Around 80,000 passengers arrived in Slovenia's biggest coastal town by ship in 2016, which compares to 58,000 in 2015.

The tourists tend to visit the classic locations, such as the capital, the Lipica stud farm, the Postojska jama caves and the Bled lake while they are increasingly also interested in the broader Koper area and other coastal towns, Koper municipality representatives told the STA.

Walking tours of Koper also remain a popular choice, while other interesting options include the nearby saltpans or the picturesque villages in the Kras area further inland.

More and more tourists are also coming back, which is why packages with novelty destinations are being developed, one of them for instance including Sevnica, the birthplace of US First Lady Melania Trump.