Slovenia Expects Another Tourism Record in 2015

Slovenia
Slovenia

Slovenia may see another record tourist season this year, according to the Slovenian Tourism Board (STO). Data from the central bank show a 10.7 % annual increase in spending by foreign tourists in the first nine months of the year, reaching EUR 1.77 bn.

STO acting director Maja Pak has told a recent event organised by journalists focusing on tourism that for the first time ever the number of overnights would exceed 10 million this year.

“The [forecast] 12 % increase in foreign tourists is significantly above the figures recorded elsewhere in Europe,” Pak added.

The most recent data from the Statistics Office show an 11 % annual increase in the number of tourists in the first ten months of the year, while the number of overnights in the same period went up by 7.5 %.

The number of foreign tourists increased by 11.8% in the first ten months year-on-year, while the number of overnights by foreigners was 8.1 % higher, the STO said, quoting the Statistics Office.

The number of Slovenian tourists has also increased. It was up by 9.2 % year-on-year, while the number of overnights they generated was up by 6.5 %.

A similar positive trend has also been recorded in Ljubljana, the country’s number one destination. The capital expects to see 1.2 million overnights this year, a new record. EUR 10m are to be generated by tourists in Ljubljana in December alone.

Tourism generates more than 12 % of Slovenia’s GDP and accounted for 8 % of the country’s exports in general and for some 40 % of services exported, according to the STO.

Source: http://www.sloveniatimes.com/