Maja Uran Maravić: We decide on one umbrella product and let’s say we are the best here in Europe

Our primary tourist offer is ours alone and we will always have it available, of course, if there are no natural or other disasters. If we do not engage in tourism, if we poorly valorize this primary offer through secondary tourist offer – catering and others, it is the same as if the Arabs did not pump oil. Tourism can be developed everywhere, but the problem is if political parties both at the national and local level do not see the opportunities in tourism and do not understand how money can be made through it. Not only do they not understand its importance, they also do not understand how complex an activity it is.

It is not a tragedy that tourism is not in the new coalition agreement, but I am always saddened that we do not recognize this potential. For me, regulating the conditions for the development of tourism is also an act of patriotism, because in this way we preserve the natural and cultural heritage. With good and abundant communication about Slovenia abroad, we show how much we love our homeland. The more we speak, the more recognizable we are, the more acceptable we are and the higher the price we can achieve. If we don’t invest in tourism, we won’t be able to create high added value, we’ll just be living. Therefore, in the next phase, it is necessary to raise the profile of Slovenian tourist products and find an overarching story, the identity of the country, what we are. Two decades ago, I said that we are a destination for nature, well-being, and health. We should start building an offer in this area, decide on one umbrella product and say: we are the best here in Europe.

Source: Saturday evening