The Path to a Successful Tourist Destination - Connection and Digitalization
And there it is, my first three-thousander. As I reached the summit, my first thought was, "Well done, me!" But in reality, the credit should go to my wife. She’s a mountain guide, the one who’s truly devoted to nature and the mountains. I jokingly call her the "young Pehta, but much prettier." Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved the mountains since I was a child. My grandfather was quite the mountaineer, originally from Radovljica. The Julian Alps were his daily routine, and this passion somehow passed on to me. I somewhat neglected it later in life, until my wife rekindled that love. I’m grateful to her for bringing me back to the embrace of the mountains.
For a while now, she’s been suggesting that we visit Austria together, where, she says, the mountains are stunning. I never denied it, but the right opportunity just hadn’t come up. That was until last weekend. The challenge was set - the first three-thousander, with good weather forecasted. Hmm, why not! I won’t bore you with details about the magnificent views, crystal-clear waters, and untouched waterfalls – maybe I’ll talk about that another time. But I will tell you, pictures are a mere shadow of what you can experience in real life.
When I conquered my first three-thousander, it struck me that the key to the right approach in the mountains is the same as in tourism – it’s about perseverance, connection, and openness to new opportunities.
Tourist Destination: What Is It Really?
When we talk about a tourist destination, we usually imagine a place that tourists visit for its natural or cultural value. Maybe for its historical significance or simply because it offers a good rest and entertainment. But how broad should this destination be? Is it a village, a municipality, a region, or perhaps an entire country? Well, most commonly, it refers to a specific region. Unfortunately, we don’t have official regions in Slovenia. But Slovenia is small enough that the whole country could be considered a single destination.
Collaboration: The Key to a Successful Tourist Destination
In our country, we often encounter the saying "A Slovenian is a Slovenian to another Slovenian," meaning that collaboration between towns and municipalities is often weak. But isn’t it precisely collaboration that can lead us to greater success? Those a bit older might still remember the rivalry between the people of Piran and Portorož, as depicted in the film "Summer in the Shell." In the end, the children in the movie realized that it was pointless to be in conflict. So they decided to join forces to protect the environment.
Unfortunately, this kind of collaboration is still far too scarce in our country. It certainly doesn’t help that we lack official regions, regional interests, and individual regional tourist associations like all our neighbors have. Not only Austria, but also Croatia and Italy. Too often, political battles are at play. Who is stronger? Which municipality or town? Unfortunately, in the end, the entire destination loses because tourists, mostly foreigners, are not interested in these ‘battles’ between various local officials. They are interested in the destination and what they can do there.
Austrian Experience: What Can We Learn from Our Neighbors?
When I climbed my first three-thousander in Hohe Tauern, in Carinthia, Austria, I noticed two key things that we could adopt:
- Co-Creating the Region:In Austria, everyone collaborates – from tourism companies to individuals like farmers. Everyone is involved – from cable car operators to dairy producers.
- Destination Card – Kärnten Card: This card offers numerous benefits while allowing data collection on visits. This provides a better understanding of guests and enables the creation of tailored offers. In Slovenia, you can also find discount cards for places. Some smaller towns have managed to come together and name them “Destination Card.” But their functionality is quite poor. Sometimes the cards seem to exist just for the sake of it. Their real usefulness is highly questionable.
Digitalization: The Key to Understanding Guests
The situation is similar in Slovenia and Croatia. Unfortunately, we are still in the early stages, but the situation is improving, albeit slowly. Understanding the importance of data and digitalization is crucial.
As mentioned, the situation is improving, and I’m glad that there are stakeholders who recognize the importance of data as well as regional connections. Data is the key to understanding guests, and digitalization allows us to use that understanding to create top-notch tourist experiences. This then leads to specialized offerings, meaning that we can offer guests exactly what they are interested in.
Conclusion: Connecting for a Sustainable Future of Tourism
Whether we like it or not, digitalization is the future. It’s only right that we use it in a positive direction. Connecting a region into one destination, understanding guests, and co-creating the tourist experience is what can take us to the next level. If we want to progress and create something to be proud of, now is the time to connect and together shape destinations that will captivate guests. What are we waiting for? Let’s connect and create a tourist future based on collaboration and innovation. We have a beautiful country. And since we are so small, I wonder, why couldn’t the entire Slovenia be a wonderfully interconnected destination?
Jurij Triller