STA, 4 April 2018 - The travel and tourism sector in Slovenia indirectly generated 11.9% of GDP last year and employed 101,500 people, shows a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
The Slovenian tourism directly contributed 3.3% or EUR 1.41bn to the country's GDP last year. This year, its contribution is expected to rise by 6.1% to EUR 1.5bn.
Annually rising by 4.1% on average in the next decade, it is to reach EUR 2.24bn or 4% of GDP by 2028, the report says.
Considering the wider effects of tourism, last year the sector helped generate EUR 5.51bn or 11.9% of GDP.
Next year, its total contribution to GDP is expected to rise by 6.2% and in the next decade it is to rise by 4.2% annually on average to stand at EUR 8.13bn or 14.5% of GDP.
A total of 31,000 people or 3.7% of all employees in the country worked at hotels, travel agents, airlines and other passenger transportation services (excluding commuter services), and in restaurant and leisure industries directly supported by tourists.
This year, the number is expected to go up by 3.8% and reach 40,000 in the next ten years, according to WTTC.
The total contribution of travel and tourism to employment, including wider effects from investment, the supply chain and induced income impacts was 101,500 jobs in 2017 (12.3% of total employment). This is forecast to rise by 3.7% in 2018 to 105,000 jobs (12.7% of total employment).
By 2028, the sector is forecast to support 129,000 jobs (15.4% of total employment).
In 2017, Slovenia generated EUR 2.49bn in visitor exports. In 2018, this is expected to grow by 6.9%, and the country is expected to attract 3.65 million international tourist arrivals.
By 2028, international tourist arrivals are forecast to total 4.7 million generating expenditure of EUR 4.12bn.
Travel and tourism is expected to have attracted capital investment of EUR 678m in 2017. This is expected to rise by 7.7% in 2018 and reach EUR 1.12bn by 2028.
