The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr Janez Janša, today attended the opening of Livada Prestige hotel at Moravske Toplice. In his speech, he said that tourism was the leading branch of the economy in the world. Since it links a number of economic and other activities, it has significant and varied effects. It is based on needs and values of individuals, and, therefore, tourist demand is one of the most stable business areas at the global and long-term levels, and one of the most unpredictable and sensitive ones at the local and short-term levels; and Slovenia is no exception in this regard. Tourism is a very important business opportunity for the economy and social development of Slovenia.

 

The Prime Minister turns the valve and fills the thermal water pool, thus symbolically opening Livada Prestige hotel (PHOTO: Primož Lavre/Salomon 2000)

 

The Prime Minister enumerated the statistical data of tourist visits to Slovenia: in 2004, 2.3 million tourists visited Slovenia, which represented 9.1 per cent of GDP.  “While development trends in tourist activities are favourable, we have found a number of weaknesses in Slovenian tourism in recent years, which hinder the efficient use of opportunities which, via multiplying effects, tourism generates for the entire economy.”  While there have been certain changes and participation of investors with substantial capital, tourism still has not entirely overcome the stagnation of the nineties. The Slovenian Government expects tourism to overcome its weaknesses and thus become one of the leading branches of the Slovenian economy. Three basic strategic goals will come to the fore in the process: to increase the volume of tourist traffic, to increase tourist expenditure, and to enhance Slovenia’s visibility in the world as an interesting, attractive and safe tourist destination. “To this end, a bigger share of the national budget funds will be made available, as well as resources from the European Structural Funds in the next financial perspective,” said the Prime Minister.

 

According to the Prime Minister, Slovenian health resorts are an important tourism segment. Their offer is a comprehensive one: sports activities, wellness centres, a great variety of culinary delights and an unpolluted and varied landscape. The Prime Minister then went on to add that the Slovenian Government would stand for Slovenia to become, in the next ten years, a developed tourist destination with comparable European quality of its tourist services. “We want both domestic and foreign guests to be offered comprehensive and varied services, competitive with other tourist destinations,” said the Prime Minister in conclusion.