Top event for tour operators back in full force

Organised by the Slovenian Tourist Board (STO), the 25th iteration of the event will again be a chance for conducting business with key customers from Europe as well as more distant countries.

This year's event will again be held in its usual format after taking place with restrictions for the past two years, with smaller groups attending.

Some 150 Slovenian and 150 foreign companies from 33 countries, of which over half are new attendees, will conduct 15-minute meetings. The majority of foreign companies come from Italy, US, China, Singapore, Taiwan and Korea.

This is a great opportunity to network and close new deals, Maja Pak, head of Slovenian Tourism Board (STO), told the STA.

The SIW also includes an accompanying programme of five different so-called study tours taking place before and after the event itself.

The first two days participants were able to get to know Slovenia in its entirety at one of these events and in the coming days they will be able to take part in another of the four tours, which will focus on culture, wellness, active experiences, and the range of services available on the Slovenian coast and its hinterland.

"The many new experiences and study tours are a chance for foreign guests to get to know our country, its tourist services and products," Pak said.

"This time round the SIW is paying special attention to informal meetings and experiences, which are an excellent opportunity to strengthen existing partnerships as well as to establish new ones between representatives of the Slovenian tourism industry and foreign tour operators and agents," Pak said.

Director-General of the Tourism Directorate of the Ministry Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport Dubravka Kalin told the press at Tuesday's press conference that the ministry was striving to keep up with the tourist industry's economic needs, adding that tourism has suffered the most in the economy sector during the Covid-19 pandemic.