The Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) has announced that the country is now ready to welcome tourists once again, and is thus stepping up promotional activities to gain more of the much-anticipated post-epidemic boom in travel, as people rush beyond the boundaries set by restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the wake of the successful roll-out of vaccination programmes.

While anyone arriving now will still face limits with regard to where they can stay, with hotels allowed to offer no more than 30 rooms, and where they can eat and drink, with indoor dining still involving distancing, things do seem to be moving in the right direction.

STB is playing to Slovenia’s strengths when it comes to post-epidemic travel, promoting the great outdoors along with the exercise, fresh air and general healthy living that go with it.

As Maja Pak, director of the STB, puts it:

The first steps towards the resumption of tourism give us hope for a quick re-establishment of tourist flows and the recovery of tourism as one of the most important industries. Throughout the crisis, the Slovenian Tourist Board has carried out situation-adapted communication activities on foreign and domestic markets, which have now been upgraded and strengthened, as the restrictions have released. In the light of changed travel habits, guests are in search of a non-mass, healthy and safe holiday destinations. Therefore, active experiences in unspoiled nature are being highlighted, a tourist product that has the most potential for the recovery of tourism.

Health is becoming an increasingly important value as well, so we also pay special attention to the product health and well-being. Slovenia is also the holder of the European Region of Gastronomy 2021 title, which means that we also focus on inviting domestic as well as foreign guests to discover unique gastronomic experiences. Of course, safety plays a major role when choosing a holiday destination, this is why Green&Safe brand has been launched, which present safe and attractive experiences in Slovenia.

In addition to foreign visitors, STB is also promoting staycations among Slovene’s with the Zdaj je čas. Moja Slovenija (The Time is Now. My Slovenia).

Anyone thinking of making a trip to Slovenia in the near future is advised to check out this website which has a good summary of the various criteria you need to meet in order to cross the border and avoid quarantine, with even more details provided here if needed.

There’s also an online app – in English – to guide you through the various restrictions. Just click here then scroll down to start the process, and find out if you’ll be able to enjoy a stay on the sunny side of the Alps.

STA, 28 April 2021 - The government has somewhat eased coronavirus restrictions for retailers and service providers in yellow-tier regions, allowing one customer per 20 square metres of surface area as of Monday, while the condition of one customer per 30 square metres remains unchanged in orange regions.

Moreover, advisory, therapeutic and educational services will be permitted in all regions as of Monday, the government decided on Wednesday.

Moreover, accommodation facilities in yellow regions will be allowed to serve guests indoors, the Government Communication Office said, adding that service will be provided only to guests seated at tables, while night clubs will remain closed.

Five statistical regions are currently in yellow tier: Pomurska, Koroška, Central Slovenia, Obalno-Kraška and Goriška.

STA, 28 April 2021 - Vaccination centres across Slovenia will step up their activities in the coming days, as Slovenia expects some 120,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines to be available in the country, Health Minister Janez Poklukar told the press on Wednesday. 

Moreover, Poklukar expects a test run will be launched on a new vaccination application app next week. Apart from being a tool for vaccination, the app is also expected to simplify the administrative side of the vaccination effort.

Poklukar gave a statement for the press today after talking to the heads of vaccination centres and hospitals about the organisational aspects of the vaccination effort.

Slovenia expects large shipments of vaccines next week, he said. Expectedly, 9,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine are to be available, 69,000 doses of AstraZeneca, 6,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson and over 56,000 doses of the Pfizer/BionTech vaccine.

All of the Moderna doses are to be used for second jabs, as will 9,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Where can I get vaccinated for COVID in Slovenia?

Find your local health centre (zdravstveni dom – ZD) in the list here, then click through to the website. These have different styles, but you’re looking for something with COVID-19 ceplenje (COVID-19 vaccination). From there you should get more details and be able to register for a jab (Naročanje na COVID-19 cepljenje)

He estimates that Slovenia could have enough vaccine available in the first half of May to allow it to scrap the priority-group approach to vaccination.

Poklukar believes the biggest challenge in the effort is getting people motivated to get vaccinated. "It is up to all of us to act responsibly so that as many people as possible are inoculated as soon as possible."

Therefore, he asked all residents to apply for a jab and turn up for the vaccination when called.

The minister also counts on healthcare personnel to encourage people to get vaccinated. More than a half of vaccination centres are proactively reaching out to the population over the phone, according to Poklukar.

"The cooperation between a patient and their GP is key. Every resident must be contacted by a trustworthy healthcare worker and motivated to get the jab," said Poklukar.

He admitted that some regions fared better than others, adding that this depended on several factors. In regions where the elderly have poorer access to vaccination centres mobile units will have to be deployed and concessionaires activated, he said.

Vaccination centres could inoculate up to three times as many people as now, said Poklukar, adding that the entire population could be inoculated in only two months at that pace.

The vaccination staff are tired but highly motivated, said Poklukar. Where needed, the Armed Forces and the Civil Protection, which are already involved in the effort, will help the vaccination teams.

Force Commander Brigadier General Miha Škerbinc also took part in the press conference, saying the Armed Forces have been providing support for the Civil Protection and other state bodies. Among other things, the Armed Forces' mobile unit has also been vaccinating Armed Forces members.

Moreover, the Armed Forces have handed over to civilian healthcare teams a vaccination centre at the Kranj barracks and are ready to do the same with another centre in Ljubljana, said Škerbinc.

Civil Protection members meanwhile help out in vaccination centres with organisation and administrative tasks, Civil Protection boss Srečko Šestan said.

So far, over 410,700 people have received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine, while nearly 175,600 have had two. The share of inoculated population currently stands at 8.4%.

STA, 27 April 2021 - The Slovenian Tourism and Hospitality Chamber (Turistično gostinska zbornica Slovenije - TGZS) demands that the government immediately change of scale back restrictions in the industry that it deems "senseless" and a drag on business.

The chamber made the appeal on Tuesday, a day after accommodation was allowed to reopen after several months of complete closure.

However, establishments may only open up to 30 rooms and guests have to provide negative tests, or proof of vaccination or evidence of having already had coronavirus.

As a result, many establishments chose not to reopen at this point given that it is not economical to operate so few rooms.

The chamber said this restriction was "particularly illogical" in campsites, apartments and bungalows, which are safe.

The most senseless measure, according to the chamber, is the restriction on the use of hotel restaurants by guests given that restaurants may operate indoor seating in regions in the yellow tier of restrictions.

"In practice, this means that a guest ... stays at a hotel ... but may not enter the hotel restaurant. They may, however, simply walk into a restaurant across the street."

The chamber also said it had been informed about the reopening just days before, despite numerous appeals for the communication of such decisions at least a month in advance so that marketing campaigns may start early enough.

"We understand how demanding these decisions are, but Italy, for example, said at the end of April that cultural institutions, outdoor pools, hotels, restaurants, gyms, fairs, conventions, spas and theme parks would reopen on 1 July."

STA, 27 April 2021 - Checkpoints on Slovenia's border with Italy and Austria, introduced to help contain the coronavirus epidemic, will be removed under a new decree that takes effect on Wednesday.

The checkpoints on Slovenia's other internal Schengen border, with Hungary, remain in place, the government has decided.

Another change is the recognition upon arrival of PCR tests performed in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Israel and Russia.

So far only PCR tests from the EU, non-EU Schengen zone members and the UK were recognised in lieu of a mandatory quarantine.

There are also some minor changes regarding the red list of countries from which arrivals must quarantine unless they produce a negative test, proof of vaccination, or are among the exemptions to the quarantine requirement.

Among European countries, Finland is no longer on the red list and Malta has been added. There are also changes for individual administrative units of Portugal, Greece, Spain and Norway.

STA, 26 April 2021 - Accommodation facilities across the country, which is largely in tier orange of restrictions, can reopen in a limited scope today, each allowed to accept guests in no more than 30 rooms. Also allowed from today are sport events and competitions, although without spectators.

All guests must prove they are not infected with coronavirus, either by producing a negative test, a vaccination certificate or proof of having recovered from Covid.

The exceptions are children under 15 holidaying with their parents or carers.

All accommodation facilities can also offer wellness services, such as swimming or sauna, yet only for their guests.

The tourism sector has welcomed the latest easing of restrictions, but said it comes at very short notice and under some unreasonable conditions.

The cap on rooms makes larger accommodation facilities unprofitable, so many have decided against reopening, especially where it is too cold to serve food outdoors.

Anže Čokl, who runs the 100-plus room Bohinj Eco Hotel in the Alpine region of Gorenjska, said every hotel has high fixed costs and makes loss if at least half of its rooms are not full.

"Our goal is to get to the main season hoping it will be a good one," he explained the reason for straying closed.

Gostišče Uh in the town of Rateče near the Planica ski jumping centre will open all of its five rooms above the restaurant.

Its head Sonja Kavalar said if necessary, they will serve food in rooms, saying business owners should adapt, which can be hard at first.

Marcela Klofutar from Linhart Hotel&Bistro in the town of Radovljica pointed to some absurd restrictions - non-tested staff can serve business guests indoor, while ordinary guests can only be served outdoors by staff that has been tested.

She also pointed to the issue of privacy when staff should check whether a guest has a negative coronavirus test. "There are still many open issues."

Hotel owners are also cautious in Slovenian Istria, that is in the coastal Obalno-Kraška region, which is, unlike Gorenjska, one of the three yellow regions with a better epidemiological situation.

Smaller facilities, especially family hotels, find it easier to adjust, with some having already purchased rapid antigen tests.

Larger facilities, such as Sava Turizem and Talaso Strunjan, will offer 30 rooms to tourists only at the facilities which have been allowed to operate as exceptions to the closure because they offer services for sport events, business tourism and treatments at spas.

Sport competitions without spectators, and training in bubbles, as well as recreational sport activities for up to ten participants are allowed as of today.

Athletes that will compete and their teams as well as trainers of recreational sports need to get tested if they have not been vaccinated or already recovered from Covid.

Is there a more iconic or famous view of Slovenia than that of Bled Lake and its island? It seems unlikely, which is why it’s a definite step in the right direction and a sign of better days to come that yesterday, Saturday, 24 April 2021, saw the reopening of the island to visitors, along with the resumption of services from the unique pletna boats to take them there in style.

More broadly, cafés, bars and restaurants all over Slovenia are now free to serve customers in their outside areas, although limited to between 7am and 7pm, and thus other arrangements are needed if you wish to enjoy the sunset with a drink or something to eat.

In the three regions currently at the yellow level of restrictions, namely Obalno-Kraška (aka the coast), Goriška and Pomurje, customers can even sit indoors, although only under conditions that industry bodies have called unrealistic and absurd. To be specific, guests can only avoid the sun and fresh air and venture inside an establishment serving food and drink if they can prove they’re not infected with coronavirus by showing a negative test, or present evidence they’ve been vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19. One inside customers will then need to keep 1.5m apart, and all tables are supposed to 3m apart.

While not yet able to enjoy such novel dining and drinking experiences, the other nine regions of Slovenia did move down from the red to orange level of restrictions on Friday, which in addition to outdoor hospitality service means that the ban on travel between regions was lifted – leading to a rush to the Croatian coast – along with the reopening of cinemas and theatres.

STA, 24 April 2021 - Waiting times of up to 45 minutes are reported from border crossing with Croatia as Slovenians headed for their favourite holiday destination at the start of the May Day school break on Saturday.

With the lifting of some of the coronavirus restrictions, including the ban on travel between regions yesterday, traffic had been expected to get busy with holidaymakers and day-trippers.

Cars waited about 45 minutes to enter to Croatia at the Dragonja crossing and about half an hour at Sečovlje. Delays are also being reported on the motorway heading towards the coast, mainly due to roadworks, and on the motorway toward Maribor.

Anita Leskovec, a spokesperson for the Koper Police Department, told the STA the delays at border crossings were not due to any problems with border controls.

She said people had prepared well for crossing the border and mostly had all the necessary documents and Covid proofs with them.

Where Can I Get a COVID Test in Slovenia?

To enter Croatia, passengers need a negative PCR or rapid antigen test no older than 48 hours, or a certificate proving they have recovered from Covid-19 within the past 180 days or have been vaccinated against it. Children up to the age of 7 are exempt if they travel with parents or carers that meet one of the valid conditions.

STA, 23 April 2021 - Updated 16:15 Slovenians are free to travel between regions and some cultural events are permitted as of Friday under government decrees, but public assembly has been scaled back from a hundred to ten people.

The ten-people limit, which replaces an earlier decree that allowed the public assembly of a hundred people, comes with the caveat that organisers of such events must ask for permission under rules governing public assembly.

The additional limit is one person per 30 square metres for such events indoors and one person per 10 square metres outdoors, and a 1.5-metre distance between people.

The same density restriction but not ten-people limit applies to museums and libraries, which have been open for a while.

In a surprise move late last night, the government also decided that cinemas and theatres may reopen as of today under the same conditions, whereby performers must get tested for coronavirus at least once a week unless they have been vaccinated or have already recovered from Covid-19.

Nevertheless, theatres and cinemas will remain largely closed, with their representatives saying the change had come at a very short notice, that the conditions were irrational, while it was also not clear what happens after 2 May, until the current decree applies.

Ljubljana Puppet Theatre director Uroš Korenčan told the STA not much would change for theatres in the coming week, with some opting to have entire teams take days off.

He said the one-person-per-30-square-metres rule or more if persons are from the same household, was unrealistic, while he admits they are eagerly waiting to start working, which however cannot be done overnight.

Slovenia's Art Cinema Network head Jure Matičič said given the short notice, art cinemas were still deciding what to do, as the person-per-metre condition makes cinemas a non-profitable business.

Reopening cinemas is not as easy as it might seem, he said, explaining that film accessibility was a problem given that agreements with film distributors were made in advance for a longer periods of time.

Kolosej, Ljubljana's largest cinema centre, will also stay closed, while Ljubljana's Kinodvor will reopen on Monday, allowing ten persons per show.

In museums, libraries, cinemas and theatres it is now possible to have gatherings of groups that are otherwise permitted to gather, which means school classes will be able to attend events.

What's on at Kinodvor? Let's find out...

STA, 22 April 2021 - The government will shortly unveil a new stimulus package tailored specifically to the tourism, hospitality and events industries. The legislation will involve an extension of some existing measures as well as new measures, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said on Thursday.

The furlough subsidies, compensation of fixed costs and income support will be extended until the end of the year and "corrected to benefit those who have been shut down", he told the management board of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS).

New measures include compensation for loss of income for tourism operators that have been shut down longest, compensation for the annual holiday allowance, and waiver of fees for the use of thermal water.

Počivalšek also expressed the hope that the deferral of loan payments, a measure that has ended but which many business organisations have said should be extended, would be put in place again.

He said there were problems with the European Bank Agency, which is involved in talks on the scheme along with the Ministry of Finance and the central bank.

The minister is also optimistic that the coming easing of restrictions - outdoor hospitality will open on Saturday and accommodation next week - will help "revitalise the hospitality industry".

The statement comes amidst warnings by businesses that the tourism industry is on the verge of collapse after being shut down since autumn, with cash support from the state insufficient to keep it afloat.

GZS president Boštjan Gorjup said that the tourism industry was "on the edge of the precipice", which is why fast action is needed to prop up the sector.