In an exclusive interview, Matjaž Han, Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia, reflects on the results of this year’s summer tourist season, the strategic vision for Slovenia tourism 2025, and long-term goals until 2028. He outlines key investments in infrastructure, digitalization, and sustainable tourism, highlighting Slovenia’s positioning as a green destination. Minister Han also shares insights on must-try authentic experiences and the greatest opportunities for further growth and innovation.
How do you evaluate this year’s summer tourist season in your country – did the results meet expectations, and in which segments do you see the greatest growth?
We are satisfied with this year’s summer tourist season. The official data is available for 7 months (Jan – July). In the first 7 months, we recorded a 7% increase in the number of tourist arrivals and overnight stays. The share of foreign overnight stays was 74%. According to information from tourist destinations, the summer season was successful, according to expectations.
Based on official data available for the first seven months of the year — from January to July — Slovenia recorded a 7% increase in both tourist arrivals and overnight stays compared to the same period last year. Notably, foreign visitors accounted for 74% of all overnight stays, which clearly highlights Slovenia’s continued appeal on the international stage. Feedback from destinations across the country confirms that the summer season was in line with expectations, both in terms of visitor numbers and the quality of experience. What’s especially positive is that guests expressed high satisfaction, and at the same time, tourism continues to enjoy strong support among local communities.
Our aim is desezonialisation, we want Slovenia to become the whole year tourist destination with high-quality services.
What are your priorities and activities in the last quarter of the year to further strengthen tourist traffic and maintain the continuity of visits outside the summer season?
In recent years, there has been a significant investment cycle in the Slovenian tourism industry, which will still be in progress by the last quarter of the year. With financial support of the EU funds, we supported ski resorts to reconstruct and reorganize into the whole year tourist destinations, and we helped several municipalities to repair and build new public tourism infrastructure. There has also been an important investment cycle into the accommodation capacities of higher value-added. Our aim is desezonialisation, we want Slovenia to become the whole year tourist destination with high-quality services.
Source: www.slovenia.info
What would you personally recommend as a must-see destination or experience in your country? And what would you highlight as worth visiting in the countries of the region?
The Slovenian Tourist Board developed a project called “SUE – Slovenia Unique Experiences” that truly captures the essence of what Slovenia stands for — a green, boutique destination with a strong commitment to sustainability. It’s closely tied to our national brand, I feel Slovenia, and helps bring that story to life in a very real and tangible way for visitors. The label itself is awarded to carefully selected 5-star experiences that meet very strict criteria. Each experience is rooted in its original location, created in close connection with the local community, and shaped in a way that can’t be copied or found anywhere else. Sustainability is a key pillar, so all experiences also follow responsible tourism practices. At the moment, there are 32 experiences that hold the Slovenia Unique Experiences label, and each one is a “must-try” for anyone wanting to explore the authentic, heartfelt side of Slovenia.
In the region, I would recommend the cross-border projects developed by two or more countries together and supported by Interreg funds. Tourism is an economic branch that connects people and strengthens intercultural dialogue. Joint projects strengthen cooperation in the region.
Do you see an opportunity somewhere for joint promotion and linking of offers?
There are many opportunities for joint promotion and linking of offers. Some opportunities are within the European Microregions, some are in the cross-border co-operation. Slovenia is the only European country located in the area where Southern, Central, and Eastern Europe, the Alps, and the Adriatic Sea meet, and is the only country that is part of the three European Macro-Regions – Danube, Adriatic-Ionian, and Alpine, which connect 19 Member States and 8 non-EU countries.
Slovenia is the only European country located in the area where Southern, Central, and Eastern Europe, the Alps, and the Adriatic Sea meet, and is the only country that is part of the three European Macro-Regions – Danube, Adriatic-Ionian, and Alpine, which connect 19 Member States and 8 non-EU countries.
For several years, the Slovenian Tourist Board has been partnering with neighbouring countries to promote the wider region in overseas markets. This collaborative approach not only increases visibility but also presents the region as a diverse and attractive destination for long-haul travelers. For example, last year the national tourist boards of Slovenia, Austria, and Croatia launched a joint campaign, “Alps. Adriatic. Amazing.“, targeting the US market, and they are continuing this effort again this year. The campaign is backed by the European Travel Commission (ETC) and partially funded through European funds. And just this week, Slovenia and Croatia joined forces once more, organizing a joint workshop in Tokyo, Japan.
What are the main strategic goals of your tourism policy, and in which tourism segments are you currently investing the most?
In 2022, Slovenia received a new Strategy of Slovenian Tourism 2022-2028. The strategic Vision of Slovenian tourism 2028 is: “GREEN & BOUTIQUE A small print. Greater value for everyone. “
We have placed sustainability at the core of all our development and promotional activities. In all our promotional activities and communication, we wish to highlight the varied, high-quality, and boutique tourist offer, as well as the authenticity and local character of Slovenia.
Our 5 strategic objectives:
- Increasing the quality, value, and provision of the year-round tourism offer
- Increasing the satisfaction of local people employed in tourism and guests
- Positioning tourism as a generator of value and sustainable development
- Decarbonisation and balancing of Slovenian tourism
- Ensuring a competent and efficient management structure.
At the heart of our tourism policy is the green story, which forms the core of the I feel Slovenia brand. This vision is brought to life through the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism, a national certification program led by the Slovenian Tourist Board that promotes sustainable development among destinations and providers across the country.
At the heart of our tourism policy is the green story, which forms the core of the I feel Slovenia brand.
We are also placing strong emphasis on gastronomy. Recognition of Slovenian restaurants and taverns in prestigious international guides such as Michelin and Gault&Millau has helped us showcase our culinary excellence to the world.
In terms of investment, our current priorities are tourism infrastructure and digitalization. In addition, we are carrying out activities in the field of human resources development, because people, their skills, and their hospitality remain the foundation of Slovenia’s tourism offer.
What is the current contribution of tourism to the gross domestic product of your country, and what trends do you expect in the coming period?
Tourism is a very important and one of the strategic economic branches in Slovenia, which together (with multiplying impacts) contributes 8,6% share in gross domestic product. It has high multiplier effects since it directly or indirectly influences many other activities. It is also an important export activity, with EUR 3,3 billion flowing from exports of travel in 2024, which is a 27% share in the export of services (and 6% share in the total export of goods and services).
With high multiplier effects, tourism stimulates economic growth and generates jobs, preserves cultural heritage, and revives remote places and individual isolated villages. It is very important for strengthening balanced regional development and for rural development.
As Slovenia is a very attractive tourist destination with sustainable tourism development without overtourism, we believe there will be high value added in tourism also in the coming years. Tourism activity will contribute app. 10% in GDP, also in the future.
Where do you see the greatest chances for the further development of tourism in your country and region, and in which fields do you still need to work intensively to improve the offer and increase competitiveness?
We believe that the strategic guidelines we have set will continue to guide the competitive and successful development of tourism in Slovenia. The greatest opportunities lie in spreading tourism flows even more evenly across the country, creating higher added value, and reducing seasonality, so that visitors can discover authentic experiences throughout the year and in every region.
To achieve this, we see further progress in digitalization as essential, as it plays a key role in both competitiveness and efficiency. In this regard, an important step forward is the new national platform NiST – National Intelligence System for Tourism, which will allow better data management and more effective decision-making for the entire sector. Equally important is maintaining strong cooperation among stakeholders at the local, regional, and national levels, so that we truly move forward together. And finally, we must continue working to close the gap between the industry’s demand for skilled employees and the available workforce — because at the end of the day, like I already said, people are at the very heart of every successful tourism story.
To mark World Tourism Day on September 27th, Internationalis secured exclusive, high-level interviews with Ministers from the region, including the perspectives of Nasiha Pozder, Minister of Environment and Tourism of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Tonči Glavina, Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia.
