The Alps-Adriatic Working Community has officially confirmed the Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show as the central tourism event of the Alps-Adriatic region, which includes 10 individual regions of Italy, Austria and Hungary, as well as Slovenia and Croatia in their entirety.
Thanks to this great success of the central fair event in the field of tourism and leisure, Ljubljana has turned into the tourist hub of the region and is thus becoming a highly visible business junction of the leading tourism actors of the region and wider areas. The Alps-Adriatic region is progressively gaining in popularity mostly due to the organised tours for tourists from remote countries, such as China, Japan, USA, etc. As emphasised by Wolfgang Platzer, PhD, the Secretary General of the Community, »we need a joint approach for the joint marketing of the whole region in interesting tourist markets around the world – after all, the Working Community stretches from Lombardy to Hungary, from Burgenland to the far south of Croatia.«
Let us remember: In January 2011 the Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show made a successful thematic and geographic breakthrough in the region as the only Show presenting the tourist offer organised by destinations, from which the exhibitors originate, and by products of the exhibition programme. Within this offer, the visitors could identify themselves according to the 4 common types of tourists – from active, to laid-back holidaymakers, trip-makers and adventurers.
The next Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show will take place between 26 and 29 January 2012 and will significantly upgrade this year’s concept of the Show with the following novelties:
- Expert meeting of tourist agencies of the Alps-Adriatic region
-
Global Chef Challenge live in front of the visitors
- Expert meeting of FIJET travel journalists of the Alps-Adriatic region
- Expert meeting of tourist guides of the Alps-Adriatic region
- Numerous expert lectures as part of Travel Zoom and Focus.
The organisers are preparing many more professional events and also the possibility of a guided tour of the Show for the visitors.
Part of the Show will again be the Jakob prize, the prize for quality and excellence in tourism of the Alps-Adriatic region. The subject of the Jakob 2012 competition is: Innovative tourist products in the field of alternative forms of leisure and relaxation. An international expert jury with members from the areas of the Alps-Adriatic Working Community, presided over by Professor Janez Bogataj, PhD, will assess the projects that bring innovative tourist products in various areas of alternative forms of leisure and relaxation and thus contribute to the tourist offers of the cities and areas of the region. When assessing, the jury will follow the provisions and guidelines for sustainable and natural development. Various tourist programmes and themes providers from the mentioned field, i.e. alternative forms of leisure and relaxation, may apply for the Jakob 2012 prize.
The first Jakob prize was awarded for the project byHotel Triglav Bled – Chef Uroš Štefelin Culinary School in the field of gastronomy.Marcela Klofutar, Executive Director of Hotel Triglav Bled, explained the significance of the prize for their endeavours in rising awareness about eating and drinking culture and habits in Slovenia: »Within the framework of the Culinary School we organise cooking workshops for children, adults, companies, etc., as well as presentations of catering professions at elementary schools for parents and counsellors. Foreigners get to know our culture, nature, and customs through these cooking workshops and thus spread the good word about Slovenian culinary beyond our borders.
«The last Show in January 2011 presented 332 providers of tourist services and 20 nautical companies from the region. In addition to the tourist offer of the Alps-Adriatic region, the Show also presented more remote destinations, such as the countries of former Yugoslavia, Spain and Turkey. Approximately 16,000 visitors and 265 Slovenian and foreign press representatives attended the refreshed event.
