Press releases

Jan 28, 2013

Alpe-Adria Prizes in the area of tourism

GR-Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre this year awarded, for the third time, international Jakob prize for excellency and quality in tourism. The theme of this year's prize competition was Innovative and Original Ways of Including Immovable Cultural Heritage in Tourism.

The winner was selected by the international expert committee led by prof. dr. Janez Bogataj, and the other members are Joško Sirk (Italy), and Lojze Wieser (Austria): “In a renovated Middle Age hospice dating back to 12^th century, Pankratium Society created the ‘House of Surprises’, an outstandingly innovative example of visual presentation of tone and sound, consisting of forty topics. Forty artists from all over Europe were included in the project, contributing truly innovative solutions for enjoying the world of sound. The House of Surprises addresses various age groups and enables a wide range of experiences.” A special award went to the Tourist Mine in Mežica in the heart of the mountain of Peca, which can be explored by bike or kayak.

 

As the topic for Jakob 2014 competition, the jury suggested ‘Innovative Everyday Urban Street Food.’

 

Jakob is a metaphor for the »first« tourist, a tourist traveller, therefore such a traveller, who is desired by today's Europe in its efforts for natural and sustainable development of this important economic sector and a social movement that started in the second half of the 18th century, but it has a much older prehistory. It emphasizes an important dimension of the cultural heritage of tourism, which Jakob specifically symbolizes, that is why the organiser also wants to mark with this prize the most attention-grabbing, innovative, creative and other tendencies in the tourism of the Alps-Adriatic region.

Since 2004, the Slovenian Tourist Board (now, the public agency SPIRIT Slovenia) has been awarding the Sejalec award for innovative and creative achievements in Slovenian tourism. The Sejalec award is awarded to those innovative tourist products and services that contribute to better recognisability of Slovenia’s tourist offer. The award is aimed at promoting inventiveness, innovativeness and creativity in Slovenian tourism.

Of the __ applications received, the panel of judges has selected two that stand out for their innovativeness:

·         GoOpti low-cost road transport and

·         the VitaGen Programme – learning about health with the genetic image.

 

Congratulations to the winners of Jakob and Sejalec Prizes!

Jan 17, 2013

Alpe-Adria Tourism Show starts next week

Next Thursday, on 24 January 2013, starts the central tourist show in the Alps-Adriatic region, organised by GR-Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. The event Alpe–Adria: Tourism and Leisure was, together with the Boat Show, which will take place at the same time, officially approved by the Alps-Adriatic Working Community two years ago.

338 providers of tourist services from 15 countries will present themselves at the show in four days, from 24 – 27 January, also from some remote countries, such as Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Nepal, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, etc. Prizes will be awarded at the official opening on the first day of the show at 1 p.m.: Jakob Prize for quality and excellence in tourism will be awarded by GR-Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre, and Sejalec Prize will be given by public agency SPIRIT Slovenia. The honorary patrons of the show are The Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Slovenia, and The City of Ljubljana. More than 16,000 people visited the show last year.

The show, which includes individual regions of Austria, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia, enables the integration of smaller, local providers. It strives for their recognisability, not only within the Alps-Adriatic region, but also on some more remote markets. It has developed into a regional show primarily in order to present the tourist offer in the area between Vienna, Venice and Milan, as well as Linz and Dubrovnik, i.e. in the area between the Alps, the Adriatic Sea and the Pannonian Basin, on the world's markets as an offer provided by countries working as partners, and not as competitors.

The show's offer according to the tourist products

The show is extremely visitor-friendly, because visitors are guided by special icons, as well as guides, in order to find what they are looking for: one can optimally choose a place for one's break or holidays. The exhibitor's tourist offer at the show is presented according to the tourist products, or according to the four most recognisable leisure time categories: holidays according to one's destination, active breaks, trips and traveller's adventures. The visitors at the show are directed by the guiding system - special icons. The representatives of the Slovenian Association of Tourist Guides provide organised tours of the show and expert advice.

Tourism in the Alps-Adriatic region

The tourism of the Slovenians living in the neighbouring countries, from Trieste, through Klagenfurt up to Szentgotthard, is presented within the framework of the joint project (Un)known Foreign Countries. There will be a special emphasis on Vendvidek this year. The offer of the tourist potential of the neighbouring countries, which is an exceptional opportunity for trips or shorter breaks, is supplemented by the special project which was established by the foundation The Paths of Cultural Heritage – PKD Slovenia 15 years ago, to fulfil the wish and the need to cooperate in the common Slovenian cultural, ethnical, and last, but not least, also cultural-tourist area. The joint project of the tourist agents from the neighbouring countries has been supported by the Government's Office for Slovenians Abroad.
Slovenia, which is, besides Croatia, the only country that completely belongs to the Alps-Adriatic region, is presented at the show, according to division made by Spirit Slovenia Public Agency, on the basis of the following tourist destinations: Upper Carniola, Central Slovenia, Gorizia-The Emerald Route, Coastal-Karst, Inner Carniola-Karst, Southeast Slovenia, Lower Sava Valley, Central Sava region, Savinja region, Drava region, Carinthia, and Mura region. Among the exhibitors it is possible to find all the most important Slovenian protagonists in tourism, from the Spirit Slovenia Public Agency, which was formed by the reorganisation of STO etc., to the Slovenian National Tourist Association and Ljubljana Tourism, as partners of the show, as well as various local societies which will make sure that the show will be vivid, motley, green, tasty and entertaining.

This year's novelty: fishing and tourism

Slovenia is nowadays well known as one of the most beautiful fishing destinations. It has a rich, more than a hundred and thirty years old, tradition of sport fishing on rivers and lakes. Fishing tourism is one of the noblest types of tourism in Slovenia. Apart from domestic, there are also a lot of foreign fishermen from all around the world fishing in Slovenia every year. Fish is, on the basis of concession contracts signed with the government, mostly managed by fishing families, which work in public interest. There are 64 fishing families in Slovenia which are linked with the umbrella organization – the Fishing Association of Slovenia, and they unite about 12,000 fishermen. They manage more than 90% of the Slovenian waters. The possibilities and conditions of sport fishing on all Slovenian rivers and lakes, and factual steps of how to become a fisherman, with an emphasis on fly-fishing will be presented at the show.

Wine and Cuisine

As last year, there is also a special thematic part Wine and Cuisine, and the visitors will be able to taste a diversity of the Slovenian traditional cuisine and Slovenian wines. It is especially worth emphasizing the Meeting of Vintners and Wine Growers of the Alps-Adriatic region on the theme Wine Routes as a Part of Wine Tourism, where some examples of good practices will be presented. A cooking competition Culinary Challenges will take place at the show in cooperation with the Slovene Association of Chefs and Confectioners, and other partners.

Prizes in the area of tourism

GR-Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre is this year awarding, for the third time, international Jakob prize for excellency and quality in tourism. The theme of this year's prize competition is Innovative and Original Ways of Including Immovable Cultural Heritage in Tourism.

The winner will be selected by the international expert committee led by prof. dr. Janez Bogataj, and the other members are Joško Sirk (Italy), and Lojze Wieser (Austria).

Jakob is a metaphor for the »first« tourist, a tourist traveller, therefore such a traveller, who is desired by today's Europe in its efforts for natural and sustainable development of this important economic sector and a social movement that started in the second half of the 18th century, but it has a much older prehistory. It emphasizes an important dimension of the cultural heritage of tourism, which Jakob specifically symbolizes, that is why the organiser also wants to mark with this prize the most attention-grabbing, innovative, creative and other tendencies in the tourism of the Alps-Adriatic region.

Sejalec is a prize awarded by the agency Spirit Slovenia for creative and innovative tourist achievements. It is awarded for those innovations in tourism which contribute to a better recognisability of the tourist offer in Slovenia. The purpose of Sejalec is to encourage creativity, inventiveness and innovativeness on the entrepreneurial level, the level of destinations, associations of tourist products or providers at forming and marketing Slovenian tourist products on domestic and foreign markets.

Expert regional meetings

The show is becoming an interesting intersection for more and more expert protagonists in the area of tourism in the Alps-Adriatic region. The show is a meeting place for journalists, tourist guides, representatives of tourist organisations, as well as vintners, wine growers and experts in the field of tourism. You are invited to see the expert programme of the show, and to attend the expert lectures on the first day of the show, on Thursday, 24 January 2013, and to report about the contents in your media: 


3rd meeting of the journalists in tourism FIJET of the Alps-Adriatic region
3rd meeting of the tourist guides of the Alps-Adriatic region
The meeting of vintners, wine-growers, and experts in the area of tourism in the Alps-Adriatic region
The meeting of the representatives of the tourist organisations of the Alps-Adriatic region

Working hours

The show is opened from Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sunday it closes at 5 p.m.


Regular tickets:    7 EUR
Discount tickets (high school students, university students, pensioners)    5 EUR
Children up to the age of 14    Free admission

When buying tickets visitors receive a catalogue – a supplement Break with a lot of useful information in the field of tourism.


During the show a Press Centre will be operating in Jurček Pavilion, where journalists can get all current information about the show. They can also get accredited there, in case they haven't done that already through the GR website. The Press Centre is opened every day from 9.45 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., except for the last day of the show, when it closes at 4.30 p.m.


www.alpeadria-tip.si

For more information contact:
Marjana Lavrič, Head of Public Relations, 041 236 912, marjana.lavric@gr-sejem.si

Jan 30, 2012

Alpe-Adria: rich experience of multiple pleasures, tastes and scents

Last night, the doors of the Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show and the Boat Show officially closed. The Tourism Show, titled the Alpe-Adria Show since last year, is the official tourist event of the Alps-Adriatic region, which incorporates 10 individual regions of Austria, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. Over a period of 4 days, from 26 to 29 of January, more than 300 providers of tourist services from 12 countries and 16 nautical companies from the region presented themselves. The Show also showcased more remote destinations, such as Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Bosnia and Herzegovina with Italy and Hungary in their entirety. Approximately 16,000 visitors attended the event.
 
The need for regional integration was emphasised by Mr. Wolfgang Platzer, PhD, Secretary General of the Alps-Adriatic Working Community, who stated at the official opening on the 1st day of the Show: “I emphasize once again – and I will not stop doing it until we have achieved the aim – that we have to promote our common area together in interesting tourism markets around the world.

Two international Jakob prizes for excellence and quality in tourism were also presented at the opening. Under this year’s theme of Innovative tourist programmes in the field of alternative forms of leisure and relaxation the international expert jury selected:
-    Project of Ecological Village of Forest Fairies at Camping Bled, Sava Turizem d.d. - Camping Bled, and
-    Project from Austrian Styria entitled Nature Park in Motion, Nature Park Zirbitzkogel-Grebenzen.

The subject of the competition for the 2013 Jakob prize will be: Innovative and original ways of including immovable cultural heritage in tourism.
 
In cooperation with the Slovene Association of Chefs and Confectioners and other partners, Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show hosted an international cooking competition, the Global Chef Challenge, which took place in front of a live audience of visitors. The challenge for the best chef was extended also to junior chefs under 23 years of age (the Hans Bueschkens Junior Chef Challenge). Teams from Malta, Italy, Montenegro, Cyprus, Croatia, Bulgaria, Portugal and Slovenia took part in the competition.
The Italians proved out as the best chefs. Angelo Di Lena won among the seniors and Francesca Narcisi in the category of junior chefs up to 23 years of age.

Below you can find Press Releases in other languages:

- German
- Hungarian
- Croatian
- Italian

Jan 23, 2012

Alpe-Adria Show is Here Once Again

The end of January is already traditionally reserved for tourism at the GR - Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. Following last year’s successful thematic and destination breakthrough of the refreshed largest tourist fair-type event in Slovenia, the Alps-Adriatic Working Community expressed its official support to Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure in October last year. As indicated by the name of the Show, in addition to presenting remote foreign destinations, it also includes the tourist offer of the Alps-Adriatic region, which is tailor-made for the visitor, i.e. it is organised by tourist products. The largest novelty of this year’s Show is Wine and Gastronomy, which will provide a rich range of tastes of the Mediterranean kitchen and Slovenian wines.
The Boat Show, which takes place at the same time, will showcase boats up to 10 m in length and other nautical equipment and services. The honorary patrons of the Show are the Ministry of Economy of the RS and City Municipality of Ljubljana. This year, on 9,000 sq. metres of exhibition surfaces, over 300 providers of tourist services from 11 countries and 16 nautical companies present themselves. At the official opening, which will take place on the first day of the Show, 26 January at 7:30 pm at the Jurček pavilion, the Jakob Prize will also be presented.

The Significance of Regional Integration

This year, the Alps-Adriatic Working Community has also officially certified the Alpe-Adria Show as the central tourist event of the Alps-Adriatic region. The event integrates 10 individual regions of Italy, Austria, Hungary with Slovenia and Croatia in their entirety. This considerable achievement not only of the central fair event in the field of tourism and leisure in Slovenia, but also of the development of tourism in general, positions Ljubljana as the tourist centre of the region, which is thus developing into a recognisable business junction of leading tourism actors of the region and also the wider area. The Alps-Adriatic region is also becoming more attractive for organised visits of tourists from remote destinations such as China, Japan, the USA, etc. As emphasised by Wolfgang Platzer, PhD, the Secretary General of the Community: “We need a joint approach for the joint marketing of the whole region in interesting tourist markets around the world – after all, the Working Community stretches from Lombardy to Hungary, from Burgenland to the far south of Croatia. Slovenia and Croatia have already set a good example and I hope that the marketing experts from other parts of the region will join them for the benefit of all of us. We should not perceive each other only as competition. Our common Alps-Adriatic region has so much to offer.” The Show, with its destination breakthrough in the Alps-Adriatic region, which is home to 14.8 million inhabitants on 136,245 square metres, enables the integration of local, small-sized tourist services providers and endeavours for their greater visibility not only within the region but also on other remote markets.

The mission of the Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show is the promotion of friendship, understanding and multicultural dialogue and integration in the field of tourism of the Alps-Adriatic region and its presentation in other markets. Such integration of 5 different cultures and languages within Europe represents a significant tool for international communication and the marketing of its tourist potential.

Tourism in the Alps-Adriatic Region

Why not discover the land of our national minorities abroad, drive to Lake Balaton or visit Austrian destinations, which are close by and easily accessible? In addition to Slovenia and Croatia, the following regions within the general Alps-Adriatic region present themselves in their entirety:
•    Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy and Veneto from Italy, which are represented by the Italian National Tourist Organisation ENIT
•    Carinthia from Austria
•    Baranja and Vas county from Hungary, which are represented by the Hungarian National

Tourist Organisation

In addition to Croatia, Slovenia is the only other country covered by the Alps-Adriatic region in its entirety. This year’s Show presents the following Slovenian tourist destinations i.e. regions according to STB: Gorenjska, Osrednjeslovenska (Central Slovenian region), Goriška – the Emerald Route, Obalno-kraška (Coastal-Karst region), Notranjsko-kraška (Notranjska-Karst region), Jugovzhodna Slovenija (SE Slovenia), Spodnjeposavska, Zasavska, Savinjska, Podravska, Koroška and Pomurska region. Slovenian exhibitors will include all significant tourism protagonists, ranging from the Slovenian Tourist Board, Slovenian National Tourist Association and Tourism Ljubljana as partners of the Show, to various local associations, which will make sure that the programme of the Show will be lively, diverse, green, tasty and entertaining. Numerous providers of leisure and sports equipment, from golf, snowboarding to cycling and beyond, also present themselves at the Show.

Destinations Outside of the Alps-Adriatic Region

This year, the Show also presents other foreign destinations: Italy and Hungary on the national level, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Morocco, the most western Arab country and one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Africa, presents itself at the Show for the first time.

Tourist Offer Organised According to Tourist Products

The following important novelty of the Show is the organisation of the offer according to tourist products. The exhibitors’ tourist offer at the Show is presented based on the four most recognisable categories of spending leisure time and holidays: holidays by destinations, active leisure, trips and travelling adventures. A marking system with special icons guides the visitors through the Show. The Association of Slovene Tourist Guides offers organised tours of the Show (and also Ljubljana) and expert consulting services.

This Year’s Novelty: Wine and Gastronomy

In cooperation with the Slovene Association of Chefs and Confectioners and other partners, Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show will also host a real International cooking competition, the Global Chef Challenge, which will take place in front of a live audience of visitors. The challenge for the best chef will be extended also to junior chefs under 23 years of age, i.e. the Hans Bueschkens Junior Chef Challenge. You will be able to marvel at the preparation of three-course menus in the company of top master chefs; ten will be prepared each day. And you will also be able to taste them… the competitors will have three mandatory ingredients at their disposal: Kobe beef for entrees, white sole for the main course and strawberries for dessert. The three ingredients must be included in a three-course menu; what and how these are used and how they are treated and what additional ingredients they will include is up to the chefs. Within the framework of Vinska družba Slovenije, wine tasting will be organised at the Show. More we know about wine as one of the goods of civilisation, the more it interests us and we are able to enjoy it more sensually. The wine tastings will also provide an opportunity for advice on the culture of drinking and responsible drinking and on the similarities and differences among wines.

The Jakob Prize

Let us recall that in June 2010 the main actors of Slovenian tourism established an Expert Committee of the Show, which includes 33 members and is presided over by Janez Bogataj, PhD. One of the incentives of the Board is the international Jakob Prize, which the GR -Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre awarded for excellence and quality in tourism in the field of gastronomy for the first time last year. The first award recipient was the Project of Hotel Triglav Bled, Chef Uroš Štefelin Culinary School.

This year’s subject of the Jakob prize is Innovative Tourist Products in the Field of Alternative Forms of Vacation and Relaxation. The international expert jury, presided over by Prof. Janez Bogataj, PhD, and composed of Joško Sirk, Italy, Lojze Wieser, Austria, and Miloš Milovanović, Serbia, has decided this year, in accordance with the set criteria, to award two prizes of equal value to:

- The project of the Ecological Village of Forest Fairies at Camping Bled, Sava Turizem d.d. - Camping Bled and

- project from Austrian Styria called the Nature Park in Motion, Nature Park Zirbitzkogel-Grebenzen.

From the jury’s substantiation:
The project of the Ecological Village of Forest Fairies at Camping Bled represents an innovation of the services currently offered by campgrounds. Its innovation is the fact that the houses originate from the local tourist heritage (culture, forestry) and that the tourist content (food, sanitary facilities, etc.) builds on the local culture. The special value of the project is that the tourist offer was created in a relatively simple manner, without excessive investment. Nonetheless, the results are enviable.

The project from Austrian Styria, the Nature Park in Motion, is similarly an example of distinctive innovation, which is connected with the central aspiration of the global tourist development, i.e. of natural and sustainable development. The project is of extraordinary high quality, including its infrastructure, and is based on the reading of nature through the culture or reading. The jury believes that this could be a good model not only for Austria but also for the comprehensive European tourist endeavours. The jury also found that although this year the number of applied projects was relatively high, the applicants did not understand the purpose and goals of the competition and particularly its subject - the emphasis of which, as always, is on innovation.

Jakob is the allegory for the “first” tourist, tourist traveller: such a tourist that Europe desires in its efforts to develop this important industry and social movement – that has its origins in the second half of the18th century but has a much longer history – in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. It is precisely this dimension of the tourist cultural heritage, characteristically symbolised by Jakob, which we would like to mark with the most visible, innovative, creative and other movements in the tourism of the Alps-Adriatic region.
The subject of the competition for the 2013 Jakob prize will be: Innovative and Original Ways of Including Immovable Cultural Heritage in Tourism.

Content Aimed at Tourism Industry Professionals

The content of the Show aimed at tourism industry professionals builds upon the programme from last year. This year, the 1st day of the Show will host the meetings of two professional organisations of the Alps-Adriatic region: the Association of Slovene Tourist Guides and FIJET travel journalists will meet with employees of the tourist industry, trademark administrators and press representatives to resolve the issue of the necessity of a trademark of the Alps-Adriatic region.  The partners of the Show for the purpose of this project include Tourism Ljubljana and the Slovenian Tourist Board.
Press representatives are invited to join them on 26 January at 10:00 am in the Urška Hall. On the 2nd day of the Show, the Travel Zoom Focus business conference will take place, which is organised by the Faculty of Tourist Studies Turistica in cooperation with the Go.mice company.  

Show Programme

The Press Centre will operate for the duration of the Show in the Foyer of the Marmorna Hall, where all up-to-date Show information will be available to journalists. Journalists can also get accreditation there, if they have not completed the procedure via the GR - Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre webpage. The Press Centre is open from 9:45 am to 6:30 pm, on the last day of the Show it closes at 4:30 pm. Advance sale of tickets is available until Wednesday, 25 January.

www.alpeadria-tourismshow.com

Oct 20, 2011

The Alpe-Adria Show also the official centre of the region

The Alps-Adriatic Working Community has officially confirmed the Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show as the central tourism event of the Alps-Adriatic region, which includes 10 individual regions of Italy, Austria and Hungary, as well as Slovenia and Croatia in their entirety.

Thanks to this great success of the central fair event in the field of tourism and leisure, Ljubljana has turned into the tourist hub of the region and is thus becoming a highly visible business junction of the leading tourism actors of the region and wider areas. The Alps-Adriatic region is progressively gaining in popularity mostly due to the organised tours for tourists from remote countries, such as China, Japan, USA, etc. As emphasised by Wolfgang Platzer, PhD, the Secretary General of the Community, »we need a joint approach for the joint marketing of the whole region in interesting tourist markets around the world – after all, the Working Community stretches from Lombardy to Hungary, from Burgenland to the far south of Croatia.«

Let us remember: In January 2011 the Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show made a successful thematic and geographic breakthrough in the region as the only Show presenting the tourist offer organised by destinations, from which the exhibitors originate, and by products of the exhibition programme. Within this offer, the visitors could identify themselves according to the 4 common types of tourists – from active, to laid-back holidaymakers, trip-makers and adventurers.

The next Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show will take place between 26 and 29 January 2012 and will significantly upgrade this year’s concept of the Show with the following novelties:

• Expert meeting of tourist agencies of the Alps-Adriatic region
• Global Chef Challenge live in front of the visitors
• Expert meeting of FIJET travel journalists of the Alps-Adriatic region
• Expert meeting of tourist guides of the Alps-Adriatic region
• Numerous expert lectures as part of Travel Zoom and Focus.

The organisers are preparing many more professional events and also the possibility of a guided tour of the Show for the visitors.

Part of the Show will again be the Jakob prize, the prize for quality and excellence in tourism of the Alps-Adriatic region. The subject of the Jakob 2012 competition is: Innovative tourist products in the field of alternative forms of leisure and relaxation. An international expert jury with members from the areas of the Alps-Adriatic Working Community, presided over by Professor Janez Bogataj, PhD, will assess the projects that bring innovative tourist products in various areas of alternative forms of leisure and relaxation and thus contribute to the tourist offers of the cities and areas of the region. When assessing, the jury will follow the provisions and guidelines for sustainable and natural development. Various tourist programmes and themes providers from the mentioned field, i.e. alternative forms of leisure and relaxation, may apply for the Jakob 2012 prize.

The first Jakob prize was awarded for the project by Hotel Triglav Bled – Chef Uroš Štefelin Culinary School in the field of gastronomy. Marcela Klofutar, Executive Director of Hotel Triglav Bled, explained the significance of the prize for their endeavours in rising awareness about eating and drinking culture and habits in Slovenia: »Within the framework of the Culinary School we organise cooking workshops for children, adults, companies, etc., as well as presentations of catering professions at elementary schools for parents and counsellors. Foreigners get to know our culture, nature, and customs through these cooking workshops and thus spread the good word about Slovenian culinary beyond our borders. «

The last Show in January 2011 presented 332 providers of tourist services and 20 nautical companies from the region. In addition to the tourist offer of the Alps-Adriatic region, the Show also presented more remote destinations, such as the countries of former Yugoslavia, Spain and Turkey. Approximately 16,000 visitors and 265 Slovenian and foreign press representatives attended the refreshed event.

More information:

Špela Bratun, Alpe–Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show, 01 300 26 20, spela.bratun@gr-sejem.si
Marjana Lavrič, Head of Public Relations, 041 236 912, marjana.lavric@gr-sejem.si

Jan 28, 2011

Regionally and thematically refreshed Show open, Jakob prize awarded

Yesterday Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre saw the first day of the Alpe–Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show and of the Boat Show. The first day, with an emphasis on business, was marked by the 1st Meeting of travel journalists FIJET of the Alps-Adriatic region, regional meeting of tourist guides, Travel Zoom - a conference on the role of marketing in tourism, and by the official opening of the Show. The day was concluded with the awards ceremony of the international Jakob prize.

On the basis of 30 years of tradition, the refreshed Tourism Show presents itself with a new name Alpe–Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show, and a new motto Relax! We're here: Alpe-Adria. It introduces a new destination starting point with the Alps-Adriatic region and Ljubljana as its centre. At the same time, it is a new challenge for the organisers and exhibitors with the tourist offer tailor-made for the visitor. As part of his opening ceremony speech, Director Iztok Bricl, MSc, also stated that ... »less than a year ago, the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre began to design a tourist Show, which would connect smaller local providers of tourist services in the Alps-Adriatic region under the motto of When the small one join together, they become large, and ensure their visibility. ... It is supported by a strong expert background of all significant tourist players in Slovenia, joined in the Expert Committee of the Show.«

The need for regional connections was also emphasised by Wolfgang Platzer, PhD, Secretary General of the Alps-Adriatic Working Community. »The Alps-Adriatic Working Community is an interregional platform for cooperation based on a rich history. It was established in 1978 in Venice and ever since it has been active in various fields, one of them being tourism, of course. The Working Community has 10 members in 5 countries – in Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Austria. We have our own Tourism project team, which is presided over by the Republic of Croatia. The activities of this project team, which meets twice a year, are currently related to various publications on the common heritage of the region, etc. ... I believe it is time to take a step further: a common approach is required for joint marketing of the entire region – the Working Community stretches from Lombardia to Hungary, from Burgenland to the far south of Croatia – on interesting tourist markets across the world. Slovenia and Croatia have already set a good example and I hope that the marketing experts from other parts of the region will join them for the benefit of all of us. We should not perceive each other only as competition. Our common Alps-Adriatic region has so much to offer,” concluded Platzer.

The Show presents 332 providers of tourist services and 20 nautical companies from the region and also from more remote destinations, such as the countries of former Yugoslavia, Spain and Turkey. The organisation of the exhibition programme of the Show is tailored to the visitor by clearly indicating which type of service a certain exhibitor provides. The visitor is guided by friendly icons and tourist guides.
Maja Pak, MSc, Director of Slovenian Tourist Board: »At the same time, another important step was made: the tourist offer of the region has neared the wishes and expectations of the contemporary tourist. Today, tourists do not seek the offer of only a single tourist provider or location – contemporary tourists seek experience, which oversteps not only regional but also national borders. Alpe-Adria Show responded to this challenge with an ambitious expansion of the concept of the Show in the space of the Alps-Adriatic region. We are pleased that the Show has already begun adhering to the principles of environmentally friendly operation and of simultaneously promoting the philosophy of sustainable development among the participants, particularly since this is the basic direction of Slovenian tourism.«

At the evening event of Alpe–Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show and the Boat Show, the winner of the Jakob prize was announced, the new international prize awarded by the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre for excellence and quality in tourism, this year in the field of gastronomy. The international jury consisting of– Jožko Sirk, innkeeper and recipient of a Michelin star from the neighbouring Italy, Denis Ivošević, representative of Croatia, and Lojze Wieser, publisher and culinary expert from Austria, and its president, Janez Bogataj, PhD – selected the winner: a project by Hotel Triglav Bled, the Cooking school of Chef Uroš Štefelin. As stated by the president of the jury, who also selected the name Jakob, »this historical personality is an allegory and a symbol of a century of travelling, of pilgrimage, of trip making – of all of that, which we today denote with a single word – tourism. Consequently, we named the prestigious award, a prize for any sort of tourist excellence, Jakob. We will award it each year for top achievements in various fields of tourist endeavours in the Alps-Adriatic area; the space representing one of the attractive regions of Europe with its rich local and regional cultures, the daily life and festivities of its inhabitants. Particularly the discovery of and learning about the latter could, and in the future should, represent the core of all tourist endeavours. … I am sure that the selected theme will cause a flood of applications already in next year! The Jakob prize is not only a recognition of innovative endeavours of all those co-designing tourism in this part of Europe, but it can also be an excellent indicator of the qualities, which enrich an individual, families and tourist groups with new discoveries and knowledge. With this, we have taken care of everything! After all, this is the fundamental starting point of contemporary tourist endeavours!” With their innovative project, the recipients of the first Jakob got to the essence of contemporary regional and local culinary addresses in tourism, as the members of the jury stated in their explanation. These particular addresses are aimed at young people between 9 and 12 years of age – the future potential tourists. The subject of the competition for the Jakob prize in the coming year will be innovative tourist programmes in the area of alternative forms of rest and relaxation.

The Show is open until Sunday. It showcases themes appropriate for all generations and is the prefect way of spending the last weekend in January. You are kindly invited!

Jan 24, 2011

Relax! We're here: Alpe–Adria

The end of January is already traditionally reserved for tourism at the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. Following a 30-year development of this type of an event, the destination and programme updated Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show presents itself between the 27 and 30 January. As implied by the name, in addition to distant foreign destinations, the event includes also the offer of the Alps-Adriatic region; in terms of the content, the Show is designed from the viewpoint of the visitor, i.e. by tourist products. The Boat Show taking place at the same time, the first such event in this calendar year, presents boats up to 10 m in length, additional nautical equipment and services.

This year, over an area of 9,000 square metres of exhibition spaces, 332 providers of tourist services and 20 nautical companies present themselves. Participants from the Alps-Adriatic region include Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy), Hungary (Vas), Croatia and Slovenia; foreign destinations include the countries of former Yugoslavia, Turkey and Spain. All important domestic tourist industry protagonists are participating as part of the Slovenian exhibitors; these include the Slovenian Tourist Board and Tourist Association of Slovenia as partners of the Show, Tourism Ljubljana and various local associations, which will make sure that the Show will be a lively, varied, green, tasty and entertaining event.

The exhibition of Sejalec (Sower) and Snovalec (Creator) award recipients from the year 2004 up to 2010 offers an overview of awards for creative and innovative achievements in tourism for greater visibility of the tourist offer of Slovenia. Considerable interest will also be raised by the exhibition Picture Slovenia, which marks the 20th anniversary of Slovenian independence this year. The Dolenjska, Bela Krajina and Kočevsko-Ribniška region present itself in the role of a partner region of the Show. As evident from the programme, the Show brings together smaller local and larger actors, and many of them will take advantage of the Show for promotion of their own last and first minute offers.

The following important novelty of the Show is the organisation of the offer by tourist products. The exhibitors’ tourist offer at the Show is presented based on the 4 most recognisable categories of spending leisure time and holidays: holidays by destinations, active leisure, trips and travelling adventures. A marking system with special icons guides the visitors through the Show. The Association of Slovene Tourist Guides offers organised tours of the Show (and also Ljubljana) and expert advice.

Conceptual content initiative for the new conceptual design of the Show was welcomed by the honorary patrons of the Show, the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Slovenia and the Municipality of Ljubljana with the Mayor Zoran Janković as the honorary patron of the event, as also by the Working Community of the Alps-Adriatic region, which is establishing itself as a macro region within the European Union. Its Secretary General, Wolgang Platzer, MSc PhD, stated at this occasion: »Renaming of the Show is an important step in the joint promotion of the entire region. On the basis of the above, the representation of the participating members of the Alps-Adriatic group will be strengthened in the existing markets and they will also gain access to new markets.« The Show, with its destination breakthrough to the Alps-Adriatic region, a region with 26 million inhabitants on 180,603 square kilometres of surface area, enables connection of local, smaller tourist service providers and endeavours for the visibility not only within the region, but also on more remote markets.

Let us recall that the main actors of Slovenian tourism on 2 June 2010 at the presentation meeting at the City Hall of the Municipality of Ljubljana, welcomed the updated concept of the largest such event in the field of tourism in Slovenia and established an Expert Committee of the Show, which includes 33 members and is presided over by Janez Bogataj, PhD. One of the incentives of the Board is the international Jakob Prize, which the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre awards this year for the first time for excellence and quality in tourism, this year in the field of gastronomy. According to Janez Bogataj, PhD, the Jakob prize, named after the first tourist, i.e. the “pre-tourist” – pilgrim St. Jacob, is “an encouragement and a motive to all those, in one way or another, involved in tourism; for tourists, the prize will provide a signpost for quality in the various fields of tourist services and for the tourist way of life in general”. On 20 January, the jury, which, in addition to the President, consists of Jožko Sirk, innkeeper and recipient of a Michelin star from the neighbouring Italy, Denis Ivošević, representative of Croatia, and Lojze Wieser, publisher and culinary expert from Austria, inspected the applications of various applicants, who innovatively include local and/or regional gastronomy in the tourist offer of places and areas in the Alps-Adriatic region, and selected a winner. The prize recipient will be presented to the general public at the prize ceremony on 27 January at 7:00 pm at the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The Show is complemented also by the tourism marketing conference Travel Zoom, organised by the Faculty of Tourism Studies Turistica in cooperation with the company GO.MICE and numerous partners. 150 participants from Slovenian tourist companies, press, and science and research institutions are expected to attend. TRAVEL ZOOM is the answer to the challenges and requirements of tourist service providers. The topics and lecturers are selected on the basis of an analysis of needs of these companies. Lecturers will provide participants with answers to questions such as how to strengthen trademarks, increase the visibility of the company and ensure financial success in 2011. The Conference is based on comprehensive educational topics and actual domestic and foreign case studies. Marjan Hribar, MSc, Director of Directorate of Tourism and Aleksandra Brezovec, Assist. Prof. PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Tourism Studies Portorož, Turistica, will officially open the Conference. Entry is free of charge for accredited press representatives.

Within the framework of the Show, two additional tourist industry oriented meetings will take place. The first and the second day, the Show will be visited by the FIJET travel journalists of the Alps-Adriatic region. Representatives of the press are invited to join them on 27 January at 10:00 am for the presentation of examples of good practice of cross border cooperation in the field of tourism in the region. The regional meeting of guides is organised also by the Association of Slovene Tourist Guides.

Official opening of the Show will take place on 27 January at 12 noon, which will be followed by a guided tour and a reception in the exhibition space of Dolenjska, Bela Krajina and Kočevska-Ribniška, regional partners of the Show.

www.alpeadria-tourismshow.com

www.salonplovil.si