Global Green Destinations Days 2022 – 7 Slovenian destinations awarded

0
993

7 sustainable tourism stories from Slovenia among the hundred best in the world

At the Global Green Destinations Days in Athens, seven Slovenian destinations were awarded for their sustainable practices: Jeruzalem, Ljubljana, Maribor, Miren Kras, Rogaška Slatina, Rogla-Pohorje and Vipava. They are also the Slovenia Green label holders.

Global Green Destinations Days, which this year take place between September 26 and 29 in Athens, connect sustainable development experts, destination managers and tourism organizations with the aim of presenting good practices and mutual exchange of experiences. The aim is to support mutual learning and discover practical tools and solutions for more sustainable tourism. This time, the conference participants also got to know examples of good practices from Slovenia, as the conference is also co-created by Slovenian participants.

At the round table on national programmes for promoting sustainability in tourism, the Slovenian approach to this topic from the point of view of the implementation of the multi-awarded Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism was presented by the Slovenian Tourist Board and GoodPlaceLjubljana Tourism will present good practices from Ljubljana at the Culture & Tradition panel.

The conference summit on Thursday will feature the Future of Tourism Coalition meeting, which will bring together destinations, communities and the travel industry in an effort to find solutions for climate action and greater resilience to climate change.

Seven Slovenian destinations made it to the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories listMiren Kras with the Krasna kuhinja brand, which helps guests in the destination to recognize top local gastronomy; Maribor with a new VR experience in the Stara trta House and Ljubljana also with a digitalization project of Plečnik’s cultural heritageThe Rogla-Pohorje destination was awarded thanks to the renovation of the Žička Kartuzija, and Jeruzalem for the construction of the new rest areas for motorhomes, which were lacking in the destination. Rogaška Slatina was awarded for the mobility infrastructure project, which included the construction of the new walkway leading to the P+R parking lot and bikes. In Vipava, the Become a winemaker for one day project was awarded, which allows visitors to experience the wine heritage of the area in an authentic way.

“Congratulations to all seven destinations for being included in the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories. Destinations with the Slovenia Green label are regularly included in the list of the hundred most sustainable destinations in the world, which confirms their focus on sustainable tourism and rewards all efforts, measures and activities for continuous improvement.

We are proud that this is also the case this year, which again and again confirms the correctness of our decisions in the direction of sustainable, responsible and inclusive development of Slovenian tourism. After obtaining the Slovenia Green label as part of the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism, which is managed by the Slovenian Tourism Board, destinations report annually on their progress, implement measures from the action plan and undergo re-certification every three years.

In this way, the STB promotes the continuous pursuit of improvements and progress in the field of sustainable destination management. The Green Scheme is internationally comparable and is based on more than 100 criteria of the Green Destinations Standard,” highlighted MSc. Maja Pak, director of the Slovenian Tourist Board.

Since 2014, Slovenia and destinations from the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism regularly get awarded within the framework of Global Green Destination Days. Slovenia was also the first country in the world to have been awarded with the Green Country of the World title in 2016. In 2018, it received the Sustainable Destinations 2018 Top 100 Best of the Planet – Best of Europe award for the leading city in the field of sustainable tourism in Europe, making it one of the six best sustainable destinations in the world and the best in Europe. In 2019, Ljubljana, with its best sustainable practice, the Local Food Exchange, won the Best in Cities category, while Bled took second place in the Best in Europe category. The STB received the Sustainable Top 100 Destination Awards in the Best of Europe 2020 category for introducing sustainable models in tourism at the national level.

The Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism is a national certification scheme that unites all efforts for the sustainable development of tourism in Slovenia under the Slovenia Green brand, provides concrete tools for assessing and improving sustainable operations and promotes green operations. Sustainable development is the foundation of Slovenian tourism, to which all its key stakeholders and the Slovenian Tourist Board have committed. The Green Scheme includes 214 tourist destinations, accommodation providers, nature parks, travel agencies, tourist attractions, restaurants and beaches. It is truly an example of good practice of how to include all levels in tourism in sustainable development and offer them a tool for continuous improvement and upgrading of sustainable operations.