Today, the 34th Alpe-Adria Tourism Fair officially opened its doors at the GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. It will run until Saturday, 3 February, and will feature more than 350 tourism providers from 13 countries. The Minister of Economy, Tourism and Sport Matjaž Han opened the fair at a ceremony. The International Jakob Award for Innovation, Quality and Excellence in Tourism, as selected by the Award Committee, was also presented to the ID20 – Institute for Innovation in Heritage for the project Idrija Žlikrofi Feast.
In his address, Minister Matjaž Han underlined the importance of the Alpe-Adria Tourism Fair: “The fair we are opening today is one of the most important tourism events in Slovenia. It is also the leading tourism marketing event in the Alps-Adriatic region. This year, the focus is on cultural, culinary and sustainable tourism.” Among other things, he highlighted the figures for the 2023 tourism year, which show that Slovenian tourism is on the right track: “We recorded the highest number of overnight stays ever and generated a higher value of travel exports than last year. We should be all the prouder of these results, given that the tourism industry has achieved them despite the catastrophic floods in August at the height of the main summer season. These results also show that Slovenian tourism is resilient. But all of this would not have been possible if it were not for tourism workers. The fact is that the strategy starts being implemented in every town, every village, every individual working in the hospitality and tourism sector.”
The audience was also addressed by Iztok Bricl, MSc., Director of the GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre, who introduced the 34th Tourism Fair. “The excellent cooperation between all tourism stakeholders is also evident at the Alpe-Adria Fair, at which from today until Saturday, more than 350 tourism providers from 13 countries will be presenting their offer. Visitors will be able to explore different destinations offering experiences ranging from active holidays to discovering natural and cultural heritage. The events in the exhibition halls are accompanied by a varied programme of lectures, presentations and press conferences on current tourism issues. This year, special emphasis is placed on digitisation and the introduction of new technologies in tourism.”
Jakob Award
The International Jakob Award for Innovation, Quality and Excellence in Tourism was presented by Maja Pak Olaj, MSc., Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board, and Prof. Dr. Janez Bogataj, Chairman of the Jakob Award Committee. The committee was also composed of Bojana Rogelj, Karmen Razlag and Ylenia Loredan. The theme of the 13th edition of the Jakob Award 2024 was “Innovative tourism events based on cultural and natural heritage”.
The Jakob Award for 2024 and the title Ambassador of Innovative Tourism Events, as selected by the Award Committee, went to the project Idrija Žlikrofi Feast (žlikrofi: type of pasta filled with spiced balls made of cooked potato, sautéed onions and lard) by the ID20 – Institute for Innovation in Heritage.
The Committee justified its decision as follows: The Idrija Žlikrofi Feast is a highly innovative festival, also in Slovenia, which is complemented year after year by its predominantly young organisers with modern content, thus bringing the Idrija heritage closer to new generations. The heritage content is interpreted in a distinctly modern way, thereby ensuring the continuity of local identity.
The second prize and recognition award went to the Ptuj Tourism Public Institute for the project Kurentovanje – The largest ethnographic festival in Slovenia.
The Committee justified its decision as follows: Kurentovanje is one of the oldest carnival festivals in Slovenia, which developed over many years as a procession of carnival characters in an urban environment. Recently, however, it has been innovatively enhanced by a series of accompanying contents, which give it a distinctly urban character and distinguish it from the carnivals in the Drava and Ptuj Fields, which are protected by UNESCO.
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The events in the exhibition halls are accompanied by a varied programme of lectures, presentations and press conferences. Experts will showcase the latest trends and innovations in this rapidly evolving field. The Slovenian Tourist Board will also present the guidelines for the central communication theme “Art and Culture” for 2024 and 2025. The Slovenia Outdoor Association, the Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) and the Alpine Association of Slovenian, in partnership with mountain safety organisations and tourism stakeholders, are organising an event entitled “Challenges of Tourism in the Field of Mountain Safety“.
>> You are invited to view the full accompanying programme on the website. <<
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GASTEXPO FOOD Fairs
Traditionally, the 17th international professional GASTexpo Fairs of Flavours
are held in parallel, organised by Primorski sejem. Visitors will enjoy top-quality cocktails, a wide range of beers and excellent coffee, as well as delicious food and new gastronomic delights. There will also be lectures, interactive training sessions and interesting workshops, which this year will have a maritime and Italian flavour, and of course, they will not forget to include the Carniolan sausage and Slovenian honey. The event will be spiced up by the national pizza championship for the flattering title of “Slovenia’s best pizzaiolo”.
One ticket grants you access to both events.
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OPENING TIMES AND ADMISSION
The fair is open from Wednesday, 31 January, to Friday, 2 February, from 10am to 7pm and on Saturday, 3 February, from 10am to 6pm. Upon purchasing the ticket, every visitor receives Oddih, a supplement of the Dnevnik Newspaper, which is also the fair catalogue.
>> YOU CAN BROWSE THE ODDIH SUPPLEMENT HERE <<
A regular ticket costs €9, €8 online and a family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) is also available for €17.
Visitors can avoid the crowds and traffic and park conveniently* in the P+R car parks, and use an online ticket to enjoy a free LPP bus ride to the fairground and back.
* The price of 24-hour parking at the P+R point is EUR 1.30
We kindly invite you to accredit yourself to enter the fair via the website or in person at the Press Centre in the Jurček Pavilion. The Press Centre is open during the fair from 9.45am to 6.30pm.
Thank you very much for your media coverage, for announcing our events, attending them and reporting on them.
We will be happy to provide you with more detailed information.
Ina Unuk, PR and Marketing
01 300 26 26, ina.unuk@gr-sejem.si