Revitalization of the Koper port - preparations

Studying on the 8th semester on the Tourism Master program at Aalborg University we are a part of an innovation project where we should develop Slovenia as a tourism destination. In connection to this we are working on developing the city of Koper from being an industrial city to an attractive tourism destination, which means changing the tourism from mass to class.

Before arriving to Slovenia we have been reading about the city and different travel blogs in order to get a better understanding of the history of the city and to know about the image it has among tourists.

After looking at this we realized that the city has a lot to offer, but that there is also room for improvement if it wants to attract more tourists. Our plan is therefore first of all to focus on what Koper can offer the tourists and here the port is of course going to be an essential part. Furthermore, we want to look at what the target group of the city should be and if the city should develop new offers in order to attract more tourists. When we have studied this we are thinking about using our findings to develop the most appropriate marketing strategy for the city and to find the best brand/slogan for Koper.

We look forward to experience what Slovenia, particularly the city of Koper, has to offer. Also, we expect to develop skills that are essential for our future career and professional performance.

Celica going Green - preparations

We are five students from Aalborg University Copenhagen. All of us are from different countries in Europe, yet no one has ever been to Slovenia.
That is the reason why all of us are very excited and looking forward to our trip to the country. We think this is unique opportunity to develop our skills in real life business, while helping Slovenian tourism to develop.

The case of hostel Celica who wants to strengthen the eco-friendly side of the business is very interesting and unique. The brand and authenticity of the place are well branded and would be a challenge to work on the case. During our stay in the country we are sure to fulfill the purpose of our research but at the same time to have fun and explore and experience Slovenia to the fullest. 

Kranj - preparations

When asking people whether they have been to Slovenia, common responses are either ”No”, or “I have driven through Slovenia, but didn’t make any stops there”.

We are a group of three students, doing Tourism Master Program at Aalborg University in Copenhagen. We have got the opportunity to do a case study in Kranj, a town that wants to attract more tourists by re-establishing itself as a picturesque and culturally appealing town with rich traditions and archeological heritage. Our task is to go to Kranj for a couple of days and observe the town, and then come up with solutions of how this can be done. The big challenge is though: How can Kranj use its sources in order to create a strong profile that differentiates it from other similar towns in Europe? How can we make people make a stop in Kranj instead of just driving through the country?

We are really excited about this project, where our academic skills will for sure be put to the test and where we get the opportunity to use them practically. None of us has been to Slovenia before, and our research is at the moment limited to desk research, until we head down to Slovenia on Monday. We do though see this as an opportunity to look at Kranj with the eyes of an outsider. Perhaps we can see some links and potentials that locals don’t see.

See you on Monday, sLOVEnia! Pernille (Danmark), Pia (Denmark) and Anna (Iceland).

Innovation Camp in Slovenia

From Monday, 20 Feb, to Friday, 24 Feb, a group of 23 Danish students and their 3 professors from the University Aalborg in Copenhagen will visit Slovenia with the aim to help various tourism destinations and facilities solve their real-life problems.

Over 10 challengers have gotten in touch with the Bank of Tourism Potentials in Slovenia who is hosting the students and in the end, the following seven challenges have emerged for the students to be solved:
Case 1 - Tourism Innovation Policy in Slovenia: BTPS today and tomorrow
Case 2 - Tourism in Ljubljana and Central Slovenia: making it work in a package
Case 3 - Hostel Celica Going Green
Case 4 - Winter in Bled
Case 5 - Bohinj EKO Park Hotel
Case 6 - The Case of Kranj
Case 7 - Koper: Revitalization of the Port

Students have prepared short descriptions of their challenges in advance that will be followed by their impressions from the field trip in the next weeks. Stay in touch!

Taking a look back

Ariane Goerke, young German entrepreneur discovering innovative Slovenian tourism

Sitting home in my warm kitchen feels good. I travelled 12 hours changing trains in Munich and Nuremberg. It was as long as a flight to San Francisco, but I enjoyed it anyway. The old-fashioned slow-motion journey took me through the beautiful snowy alpine landscapes of Slovenia, Austria and Bavaria. Here in Saxony, it's -10 degree Celsius outside, finally the winter hit Germany. Not much snow in my garden, though. This is my last post - after 4 months writing for the BTPS blog, it is time for some closing words. I've seen most of the chicken: the heart, the bottom, one foot, the back and the throat. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the head which is one good reason to come back :-). You don't know what I'm talking about? Look at the map and then you'll see...

I now have a pretty good picture about Slovenia's variety:
I discovered amazing natural phenomena like the sinking lake, I tasted eco wine and home-made food in some vineyards and medieval villages, I spoke to employees of the Slovenian Tourist Board about innovative strategies, I enjoyed the Christmas "wonderworld" in Ljubljana, I joined the "Days of Slovenian tourism" and learned more about the future development strategy of tourism, I could experience authentic tourism on the coast and on the edge of the Karst, I shared my experiences with "Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Programme" during several occasions, fairs, presentations and even on TV, I stayed at one of the most innovative hotels of Europe in the Slovenian Alps and talked to the director of this tourism area and travelled to "bravest city in the world" Maribor (this years European Cultural Capital) and finally saw one of Slovenia's many castles.

Slovenia has it all: mountains, caves, coast, vinyards, flat land and forests. All within a 1-2 hour drive. The landscape outside the two biggest cities Ljubljana and Maribor is rather unpopulated and untouched. Not even wind turbines. Sometimes I felt like being put back in time. I spent my last weekend in Ljubljana by walking up the castle hill together with my Slovenian friend and enjoyed a cappucino afterwards on the oldest skyscraper Ljubljana's with a beautiful view to the city. I also went to the "Alpe-Adria Tourism and Leisure Show", one of the biggest fairs in the whole region, to see what the neighbour countries have to offer and I met some old friends: the NEC-team from Cerknica and Nina and Matjaž from Autentica.

I want to thank you all for your cooperation, kindness and openness! SLOVENIA ROCKS!!! I really loved meeting and talking to so many different people and I am happy that I got so many insider-tips and now know places where only locals go. I will tell everyone I know about your beautiful tiny country and who knows, one day I might bring tourists on my own. ;-)

Adijo! Se vidimo!

Final explorations

Ariane Goerke, young German entrepreneur discovering innovative Slovenian tourism

I was full of expectations when I decided to go to Maribor - this year's European Cultural Capital to work with tour operator Slavija turizem, your "personal travel assistent" specialized in group tours and active sport & fun tours in Slovenia and the neighbouring countries. I was a bit disappointed. Maybe I should have come in the summer...Maribor is the second biggest city of Slovenia with approximately 100.000 inhabitants and suffered a lot since the decline of the industry that came with the fall of Yugoslavia. However, I stayed in a really cool hostel in Maribor Tabor on the other side of river Drava ca. 10 min. away from the city centre. Just ignore the ugly socialist blocks and go to the old part Lent (see photo). There you can see the oldest grapevine in the world which was planted ca. 400 years ago. You can still see the remains of the city walls and some medieval towers. "Glavni trg" - the main square with the city hall looks beautiful and German/Austrian. No wonder, Maribor is actually the capital of Slovenian Steiermark. I recommend the restaurant "HappyPek" where you can eat a daily menu (kosilo) for 5 Euro. Also the rest of the pedestrian zone reminds me of Germany especially because of all the chains of German shops (Müller, dm, backwerk, Lidl...).

I talked to Sašo Cosic, the director of Slavija turizem, and he said he really enjoys living here 'cause there is so much more that you can do around Maribor than in Ljubljana. The Pohorje mountains are just a few steps outside the city, where you can do all kinds of sports: from hiking to cycling in the forests to "night skiing" until 9 pm in the wintertime. There must be wine growing hills and some wellness spa hotels here as well, but I didn't have the time to explore them. Sašo wanted me to help him to find partnes in Germany. I did research on German tour operators with a similar programme as Slavija turizem and biking clubs from my area and contacted some of them. I know that many people in Germany have never heard of Slovenia and if they did, they have no idea how beautiful it actually is and are also afraid of communication problems. Even some of my friends think I'm crazy to come back here over and over again. :-)

On the weekend my friend Matej and me went to the nearby castle Štatenberg in the region Makole which is ca. 30 km south of Maribor. It is more like a palace (Slovenian: dvorec) and dates back to 1720. Franc Kociper, volunteer at the local tourist society and highly motivated man welcomed us. He and a bunch of other people founded this tourist society one year ago to bring the baroque castle with its frescoes, old furniture, ethnological collection as well as the restaurant back to life. The actual owner of the castle, a company from Slovenska Bistrica has no real interest in investing. Hard times. The area around is not very spectacular. Franc told us about "the old times" when there existed a hotel in the castle and they offered horse riding and hiking trips in the hilly region around. His son runs the restaurant which is decorated with antique furniture and a hall can be used for special occasions such as weddings or small concerts. It has potential, of course, but when he asked me if German tourists would come here, I couldn't lie. We have so many castles, palaces, fortresses in Germany which are in a much better condition that I think it would be hard to compete. However, if they organized some events and renovated the place, work together with other local tourist societies to offer something else than just the visit of the castle in this area, there might be a chance of attracting Slovene tourists. They think about opening a youth hostel in the future which is a great idea.

On the way back we stopped in Ptuj, the oldest city of Slovenia, again with a caslte. It was 6 o'clock and nobody was on the streets. We couldn't find a descent restaurant, so we returned and had dinner in Maribor.

Alpine valley Bohinj

Ariane Goerke, young German entrepreneur discovering innovative Slovenian tourism

I didn't consider myself as a mountain person before. I always prefered beaches, cultural and historical places and cities for travelling. But here in Slovenia I became a mountain lover! "On the sunny side of the Alps" you can find inner peace and enjoy untouched nature much better than in the typical "mass tourism" Alpine valleys and ski-resorts in Austria. In the heart of the Triglav National Park in north-western Slovenia lies Bohinj, a beautiful glacial lake surrounded by the Julian Alps. I was very lucky to be invited to stay at ECO Resort & Spa Bohinj Park Hotel, one of the most innovative and ecological hotels in Europe. From there you can easily reach ski-center such as Vogel or go hiking around lake Bohinj in the summertime. The nearby waterfall "Slap Savica" is also nice and very famous for France Prešeren who is considered as the Slovene national poet (he wrote "The Baptism at Savica Falls").

I had a meeting with the hotel sales manager Jana Pekovec and she showed me around the hotel which includes among other things conference rooms, a small bowling center and cinema and of course the Aquapark which is included in the price for hotel guests. I checked the German image brochure and website for any mistakes and also helped to find German tour operators who are specialized in eco/ luxurious hotels. The hotel and the rooms have a simple design in the colors white, black, beige and brown. From everywhere you have a beautiful view to the Alps and the small remote village Bohinjska Bistrica. I missed pictures on the walls and green plants. The corridors are kind of dark and only lit up by small LED lamps - all in the name of being sustainable and saving energy. Anyway, the hotel was awarded with the Green Globe Certificate and won the "Sejalec" in 2010 (Slovenian tourism award for innovation). In addition to the hotel, a project to build a new eco ski-resort under the new brand "2864" (which is the height of Slovenia's highest mountain Triglav) has started. If you want to know more about the story behind 2864, watch the 3-min. film "Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories".

On Wednesday I went to Turizem Bohinj to talk with director Klemen Langus about the situation of tourism in the area and the annual "International Wild Flower Festival". In the area you can find over 1,000 different species of wildflowers. To extend the season and to promote the importance of the natural and cultural heritage of Bohinj they came up with the great idea to organize a festival in May and June. For more information, click here.

Happy New Year

Ariane Goerke, young German entrepreneur discovering innovative Slovenian tourism

I wish you all a Happy New Year and hope your 2012 will be terrific!!!

Some of my friends have asked me how to start a business, what the requirements are to join the "Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme" and especially how the state can support you with the whole process. I know, many of you never thought about opening their own company because it is risky and you will for sure not earn a lot of money in the first years. It is true - you need to be a little dreamer, have courage, initiative and most of all like what you're doing. Anyway, I would hereby like to encourage you a little - maybe someday in your life, there comes the time when you want to do your own thing instead of working for somebody else and become your own boss :-)! I probably won't start my business right after my time here in Slovenia. I feel I still need more working experience first and I also would like to go to England and Estonia to do more research on tourism. 

The opening of a new company is an asset for everyone: When a start-up succeeds it is not only profitable for the founder itself, but also for the labour market (because new jobs are created) and the state (through taxes). That is why persons starting up a new business are supported in many ways (here I describe the situation in Germany, but there are similar programmes in other European countries, too). You can get a start-up grant from the "Arbeitsagentur" (German employment office) when you are unemployed and want to open you own company. A good business plan and a certified financial plan (by a tax consultant or chamber of commerce) are necessary. The "Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau" (German bank institute) is providing specific loans for start-ups. In addition to that, founders of a new business are entitled to get 90 % refund on start-up coaching by the KfW. There are many start-up initiatives carried out by universites or other institutions such as "Exist" - a programme of the German Ministry of Economics designed for students, graduates and scientists. "Exist" supports in particular technology oriented business ideas and everything based on scientific realizations.

Sometimes you have to change your perspective to find a new solution! Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Programme can help you with that! It is designed for young people who either are in the first 3 years of their own business or want to start-up. Go out and broaden your mind! You will be hosted by an experienced entrepreneur in another European country and can learn from him or even make future business contacts. All you need is a business idea and a business plan. Apply now!

Photo: TV-Interview about my working project in Slovenia for Evropski magazin (European Magazine) RTV 2

10 things I like about Slovenia

Ariane Goerke, young German entrepreneur discovering innovative Slovenian tourism

As the holiday season approaches, I would like to take the opportunity to say thank you to my host entrepreneur Novi turizem and to the four tourism institutions/companies (NEC Cerknica, Vina Štekar, STB and Autentica) I visited so far for your invitation to collaborate with me and your hospitality. Without your support this exchange programme and my future business would not be possible.
I send my best wishes to you and your loved ones and hope that the New Year will be filled with happiness and most of all business success. I look forward to working with you in the coming year!

Being a "young ambassador" of Slovenia, I feel I should say some things about what I like most about this beautiful tiny country:

1. The variety of landscapes that can be discovered: from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea within one day!
2. Unspoiled character of nature.
3. The hospitality and modesty of the people.
4. Many people are multilingual: they understand and speak at least English and German. On the coast Italian is very common.
5. The hearty and natural food: some dishes are very German/Austrian/Hungarian-like :-). But also Slovenian pizza tastes fresher and more natural than Italian! My favourite food is jota and koruzni kruh.
6. The historical and cultural richness: Over centuries Slovenia was part of different kingdoms and empires and has been influenced by the Slavic, Roman/Venetian, German and Austro-Hungarian culture which can still be seen today in the architecture of the cities. My favourite cities are Piran and Ljubljana.
7. Since 2004 Slovenia is part of the European Union and introduced the Euro as a currency in 2007. This made travelling and economic cooperation much easier.
8. Slovenia as starting point for travels to Eastern countries: Experience and enjoy Slovenia and "the forgotten Europe" by going to Croatia, Hungary and the Balkans in just a few hours!
9. A Slovenian friend is a friend for a lifetime.
10. Relaxed atmosphere and attitude: since I have been living here I'm enjoying life more and I'm always late (yeah I know, these punctual Germans...)

Vesel božič in srečno novo leto 2012 :-)

Photo: Promotional presentation for "Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs" at youth club Cerknica (11.11.2011) for young people in the area including a group of young project managers. I was talking about the application process and my experiences with the programme as well as competitiveness of tourism in the Notranjska region. 

Authentic Experience

Ariane Goerke, young German entrepreneur discovering innovative Slovenian tourism

I spent the last days working with travel agency Autentica in Koper. Thank you Matjaž and Nina for showing me some of the attractions in Istria and on the Karst edge: we went to Hrastovlje, a small village below the Kraški rob (Karst edge - a natural border between Karst plateau and Slovenian Istria) with an old church surrounded by walls and world-famous frescoes inside (see photo). In Marezige, the "center of Refošk wine", we tasted typical Istrian wine at Dean Plahuta's ecological wine estate. A very spiritual place for me was "Slovenian Stonehenge" ;-) near Krkavče. Well, actually it's just one stone on a hill above the Dragonja valley which dates back to the 1st century. Anyway, just as we arrived at noon all churches on the hills around this strategical place started to ring their bells. Amazing!

"In search of the white gold" - "Night walk by torchlight" and "Become a caver for a day!" are just some of the charming slogans of authentic experiences that you can enjoy in the Slovenian Istria and around with Autentica. I translated some of their tours for MICE guests in Portorož  into German. I hope I did the job all right :-).

Until now, I wasn't really sure if I was able to open my own business in the future - well I have all the ideas in my head. I like to create individual tours to Slovenia and Estonia and I know from family experience what it means to manage your own business, but I'm actually not sure if I would find enough people to sell my tours to. Since I've seen what Matjaž and Nina are doing and that they really have success with the concept of offering authentic tours, I'm now getting much more motivated to try it on my own. They told me to be brave and think positive ;-) and most of all to pick the right target groups and find financial support for the first three years. We were also talking about working together in the future. Besides being manager of Autentica, Matjaž also works for the "incubator" of the University of Primorska in Koper, which gives innovative small and new companies and young entrepreneurs a platform and support to keep their business flourishing in the first years. I have to find a similar institution in Germany!