Press Release
Growth in number of domestic and foreign guests in the first ten months points to a successful 2015 for tourism
4 December 2015 – According to preliminary data of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SORS), the number of tourist arrivals in the first ten months of 2015 increased by 11 per cent in comparison with the previous year, and the number of overnight stays increased by 7.5 per cent. The number of arrivals of foreign tourists was up by 11.8 per cent, generating 8.1 per cent more overnight stays than the year before. An increase in the number of arrivals and overnight stays of domestic guests has been recorded again this year, i.e. 9.2 and 6.5 per cent respectively.
Tourism is an important industry in Slovenia, contributing more than 12 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, accounting for 8 per cent of total exports and approximately 40 per cent of service exports.According to data of the Bank of Slovenia, inflows from the export of travel services in the first nine months of 2015 amounted to EUR 1.77 billion, which is a 10.7-per cent growth compared to the same period in 2014.
Eva Štravs Podlogar, Acting Director General of Tourism and Internationalisation Directorate at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology:“It is particularly encouraging that in addition to the increased number of tourists visiting Slovenia and an increase in overnight stays, the income from the export of travel services (consumption of foreign tourists in Slovenia) also increased, including the number of tourist overnight stays by domestic guests. We hope that this trend will continue. Excellent results are also the reflection of enhanced promotion of Slovenian tourism on foreign markets and the hard work of everyone involved in the tourism and catering sectors. We are already preparing activities for next year; among other things, we are preparing public tenders for drawing EU funds in the new programme period at product and destination levels.”
Maja Pak, MSc, Acting Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board:“2015 has been an important year for marketing Slovenian tourism. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the STB, the Board has regained its independence after two years and has been reorganised in accordance with modern trends. Together with the business sector, we prepared an ambitious plan for marketing Slovenian tourism. 2015 is the year of a new record: we will exceed 10 million overnight stays for the first time. The 12-per cent increase in the arrival of foreign guests in Slovenia significantly exceeds the numbers recorded by European tourism in general. This year's realisation of the most intense promotional campaign in the history of Slovenian tourism – involving communication between digital and classic media marketing – and which was financed by EU funds, undoubtedly contributed to the positive results. Among many implemented activities, we organised 250 fact-finding trips for foreign journalists, over 50 fair and workshop presentations, more than 50 events for tour operators, and we also issued promotional publications in 14 languages.
We are aware that tourism though one of the most promising branches is nevertheless facing great challenges at the global level as well as in Slovenia. The STB is preparing an intensive promotion campaign directed towards substantive digital marketing. We began designing a new portal, introduced extensive digital campaigns and upgraded our communication via social media and systematic drafting of content. Promotional activities will focus on key markets with the presentation of selected products which present Slovenia as a green, active and healthy destination. The central themes will include the healthy waters and Ljubljana itself, the European Green Capital 2016.”
Foreign tourists
The number of foreign tourists increased by 11.8 per cent from January to including October compared to the same period in 2014, and the number of overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 8.1 per cent. Overnight stays by foreign guests account for almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of tourist overnight stays in this period.
The largest share among overnight stays of all foreign tourists in the first ten months is attributed to tourists from Italy (15 per cent of overnight stays by foreign guests; 9-per cent growth in overnight stays). Germany takes second place according to the share of generated overnight stays by foreign tourists (12-per cent share of overnight stays by foreign tourists; 8-per cent growth in overnight stays). Austria is third with a 12-per cent share of overnight stays by foreign tourists and a 3-per cent growth in overnight stays. Fourth place is occupied by the Netherlands with a 5-per cent share (and a 3-per cent growth in overnight stays), followed by Croatia with a 5-per cent share (and a 13-per cent growth in overnight stays). These countries are followed by the number of Russian tourists with a 4-per cent share in spite of the drop in the number of overnight stays.
A two digit growth in overnight stays by tourists from many Eastern European countries (Lithuania (68 per cent), the Czech Republic (11 per cent), Estonia (28 per cent), Latvia (10 per cent), Hungary (10 per cent), Poland (12 per cent), Romania (21 per cent) and Slovakia (13 per cent)), Scandinavian countries (Norway (38 per cent) and Sweden (11 per cent)), Great Britain(17 per cent), Ireland (39 per cent) was recorded, including countries displaying greater growth potential in recent years (e.g. Turkey (12 per cent), China (9 per cent) and the Republic of Korea (42 per cent)).
Domestic tourists
The positive growth in the number of domestic guests (9.2 per cent) and their overnight stays (6.5 per cent) is particularly encouraging, since a negative trend in the number of domestic guests and their overnight stays continued to be recorded last year. Domestic tourists generate 36 per cent of all tourist overnight stays in Slovenia.
By municipalities and destinations
In the first ten months of 2015, the majority of overnight stays was recorded in municipalities with spa facilities (29 per cent), followed by mountain municipalities with a 25-per cent share, coastal municipalities with a 22-per cent share and Ljubljana with 12 per cent of overnight stays.
By this October, over a million overnight stays were realised in Ljubljana, which is a 19-per cent increase in overnight stays in comparison with the first ten months of 2014. Some 1,021,929 overnight stays were realised in Ljubljana in 2014, whereas this number was exceeded by 35,700 overnight stays in the first ten months of 2015. By the end of the year, a growth in overnight stays in Ljubljana is expected.
One million overnight stays (1,017,000 hotel overnight stays were recorded) was exceeded in the Municipality of Piran in first ten months of 2015. Some 1,069,000 hotel overnight stays were recorded in eleven months, which is 2 per cent more than in 2014. Foreign guests, predominately Austrians, Italians and Germans, followed by Russians, generated 70 per cent of all overnight stays. A total number of overnight stays of foreign guests increased by 3 per cent if compared to 2014, while domestic guests generated 1 per cent more overnight stays than last year. On the basis of current queries and reservations in hotels, many tourists are expected in December (54,000 overnight stays were recorded last December, which is 17 per cent more than the previous year).
Some 9 per cent more overnight stays were recorded in Bled between January and November than in the same period of last year (which is almost 540,000 overnight stays), whereby the number of overnight stays by domestic guests increased by 23 per cent and overnight stays by foreign guests increased by 8 per cent. The ratio between foreign and domestic guests is 94:6 per cent in favour of foreign guests. The number of overnight stays increased due to the arrival of guests from Austria, Germany, Hungary, Croatia, the Republic of Korea, Great Britain and also Israel.
Between January and October, 17 per cent more overnight stays were recorded in Bohinj than in the same period last year. The number of domestic guests increased by 7 per cent, while the number of foreign guests increased by 23 per cent. The number of arrivals of domestic guests increased by 12 per cent and the number of foreign guest arrivals increased by 28 per cent. Growth was recorded in all months, except in January, March and April. The largest growth in overnight stays was recorded in July (39 per cent) and August (25 per cent). In September and October, a more than 20-per cent increase in occupancy was recorded relative to the same period of 2014. Considering the poor weather conditions in 2014, which also affected the occupancy in Bohinj, a comparison with 2013 was made when a 3-per cent growth in overnight stays was recorded between January and October. Some 36 per cent of overnight stays in Bohinj was generated by domestic guests in the first ten months of 2015. Among foreign guests, Germans (10.8 per cent) prevail in first place, followed by guests from the Czech Republic (5.5 per cent), the Netherlands and Great Britain (both 5.1 per cent) and Belgium (4.2 per cent) (followed by Italians, Croatians, Hungarians and Israelis). The largest increase in overnight stays was attributed to guests from Israel, France, Italy, the Czech Republic and Poland, while the number of overnight stays of Croatian guests somewhat dropped. The largest increase in overnight stays in the first ten months was recorded in camps (45 per cent), mountain huts (35 per cent) and private accommodation facilities (20 per cent).
Over 300,000 overnight stays were recorded in the Maribor–Pohorje destination in the first nine months, which is a good indicator for the entire 2015. The monthly growth in overnight stays again points to a record number of overnight stays and arrivals of guests to the Maribor–Pohorje destination as well as to the Municipality of Maribor itself, i.e. according to estimates, by approximately 15 per cent in overnight stays and 10 per cent in guest arrivals. The majority of guests still come from primary markets, i.e. in first place is Germany, followed by Italy, Austria, Croatia, Poland, Serbia, Russia and Hungary in eighth place. 2015 saw the largest increase (index 265) in arrivals and overnight stays of guests from Korea (1,807 overnight stays in 2014, and 4,796 overnight stays in the first nine months of 2015).
Between January and October, Slovenian health resorts recorded one per cent more overnight stays than in the same period of last year. The growth in the number of domestic guests is particularly encouraging – with 3.8 per cent more guests than in the same period of 2014. Domestic guests in Slovenian health resorts represent more than 50 per cent of all guests (56 per cent of all guests between January and October).
Slovenian ski resorts
The ski season 2015–2016 opened on Friday, 27 November 2015, when cableway installations were set in motion in Vogel and Kranjska Gora. They were followed the next day by Krvavec, Cerkno, Rogla, Soriška planina, Kope, Golte and Trije kralji. The ski centres in Maribor Pohorje are also about to open. Skiing conditions were good and many skiers visited the resorts due to the sunny weather, and thus contributed to the successful start of the season. Some ski centres offered free skiing on the opening day of the ski season. In spite of the currently warm weather, cableway operators anticipate the continuation of a good start of the season. Small and lower-altitude ski resorts are still waiting for snow.
For this ski season, the Association of Slovenian Ski Lift Operators and the Chamber of Mountain Centres prepared an array of new products: joint seasonal and multi-day passes enabling skiing at all large ski resorts. The participation of Kranjska Gora and Maribor Pohorje in the joint pass project is particularly pleasing. In the long and successful history of skiing in Slovenia, guests can now for the first time ski at different resorts around the country with one pass. The purchase of a joint pass also denotes acquisition of the Active Slovenia benefits card, which enables favourable purchase of daily ski passes and many other benefits (more information at
World tourism
According to data of the UNTWO World Tourism Barometer, the number of international arrivals of tourists (with at least one overnight stay) increased by 5.3 per cent at the European and 4.3 per cent at the global level between January and August if compared to the same period in 2014.
Livija Kovač Kostantinovič
Slovenian Tourist Board
Telephone: 01/589 85 65 Fax: 01 589 85 60 E-mail: