The Slovenia Times

Attractive destination?

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In 2004 the Ljubljana Urban Region (LUR) attracted less then 10% of total tourism to Slovenia. It appears that the tourism potential is not fully actualized at the moment. The main reason for this is that the 25 municipalities in the LUR are not cooperating. The municipalities in the LUR all offer their own local products; their main concern naturally is to sell their own products and services. While these municipalities should be working together, they perceive each other as competitors. They are all trying to 'catch' any tourist. The company that is responsible for promoting the whole region in fact only promotes the city Ljubljana. Of course Ljubljana is the center of this region and of the whole country, but it only takes 2 days to see the whole city. What makes the LUR unique To find out what unique features and tourist products the region could offer was recently analyzed. The distinctive ecological, socio-cultural and economical features are: 1) the LUR is a region with the capital city of Slovenia, 2) Ljubljana is a meeting place of 50.000 students who create a young and vibrant atmosphere and use a unique system of student coupons like nowhere else in the world, 3) the LUR is a region of crossroads and a natural destination between western and eastern cultures, and 4) homemade Slovene meals in gostilnas. The environment exudes beauty, variety and authenticity. These features could attract people to the LUR and shape the competitiveness of the tourism market. Future For the LUR, it will be important to focus on the distinctiveness of Ljubljana. Emphasis should be placed on developing entertainment and recreation for tourists based on local characteristics and opportunities such as walking and cycling, geographic features, historic sites included in small group excursions, local cultures and quality products. The LUR is a neutral intersection between western and eastern culture. Increasing the length of stay by offering an attractive and original variety of activities and attractions (including bad weather facilities) will bring more benefits. The longer the stay, the more time people will have to establish a real dialogue with the locals. In this situation they will learn more about the natural and cultural heritage and about daily life in the area. In this way people will see more benefits. This research was made between January 2005 and May 2005 in cooperation with the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region.

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