Slovenia presents itself as a genuine, authentic, and traditional, but also contemporary, innovative, and, due to its size, manageable tourist destination. Green. Active. Healthy. Slovenia is a country to be discovered and experienced, highlighting most positive features such as a homely and relaxed atmosphere, unspoilt nature and rich cultural heritage and offering opportunities for active and relaxing holidays. The advantage of Slovenia is in its boutique attractions, small size and diversity.

It seems so long ago when 25 years ago, Slovenia became an entirely new global tourist destination. Although it had more than a century of tourism behind it, Slovenia used to market its tourist jewels as a region or under the auspices of several countries of which it was a part. 

The country’s repositioning on the tourist market and the development of its image as a tourist destination was a demanding task: Slovenian tourist sites were known to foreign markets as Yugoslav destinations. The wars in former Yugoslavia hindered Slovenia's promotion on the international tourist market during the first years of Slovenia’s independence. This was a big challenge but not the only one that Slovenian tourism had to face after 1991. 

The world had changed, it became more open, accessible and integrated and the market became more global. The structure of guests and their needs and wishes has also changed. The ownership structures of tourist enterprises have changed. Certain drastic changes in the organisation of tourism, both at the national and local levels have been made. And all these factors have influenced the present image of Slovenian tourism.

Change in tourist demand

In 1991, the tourist market responded rapidly to the political developments in Slovenia and later in Croatia. In this year, the overall number of tourists decreased by 40%, and the number of foreign guests fell by no less than 74%. A further decline in the number of foreign tourists continued throughout the next years.

The loss of foreign guests was partly compensated by domestic tourists who for safety reasons tended to avoid the popular holiday resorts in Istria and Dalmatia and stayed in Slovenia. 

Slovenia's promotion on foreign markets

After 1993, the number of foreign tourists visiting Slovenia has slowly increased by an average annual rate of 3%. For the purpose of promoting Slovenia as a tourist destination on foreign markets, the Slovenia Tourism Promotion Centre (STCP) was founded in 1995. The centre's founders were the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia. The STCP represented a new step forward toward the systematic marketing of Slovenian tourism. Great efforts were aimed at making trade-fair appearances, producing promotional material and advertising in the foreign press. In addition, a network of representative and information offices was established on the tourist markets of utmost importance for the Slovenian tourist industry. At the end of 1999, the STCP was transformed into a public commercial institution and was named the Slovenian National Tourist Board. 

Brand names of Slovenian tourism

In the period from independence to the present, Slovenia or Slovenian tourism has been promoted under several brand names. The linden leaf, the symbol of the Slovenian tourism, is the symbol the Slovenians remember best from the time before and immediately after independence.

A bouquet of colourful flowers with the slogan “The green piece of Europe” was chosen in 1995. The proposal was chosen as an optimum solution from among several other proposals as the one that best reflected the basic idea of the presentation of Slovenian tourist services. The slogan “The green piece of Europe”, denoting the location, was chosen to reinforce the basic visual identity emblem for communicating on foreign markets, highlighting the "green" component of Slovenian tourist services and placing it in a European context. 

In November 2003, the Slovenian Tourist Board launched a contest for a creative marketing communication concept aimed at increasing Slovenia's visibility and upgrading the marketing communication of Slovenian tourism in terms of content upon Slovenia's accession to the EU. The slogan “Slovenia Invigorates” was selected. This was the beginning of the first major joint publicity campaign, by way of which Slovenia wanted to position itself abroad as a country that surprises, invigorates and enriches the European Union. The slogan “Slovenia Invigorates” was the first attempt to use a uniform slogan not only in tourism, but in all other areas.

In 2006, this slogan was replaced by the new slogan “I feel Slovenia”, which was introduced systematically and in an excellent manner in the area of tourism, achieving good visibility abroad. 

Rise of Slovenian Tourism

A rapid rise in the tourism sector in Slovenia was observed after 2000, when visit of foreign tourists increased. Today, the tourist industry generates EUR 2 billion in tourism exports. 

In Slovenia, tourism is an important branch of economy. It employs over 48,500 people, most of them in the hospitality industry. Since it is strongly associated with other economic activities, there are about 80,000 jobs indirectly related to it. Its share in GDP is 12.8%. The ranking of Slovenian tourism in terms of global tourist competitiveness is also improving. 

A systematic approach towards marketing, the renovation of tourist infrastructure, the development of spa and convention tourism, the design of tourist products, the promotion of sustainable tourism, a systematic approach towards the organisation and management of tourism, and increasing tourism turnover demonstrate the quality of its development in the years of Slovenia’s independence. Looking into the future, however, provides new impetus. 

The national umbrella tourist board

The Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) is the national umbrella tourist board, whose purpose is to plan and carry out the promotion of the country as a tourist destination, primarily in foreign markets.