Slovenia reveals top charts for foreign tourists

Ljubljana, Piran and Bled still top the charts for foreign visitors, but fresh data show a growing appetite for Slovenia's lesser-known regions, providing a glimpse of how the country might escape the trap of overtourism.

Slovenia posted record tourism figures in 2024. Visitor numbers rose by more than six percent to 6.6 million, driven by an eight-percent increase in foreigners, who account for three quarters of all guests, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

However, the most significant growth is now happening away from the traditional hotspots, as visitors explore diverse experiences from local cuisine and cultural heritage to outdoor activities, according to the Statistics Office.

In the mountainous Gorenjska region, the main attractions are now acting as gateways to the wider area. Smaller municipalities like Žirovnica and Jezersko have seen remarkable increases in foreign tourist stays compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels, up by 87% and 63%, respectively, as visitors seek out pristine alpine valleys and tranquil mountain retreats.

The same pattern is emerging in other popular regions. While the Postojna Cave remains a major draw, tourists are now exploring deeper into the Notranjska region, with destinations like Pivka and Cerknica seeing a noticeable uptick in visitors.

Similarly, the Karst hinterland behind the bustling coast is capturing new interest; the municipality of Sežana recorded a 40% rise in domestic overnight stays.

This trend extends across the country. In the east, regions known for thermal spas are seeing diversification. The small municipality of Rečica ob Savinji reported a 22% increase in foreign stays, attracting mainly Dutch and German tourists to become one of the top destinations in terms of the number of overnight stays by foreign tourists in the Savinja region.

Further south, the tranquil rural Bela Krajina region has seen a healthy rise in both domestic and foreign tourists exploring its main towns of Črnomelj, Metlika and Semič.

Last year, 70% of overnight stays in these municipalities were generated by Slovenian tourists, 13% more than in 2019 and 11% more than in 2023. The number of foreign overnight stays was 10% higher than in 2019.

Despite the diversification, however, the main hotspots remain crowded: almost 40% of all foreign overnight stays in 2024 were generated in just three municipalities: Ljubljana, Piran on the seaside, and the lakeside resort of Bled.

Compared to 2019, the number of these overnight stays in Ljubljana surged by 16%, amidst complaints by locals that the city is falling victim to overtourism.

Bled recorded a more moderate 3% increase, and Piran saw a 1% decline compared to 2019.