We have adopted the tourism development strategy for Ljubljana and the Ljubljana Region for the period 2021–2027, with which we wish to position Ljubljana as the leading and most creative sustainable lifestyle city destination in the world.

This year was (and still is) very hard and difficult for tourism. That is why it is particularly important to have a plan according to which we shall continue to develop tourism as a relevant industry while also considering its great social significance, stressed Petra Stušek, MA, Director of Ljubljana Tourism, at the presentation of the Development Strategy of the Tourism Destination Ljubljana and the Ljubljana Region 2021–2027 during a session of the City Council of the City of Ljubljana. »This year’s pessimistic short-term outlook has improved. With this document we are also looking into the future when tourism is going to restart. And it certainly going to start. That is why we have to be prepared when the time comes.«

With the new strategy Ljubljana Tourism aims to position Ljubljana as the leading and most creative sustainable lifestyle city destination in the world. The new strategy brings an array of substantial novelties directed into creating innovative tourism experiences and attractions, increasing the average length of stay at the destination, increasing the daily spending of tourists and connecting tourism with other important areas.

Care for sustainability

Care for sustainability remains key. With this strategy Ljubljana Tourism again commits itself to developing a sustainable model of planning and implementing tourism projects. In this field they have already done a lot in the past, »but we still see a lot of potential for further development,« underlines Petra Stušek, MA. And so, the strategy also defines numerous sustainable initiatives, such as Ljubljana breakfast, efforts to reduce or eliminate waste (zero-waste), single use plastic free tourism, green concierge and others.

Further development of key products

With soft content the strategy continues to develop and upgrade the most important tourism products, namely, the city break and business tourism, that is, MICE, jointly creating 95 percent of interest; the other five percent is generated by gastronomy, culture, events and sports.
»We believe that this ratio will change in the next strategic period,« thinks the Director of Ljubljana Tourism. »In business tourism we might make some adjustments, because it is not completely clear if this segment will recover relatively quickly or will its recovery take the longest as it might to a large extent shift online and to hybrid events.«

Further development of gastronomy

Gastronomy and event planning are products with the greatest potential for growth and development. Ljubljana has every opportunity to develop gastronomy as one of the main motives for visiting. And so, we designed Gastrocity, a unique project which could position Ljubljana as a leader in the wider region.

Development of new events is focused primarily on the low season period with an emphasis on November and February. »We are a holiday destination throughout the year, and so, the strategy plans a lot of content in the months when the occupancy rate is lower,« explains Petra Stušek, MA.
Raising the quality of offered services

In addition to soft content the strategy also plans larger investment projects both on the level of private and public sector. Despite the pandemic the majority of private investors has not stopped investing in Ljubljana. Together they are committed to developing contents which will keep guests longer in the city, also up to three days (or four nights), which can be only achieved by designing unique experiences and investing into the infrastructure. This is also the foundation of the investment strategy and five key initiatives in the document.