Slovenian alpine resorts are reporting a rise in visitor numbers this summer season as many seek relief from oppressing heat in the cool of the lush valleys at the foot of the Alps.
Tourism workers at the lakeside town of Bled are satisfied. "Even June was better than last year, and the same holds true of July, when all accommodation facilities are full," local tourism official Eva Štravs Podlogar has told the STA.
She says that Bled is fully booked until mid-August and that destinations in the vicinity, from the medieval town of Radovljica to the lakeside town Bohinj also report good occupancy rates.
Most visitors to Bled come from the UK, followed by those from Germany and the Netherlands. Guests come from 80 countries, with a rise in those from Russia and the US, and a decline in Italian visitors.
Meanwhile, visitors from Italy have been attracted to Kranjska Gora, which is best known as a skiing resort that hosts the Alpine Ski World Cup circuit in winter.
"A heat wave like this year's always reflects well on our summer season. When it's very hot in the cities, we always get more guests, mainly from Italy," Mirjam Žerjav of the local tourism organisation says.
At the peak of the season almost all accommodation facilities in the town are full and the data collected so far suggest Kranjska Gora will trump last year's season, but will not repeat the record of 2010.
About 30% of the visitors come from Slovenia, while most foreign guests come from Italy, the UK, Belgium, Germany, Croatia and the Czech Republic, with an increase in visitors from Hungary.
Many visit Kranjska Gora on day trips, especially cyclists and hikers. To attract even more, plans are underway to renovate the swimming facilities on Jasna Lake.
Tourism workers in Bohinj expect overnight stays in July and August to be on a par with the figures recorded last year, when they registered 73,000 overnights in July and 115,000 in August.
But local tourism official Klemen Langus regrets that many visitors to Bohinj are just day-trippers. "Bohinj is unfortunately for many Slovenians but a summer bathtub," he says.
Source: The Slovenia Times
