The Croatian National Tourist Board presented the overall Croatian tourism offer at the 36th edition of the Alpe Adria Fair, held in Ljubljana from 4 to 7 February. A special highlight of this year’s appearance – and of the promotion of Croatian tourism on the Slovenian market – was Croatia’s status as the Fair’s Partner Country, which made the Croatian pavilion the focal point of events and a gathering place for a large number of visitors.
In addition to Bruno Bonifačić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board’s Office in Ljubljana, a Croatian tourism delegation led by the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Tonči Glavina, and the Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, Kristjan Staničić, was also present at the fair. At the official opening ceremony, they emphasised the importance of the Slovenian market for Croatian tourism.
“Slovenia is one of our most important outbound markets, immediately after Germany. Last year, we recorded 1.8 million arrivals and more than 11 million overnight stays from this market, which represents a 2% increase compared to the previous year. This confirms that Slovenian guests continue to recognise Croatia as one of their most desirable destinations, and we are particularly pleased that this is increasingly happening outside the main summer months,” said Minister of Tourism and Sports Tonči Glavina.
Throughout the fair, a special and rich programme was organised within the Croatian pavilion, showcasing Croatia’s cultural and historical heritage, eno-gastronomy and destination offer. This was further confirmed by the presence of 22 co-exhibitors at the Croatian stand, including numerous local tourist boards, national parks and nature parks, as well as Croatian hoteliers and travel agencies.
“This year, Croatia proudly holds the title of the Fair’s Partner Country, which further highlights the strong ties between our two countries. Slovenia is our second most important outbound market in terms of tourism traffic, but above all, Slovenians are our neighbours who perceive Croatia as their favourite destination. Croatia and Slovenia are connected by much more than geographical proximity – we share similar values, culture and lifestyle, history, as well as a common approach to tourism development, with a particular focus on sustainability, quality and authentic experiences. I would also like to highlight the excellent cooperation between the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Slovenian Tourist Board, which we successfully develop on long-haul markets as well, where our joint appearances further strengthen the visibility of our region and of Europe as an attractive tourism destination,” commented Director Staničić.
These remarks were echoed by Maja Pak Olaj, Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board, who this year is presenting at the fair in partnership with the Association of Historic Towns of Slovenia. “Croatia is this year’s Partner Country of the fair, and cooperation between our national tourism organisations has been strengthening for several years thanks to joint promotional campaigns in long-haul markets. Croatia remains one of the key markets for Slovenian tourism, as Croatian visitors recorded almost 780,000 overnight stays last year, representing an 11% increase, which places Croatia in fourth position among foreign markets in terms of overnight stays,” said Director Pak Olaj.
The official opening ceremony of the fair began with a welcome address by Iztok Bricl, CEO of the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre (Gospodarsko razstavišče). In addition to Minister Glavina and Director Staničić, Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, also addressed the audience.
The importance of Croatia’s participation at the Ljubljana fair is further confirmed by trends on the Slovenian market, according to which Croatia is by far the most popular foreign destination for Slovenians, who record more overnight stays in Croatia than in their own country. Among Slovenian visitors, the most popular regions are Istria, Kvarner and Zadar County, while in terms of individual destinations the highest number of overnight stays is recorded in Umag, Mali Lošinj, Novalja, Novigrad and Medulin.
