist Board was also held today in Ljubljana, focusing on the development of Slovenia as a health and well-being destination. This product area offers significant potential for Slovenian tourism and is based on an ambitious vision supported by active stakeholder collaboration. While health resorts remain a key component of the offer, numerous other health and well-being segments based on Slovenia’s unique natural assets provide additional opportunities for development.

The project is built around five strategic objectives: broadening the understanding of health and well-being, identifying the potential of Slovenian destinations in this field, developing competitive and market-attractive products, strengthening destination differentiation, and contributing to the long-term positioning of Slovenia as a recognized health and well-being destination. The vision is for Slovenia to become a global reference point for sustainable health and well-being.

This modern approach is based on scientifically proven benefits of the natural environment – including clean air, a favourable climate, forests, tranquillity, and other natural assets – for physical and mental health. Such positioning directly responds to global trends associated with increasing stress, burnout, the search for regeneration, mental balance, prevention, longevity, and active healthy ageing. In all these areas, Slovenia enjoys a distinct competitive advantage thanks to its exceptional natural diversity, preserved environment, and high quality of life.

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In the photo: Klemen Langus (Tourism Bohinj, Julian Alps Community), Branka Gradišar (Ljubljana Tourism), Jure Struc (Maribor Tourism Board), Maja Pak Olaj (Slovenian Tourist Board), Dominik S. Černjak (Slovenian Tourist Association), Blaž Cvar (Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia), Fedja Pobegajlo (Slovenian Chamber of Tourism and Hospitality), and Ana Savšek (Slovenian Tourist Board).

Photo: Siniša Kanižaj for the Slovenian Tourist Board.

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