Ljubljana/Maribor/Koper/Bled - Tourism workers all over Slovenia are busy as a bee since this year's peak tourist season has seen figures either closing in on the pre-Covid levels or even surpassing them. The coast, the capital, mountainous regions and several spa resorts have hit new post-pandemic highs.

Tourism providers at the seaside are mainly satisfied with their occupancy rates and booking numbers for the rest of August and September. Most already topped the 2019 results in June.

There are some problems with staff shortages, but this has not significantly affected the situation, they said, happy that foreign guests have returned. Overnight stays by them are comparable to the same period in 2019. In June, most came from Germany, Italy and Hungary.

In Ljubljana, occupancy rates in early August exceeded 90%, thus topping the pre-Covid levels. In June, most visitors were from Germany, followed by Slovenia, the US, Italy and the UK. In July, the capital again attracted many Germans, but also the French, Italians, the Dutch and others.

Hotel prices have so far remained similar to those a year ago, Ljubljana Tourism told the STA, as accommodation facilities seem to have mainly shouldered higher costs themselves so far. Due to staff shortages, some hospitality providers have decided to scale down their services.

In the north-eastern Štajerska region, visitor numbers this year are better than last year and are nearing those of the pre-Covid year 2019. In Maribor and the hilly Pohorje region, occupancy rates are expected to reach 50%-80% by the end of August, according to informal data.

In Slovenia's second largest city, most overnight stays in June were generated by guests from Germany, followed by those from Poland, Austria, Italy and the Czech Republic. Staff shortages do not seem to be an issue, but due to overall price hikes, the prices have mainly gone up by 5%-10%.

At the Rogla ski resort and Zreče spa, the situation is a bit different though as tourists seem to be cautious. They are showing great interest in the winter season, but the actual bookings are lagging behind.

In the northern Gorenjska region, there is foreign guests galore again as the share of them has increased compared to the last two years, with many French visitors this year.

Capacities in lakeside resorts Bled and Bohinj and ski resort Kranjska Gora are almost fully booked, and the number of overnight stays has already reached or exceeded the 2019 figures in the latter two destinations. In the first six months of this year, the figure in Bohinj went up by 28% compared to the same period in 2019.

Visitor habits have changed in the post-Covid world as the vast majority of them arrive by car, camper van or public transport, said Bled Tourism. There are a lot of hikers and cyclists as well as guests interested not only in natural heritage but also cultural attractions.

All three resorts also report about other changes prompted by the pandemic as, generally speaking, people seem to prefer holidaying closer to home now. In Bled, more or less, guests are from nearby European markets, however visitors from the UK and US are returning too. The situation is similar in Bohinj and Kranjska Gora.