James Barrington, a British tourist who has been coming to Bled for 40 years, has been chosen as the recipient of a diploma for the millionth stay of the year, the Bled municipality said.

Bled Mayor Janez Fajfar stressed that the millionth night was a very special milestone and one that has been reached much faster than initially thought, but he was quick to point out that quantity was not the only thing Bled was after.

He said Bled locals were "living in one of the prettiest places, but this place is not ours alone, we have to fight to keep the natural and cultural heritage unspoilt."

Figures from the local tourism board show the British are the largest group of guests in Bled, followed by German, Italian and Austrian tourists.

Bled is also popular among guests from Asia and the US, and it even recorded over a thousand citizens of Iceland staying there last year.

Local tourism officials think 2018 will be even more successful, not least because Bled was named among top ten Instagram destinations by the travel guide Lonely Planet.