STA, 21 February 2021 - Some 180 passengers are due to fly to Tenerife from Slovenia's main international airport today, as the first charter flight this year is to be operated from Ljubljana airport by Croatian air carrier Trade Air. Slovenian tour operators say that despite the coronavirus pandemic, interest in tourist travel is increasing.
There are more charter flights to come during the winter season at Ljubljana airport but the Tenerife one is so far the only tourist charter flight, Fraport Slovenija, the operator of the airport, told the STA.
The epidemiological situation permitting, Fraport hopes there will also be many more charter flights in the summer season than there were last year's.
Passengers on today's flight, organised by tourist agency Palma, travel to the Canary Islands with several tour operators, which say demand is huge.
The new normal of travel is related to all the precautionary coronavirus protocols, which our clients who want to travel have no problem with, Kompas told the STA.
Palma said people were eager to travel, so those inquiring about their package holidays were not dissuaded by the restrictions in their destinations.
Relax said that while they were still closed, demand for their package holidays abroad was increasing on their website by the day.
Slovenians are currently most interested in Slovenia, Croatia and the Mediterranean, but also in more exotic destinations such as the United Arab Emirates or Maldivas.
According to Kompas, people now tend to decide on travelling at the very last moment when they can already anticipate what protocols will be in place.
Despite the many uncertainties, the tour operators are preparing for more busier spring and summer months as usual.
"We plan long in advance but we decide momentarily. The safety and health of our passengers always come first," Kompas said.
The Foreign Ministry meanwhile urges caution, advising citizens not to travel abroad if possible or postpone it until the epidemiological situation has improved.
It said it would not be able to provide assistance to those who might get stuck as a result of coronavirus-related decisions by countries where they travel.
