Love Istria, the brand under which the four Istrian destinations are promoted was introduced on 22 March 2023, in the centre of Milan. Representatives of the tourist organisations invited journalists to discover Slovenian Istria’s rich natural and cultural heritage, unique wellness offers, cuisine, outdoor activities, and other unique experiences.
The main purpose of the event hosted at the elite restaurant Identità Golose, where more than 35 media representatives including Il Giornale, Corriere della sera, Mediaset, Dove, Femminile F and others gathered, was to strengthen the promotion of the Slovenian Istria destination – Love Istria – on the Italian market. After the decline of overnight stays by Italian guests during the pandemic, this year shows signs of recovery of this key market for Slovenian Istria.
»The Italian market finished 2022 in second place of overall overnight stays, which is still behind 2019. We observed increased interest in Slovenia within the first months of the year, which will surely continue well into summer. We believe that presenting ourselves under a common Love Istria brand presents an extremely positive innovation for the Italian media. By focusing on promotional activities, we want to bring a lot of interest for Slovenia and Slovenian Istria with a desire to again make Italy a key market for the entire destination, « said Aljoša Ota, the head representative of the Slovenian Tourist Board in Italy after the press conference.
At the event, organised in collaboration with the Slovenian Tourist Board, mag. Patricija Gržinič from the Portorož Tourist Board and Peter Žudić from the Koper Public institute for youth culture and tourism, presented to the media the destination’s offers with emphasis on experiences developed by tourist destinations and the tourist economy. Istrian food was provided by the hands of chef Dušan Brkić from the restaurant Gostilna Sonja, and wines from the Brič estate. Together they ensured that the event ended on a delicious culinary note.
The presentation already bore fruit, as many media representatives indicated an interest in collaboration and expressed their intent to visit the destination.
Tourist Board Portorož