Tourism
Slovenia’s tourism sector represents an outstanding investment opportunity. The country is centrally located in the heart of Europe – between Vienna and Venice, as Slovenians point out – and offers a wide range of tourism possibilities, from spas and casinos to beaches, eco-tourism and ski resorts. As Bojan Meden, Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board, puts it, “Slovenia is a dream country.” He adds, “Our intention is to be the best on a more boutique basis.”
A little of Switzerland, Italy and Provence
Meden explains that Slovenia aims to focus on being “small and special” in its tourism offerings, providing high-quality facilities and focusing on offering a personalized approach rather than opting for mass-market tourism.
For well-traveled Americans, part of Slovenia’s appeal is that it is a destination many have not yet explored. In addition, the country is very well placed to serve as a base for trips throughout central and eastern Europe. And, a special plus for United States travelers is that many Slovenians speak English.
Slovenia is also an attractive destination for the variety of its landscapes and activities, all concentrated in a small area. From anywhere in the country, for example, mountains and the coast are just an hour’s drive away, and Slovenia offers some of Europe’s most beautiful and unspoiled landscapes. Opportunities for nature tourism abound, and the country already contains a number of well-equipped sports facilities. Given recent extensive investment in upgrading infrastructure, getting around the country is easy, and telecommunications services are world-class. In addition, Slovenia is known for its safety and stability.
For United States investors, Slovenia’s spas and city hotels represent opportunities with particularly strong potential, according to Meden. With only 75,000 hotel beds currently available, the country is especially interested in adding new hotel facilities and expanding existing ones, and its spa centers, among the most popular in central Europe for years, could become very profitable given investment in upgrading facilities and services.
Another investment target is facilities for business travelers. As the country’s economy becomes more liberalized, more and more business visitors are traveling to Slovenia each year, and the country needs more services geared particularly for them. Added conference facilities, new hotels with state-of-the-art services, and upgraded services in existing hotels are all needed. Meden points out that investments in Slovenia’s tourism sector will produce stable profits and long-term rewards.
The Slovenian Tourist Board now has nine offices abroad that are helping to bring more visitors to Slovenia, which currently attracts some two billion visitors each year. The current strategy is to target special-interest groups to focus on Slovenia’s perceived role as a boutique destination.
“Tourism here has a future,” Meden says, adding, “We are optimistic. We have a little of Switzerland, Italy, and Provence, all in one small country.”
The main challenge is making the world more aware of Slovenia’s attractions. Meden says, “Most people all over the world do not even know that Slovenia exists, but everyone who comes here is very impressed and very glad they came, and they want to come back.” He encourages American travelers to discover all that the country has to offer, and concludes, “Slovenia has everything in a little package.”
Hotel Turist Ljubljana
“We offer the best we can.”
Marjeta Bren, General Director Hotel Turist
Hotel Turist is located in the very heart of Ljubljana, just 327 yards from the train and bus station. Its 120 newly renovated rooms have an occupancy rate of more than 70 percent, the highest in the city. It is one of only two hotels in the three-star category in Ljubljana.
As well as its comfortable rooms, the hotel has its own restaurant, bar and garden terrace, and its new cyber-café is one of the few in Ljubljana. There are three conference rooms that can be joined together to make one larger space, accommodating up to 60 delegates. Last year the hotel averaged about two seminars a week, and there is no charge for guests choosing to rent the conference facilities.
According to General Director Marjeta Bren, “We are a three-star hotel in price, but our rooms are renovated as four-star rooms. Our image is that we are a comfortable hotel with three stars and a low price. You can get everything here that you could get in a four-star hotel, but at a lower price.”
Hotel Turist caters primarily to the business market, and 90 percent of its guests are international. At present five percent are from America, but Mrs. Marjeta Bren is hopeful that this figure will rise after the visits of Clinton and Bush. “We offer the best we can,” she says. “Everyone must get the best treatment.” She adds that reservations can be made via email at the hotel’s website.
Terme Maribor
“Maribor has a perfect location between Vienna and Venice.”
Alenka Iskra, General Manager Terme Maribor
Terme Maribor is a leader in Slovenia’s growing hotel sector, achieving turnover of DEM 26 million last year. Around half its clients are business travelers. The group’s properties in Maribor include the three-star Hotel Orel in the center of the city; the four-star Hotel Piramida, focused on serving business travelers; and the group’s flagship property, the five-star Hotel Habakuk, which is soon to have a new conference center that will accommodate 800 guests.
Alenka Iskra, General Manager, says, “We are also very proud of our Terme Maribor spa facility. We have a total rehabilitation center offering the full range of relaxation techniques along with medical expertise. We are not only a hotel but also a spa, a business-meeting destination, and much more.” The group operates its own restaurant in Maribor and is known for the very popular duty-free shops on Austria’s border. Since September 21st, the duty-free shops have been reorganized to regular shops, but with still very attractive prices.
Maribor offers a number of attractions for both business and leisure travelers. It is a popular ski resort in winter, and the luxurious Hotel Habakuk is conveniently located next to the lower station of the cableway for the longest ski slope on the Pohorje Mountain. As Iskra says, “The snow speaks for itself.” All Terme Maribor hotels feature state-of-the-art telecommunications fa-cilities, such as Internet access in all rooms, as well as a wide range of world-class amenities.
Pointing out other reasons American travelers should discover Slovenia, Iskra notes that it is a safe country with a colorful culture, excellent cuisine and wine, and a long tradition of serving international travelers. “Maribor has a perfect location between Vienna and Venice,” she points out.
HIT Hotels Casinos Tourism
“The United States model is our competitive edge.”
Cveto Stantivc Director of Marketing and Sales HIT Hotels Casinos Tourism
HIT Hotels Casinos Tourism is a successful and outstanding operation responsible for introducing American-style casinos not only to Slovenia but also to other Southern and Central European countries. The group currently includes three entertainment centers (two in Nova Gorica and one in the Kranjska Gora ski resort) as well as two other casinos, two hotels and ten restaurants with more than 1.5 million visitors yearly. Cveto Stantivc, Director of Marketing and Sales, points out that gaming-related activities and catering currently make up 80 percent of the company’s business. The firm is expanding internationally, investing into resorts in the Adriatic coast of Montenegro and opening a casino on the Caribbean island of Bonaire.
Silvan Krivzman, Member of the Board, explains that the company is determined to introduce American rather than European-style casinos since the United States approach is more geared to a middle-class, mass-market clientele, and therefore introduces a new entertainment product to Slovenia and Italy. “In a traditional European-style casino, accessible to upper class citizens, you have to wear formal clothes and you gamble for large amounts of money. The American style, developed in Las Vegas, is informal, geared for entertainment for large numbers of guests, and playing for small amounts.” He adds, “A successful application of the American product into the European social and cultural environment is our real competitive edge.”
Another reason for the company’s success is the diversity of its offerings. Each of its facilities provides gaming facilities, catering, hotel accommodation and a number of leisure and sports activities, all in one location.
The company is currently aiming to attract clients from more distant areas who choose to stay overnight, rather than just so-called “drive to” casino guests. “Our ultimate goal in the next few years is to create a mega casino and entertainment resort near the Italian border, offering a possibility for a complete and unique vacation. Of course, for such a project of several hundreds of millions of dollars, foreign investors are most welcome,” Krivzman says.
HIT Hotels Casinos Tourism has modeled its activities on United States practices and should prove very attractive for American investors. “Our customers know that we are offering the best gaming and entertainment product under one roof. We want to seek more opportunities,” Krivzman says. He adds that Slovenia’s tourism industry offers outstanding potential, and reminds American investors that Slovenia enjoys an ideal location midway between Venice and Vienna.
