The inflow increased by 8.8% from 2014, the highest growth rate in the past seven years, the Slovenian Tourism Board has told the STA, citing data from central bank Banka Slovenije.

Compared to the bumper year 2008, travel and tourism exports rose by 22%, surpassing the growth rate recorded in transport as the second biggest exporter of services in Slovenia.

Travel and tourism exports also expanded at a faster pace than overall services exports, which grew at an annual rate of 7.4% in 2105.

The inflow from tourism totalled EUR 2.237bn last year. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek has often said that Slovenia's goal is to generate EUR 3bn in revenue from foreign tourism.

Slovenia saw over 3.81 million visitor arrivals last year, up 11% from the year before. Foreign visitors generated 10.02 million overnights, topping the 10 million mark for the first time since independence.

The positive trend continued in January with a 14% increase in visitor numbers and an 11% rise in overnights year-on-year.