STA, 22 August 2020 - Slovenian tourism will see a 70% drop in tourists from abroad this year, but Slovenians holidaying in the country in big numbers, also due to tourist vouchers distributed by the state to help the industry, will offset the loss somewhat, so that the overall drop is to amount to around 50%.
To accommodate the industry to a new reality resulting from the coronavirus, Slovenian partners are working on a recovery plan, Slovenia's Tourist Board (STO) announced.
The STO is aware people will always want to travel, yet not at all cost, but to "destinations which can guarantee a safe and at the same time pleasant experience", STO director Maja Pak said in a release.
The STO is thus working together with the Economy Ministry, tourism industry representatives, product associations and destination managers to prepare a recovery plan for Slovenian tourism.
The document is to digitalise and optimise marketing and promotion to bring them in line with travellers' new habits, and bring new criteria to assess success in tourism.
Since the coronavirus hit the country in March, the STO has launched several campaigns, focussing on promoting Slovenia as a green, safe and responsible destination.
Just recently, Virtuoso Travel Week, an online event promoting boutique and luxury tourism, was attended by over 4,000 tourist agents and destination managers from 96 countries.
The STO is also enhancing communication with foreign businesses with new projects.
One is a digital platform enabling travel agents to deepen their knowledge about Slovenia and potentially include it among their destinations.
World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) data shows interest in travel is still below last year's, but despite a 20% drop in the interest, Europe is still the most desired tourist destination.
