Slovenian winter resorts, which will soon open for visitors if the weather is favourable, are introducing a single ski pass for all ski resorts in Slovenia. Ski lift operators said at a press conference that the ski fares had not been increased from last year.
According to Damjan Pintar of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), a single season pass for individuals will cost EUR 599, while families with two children can get a season pass for EUR 950. A six-day pass for adults will cost EUR 159 and will be valid for six consecutive days, upon which it can still be used for discounts with different tourist facilities for a year. Pintar added that technical limitations do not allow yet to use the single passes in all ski resorts and that the single pass for individuals is not valid on Kanin and Vogel. President of the Association of Ski Lift Operators Srecko Jesensek pointed out that Slovenian ski lifts are a major factor in Slovenian tourism and transport between one and two million people a year, while Slovenian ski resorts cover over 13 square kilometres. Jesemsek hopes that the trend of renovating ski lifts, also with the financial support from the state, will continue. He pointed to new or modernised facilities and attractions on Kope, Rogla, Krvavec, Kranjska Gora, Golte and Cerkno. Barbara Kuerner Cad of the of the Slovenian Ski Association, announced that a Skiing Day will be held in Planica on 22 January 2012, which the International Ski Federation (FIS) designated the International Snow Day.
The event aims at getting children to like skiing and will take place along with the traditional cross-country World Cup event on Rogla, the Maribor-based World Cup event for women Alpine skiers Golden Fox, the Vitranc World Cup in Kranjska Gora and the ski flying World Cup meet in Planica. The Slovenian Ski Association, the Association of Ski Lift Operators and the GZS signed an agreement today that Slovenian professional skiers will promote Slovenian ski resorts abroad and will get a certain amount of free training on their slopes. Maja Pak, the director of the Slovenian Tourism Board (STO), labelled 2011 as a very successful year for Slovenian tourism and announced that the STO will focus on attracting friends on nature in all seasons of 2012 under the slogan "Active, Green, Healthy Slovenia". At a separate press conference at the Transport Ministry, chief ski-lift inspector Samo Tofant stressed that skiers themselves can do the most for their safety, calling for responsible skiing adjusted to the terrain, weather conditions, capabilities and skills. The relevant inspectorate expects the biggest crowd on Slovenian ski slopes in the time of the winter school break between 20 and 25 February 2012, he added. Nina Mauhler of the Transport Ministry said that 93 ski slopes in Slovenia had 225 operating ski lifts. The ministry has issued 14 permits for ski resorts so far and expects to issue another ten by the end of the season. Gorazd Bedrac of the ministry's ski-lift section moreover stressed that the age of Slovenian ski lifts is the same as elsewhere around the Alps, while the average age has been decreased from 28 years in 2003 to 23 years.
Source: The SloveniaTimes
