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The number of foreign visitors was up 5% over the previous record number achieved in 2012. They generated 5.96m overnight stays, which is 3% more than a year earlier.

The total number of tourists in Slovenia was at 3.4m in 2013, with the number of domestic guests dropping by 1% to 1.13m.

Domestic guests generated 3.62m overnight stays, down 3% year-on-year, according to the figures released by the Statistics Office on Friday.

The largest share of overnight stays was generated at spa resorts, which saw 3.02m stays, a fall of 2% on 2012.

Mountain resorts saw stays rise 4% to 2.36m, while coastal resorts saw the number of tourist stays fall by 1%. The biggest increase in stays, at 11%, was in the capital Ljubljana.

While mountain resorts remain the most popular destination for foreign guests - 28% of all foreign stays were generated there - domestic visitors prefer spa resorts (47% of all stays).

The biggest foreign markets for the Slovenian tourism sector were Italy (16% of all foreign stays), Austria, Germany (both 12%), Russia (6%), the Netherlands and Croatia (both 5%).

Meanwhile, the biggest increase in foreign overnight stays was generated by guests from Belgium (10%), Great Britain (8%) and the Netherlands (6%).