Most Slovenian tourist sites safe to visit

"Most of Slovenia is now safe and open to tourists. In most regions, the tourism industry provides for a smooth arrival and comfortable stay of guests," Martina Gojkošek, head of corporate communication at the Slovenian Tourist Board (STO), told the STA.

The STO advises visitors to stay up to date on the developments by following information on the Slovenian-English portal Slovenia.info. Practical floods-related information for tourists is available at sta.si/qOrsUb.

Fedja Pobegajlo, the head of the Chamber of Tourism and Hospitality, has told the STA that the spa company Thermana Laško south of Celje and the campsites in the Savinja Valley in the north appear to have been hit hardest by the floods.

Thermana Laško's preliminary estimate is that material damage and damage to business will reach between EUR 3.5 million and EUR 5 million.

The biggest challenge will be repairing the pool engine rooms in the basement of Thermana Park Hotel, which are needed to open the swimming pools, and replacing the equipment and redecorating the ground floor of the Laško Spa Hotel. The spa park has also been destroyed.

The damage to the pool engine rooms is not known yet, "but we assess that it will be extremely high". Repairs will take several weeks, while hotel and hospitality services resumed on Monday.

For guests who have booked their summer holidays at the spa swimming has been organised at the nearby spas of Rimske Terme, Terme Olimia and Terme Zreče.

The damage sustained at campsites in the Savinja Valley will be inspected on Tuesday.

"Apart from direct damage, another problem is that tourists are coming back reluctantly even though business continues as usual at most destinations," Pobegajlo said.

The chamber is working with the STO to send out this message to the visitors and they expect bookings to start going up again in a few days.

STO director Maja Pak also underscored that most destinations remain safe and open for guests and visitors.

The Kamnik Tourist Board said that most of the tourism and accommodation providers in this municipality north of Ljubljana are open for business, including the Terme Snovik spa complex and Slovenia Eco Resort. The Arboretum Volčji Potok reopened on Tuesday but there will be minor repairs there at times.

Hiking trails and mountain huts from the direction of Kamnik are closed for the time being but access is possible to the Menina Planina plateau. The Velika Planina plateau and the Kamniška Bistrica Valley and Črna Valley are inaccessible, including the Tunjice glamping.

All tourism providers and sites are also open in Škofja Loka. The Selca Valley has not been affected by the floods, except for the Soriška Planina campsite, which is currently closed, the local tourist board said. They also advise against visiting the Poljane Valley and the town of Žiri, which was hit hard by the floods.

The STO listed several other places that are safe to visit, including the Julian Alps, and the Soča Valley although the river is closed for navigation at some sections.

The Bled municipality is also a safe destination, but the Pokljuka and Vintgar gorges are closed to visitors at the moment. The Vintgar Gorge will reopen on 15 August.

Caution is advised when hiking outdoors in the Radovljica municipality as sections of several mountain and theme trails are blocked by fallen trees or ruined by water. Some roads and sites are also closed in Begunje na Gorenjskem.