Slovenian tourism closed a record year, moderate growth expected this year

By: Trademagazin Date: 2026. 01. 08. 09:10

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Tourism in Slovenia had a record year in 2025. The number of tourists exceeded seven million, while guest nights approached 18 million, the Ministry of Economy and the Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) announced on Wednesday.

According to preliminary data, 7.03 million tourists arrived in the country last year, with 17.9 million guest nights registered. The number of visitors increased by 7 percent and the number of guest nights by 6 percent compared to the previous year.

Economic Minister Matjaz Han said:

revenues from tourism accounted for 8.6 percent of the gross domestic product, the sector provided around 58 thousand jobs, while having a positive impact on many other economic areas both directly and indirectly.

Maja Pak Olaj, director of STO, said that they expect a further increase of a few percent in 2026. He added that the most important sending countries – Germany, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic – remained stable, with visitors from these countries accounting for 44 percent of all guest nights last year.

Han stressed that the results of tourism are not accidental, but the consequences of the coordinated work of the sector’s players, targeted measures, investments and promotional activities.

He recalled that a significant investment cycle concluded last year, in which 121 million euros of budgetary and EU funds were allocated to support 119 projects, worth a total of 278 million euros.

The minister said:

In December, a €7 million call for proposals was announced to encourage investments in cultural heritage sites in eastern Slovenia, offering authentic tourism experiences, and a €15 million call for proposals was also announced for the sustainable development and management of tourist destinations.

According to the STO, the focus of this year’s promotional activities will be on presenting tourism offerings with higher added value and addressing a more demanding clientele, with particular attention to campaigns related to international sporting events, including the Winter Olympics in Italy.