Juliana Trail wins international tourism award
Bohinj - Juliana Trail, a 270-kilometre hiking trail circuiting Slovenia's highest peak, Mount Triglav, has been declared Best Europe Tourism Project by the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW).
The trail is run by the Julian Alps Community, whose coordinator Klemen Langus said he was glad the project won the recognition also for its sustainable orientation and clear philosophy.
The trail was launched in 2018 to to reduce the strain of visitors on Triglav. The 16-stage trail mostly runs through villages and visitors are encouraged to use public transport to access it.
Quoted in a press release from Tourism Bohinj, Langus said the award was also a responsibility "to truly honour the commitment we made when we started the trail and the criteria it follows".
"The trail runs through unknown corners and should affect many elements of local development in the Julian Alps: the negative demography, development of farming, public transport. It is designed to direct the visitors and thus protect the environment," Langus said.
Nominated by BGTW member Rudolf Abraham, the trail was one of the six finalists in the running for BGTW International Tourism Awards in the Best Europe Tourism Project section, along with another Slovenian project, the Secret Rooms of Hotel Jama, Postojna. The winners were declared at an online event on 18 April.
Juliana Trail is a first-rate example of a tourism product that has a positive effect on the local community as well as on the environment, the release from Tourism Bohinj quoted BGTW chairman Simon Willmore as saying.