Croatia as a partner country in Ljubljana: Alpe-Adria 2026 in the sign of year-round tourism and sustainable experiences
From February 4 to 7, 2026, Ljubljana hosted the 36th edition of the Alpe-Adria tourism fair, one of the most recognizable regional gatherings of travelers, tourism professionals, and destination organizations in Slovenia and the wider Alpine-Adriatic region. This year's edition carried additional weight for Croatian tourism as Croatia held the status of partner country, which secured a central place in the exhibition program for the Croatian presentation, greater visibility in fair communications, and increased interest from visitors.
The Croatian tourism delegation was present at the opening and during the fair days in Ljubljana, led by the Minister of Tourism and Sport Tonči Glavina and the Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić, along with Bruno Bonifačić, Director of the CNTB Representative Office in Ljubljana. In public appearances and messages to the Slovenian audience, it was emphasized that the Slovenian market remains one of the key pillars of Croatian tourism and that the goal is to further strengthen arrivals outside the main summer months. The fair also served as a platform for a broader discussion on trends, sustainability, and quality of offer, as well as a meeting place with tourism professionals who shape travel for the upcoming season.
Why the Slovenian market is among the key ones for Croatian tourism
For years, Slovenia has stood out in Croatian tourism statistics and strategic plans as one of the most important source markets, right after Germany. Proximity, good road connectivity, and travel habits make Croatia a natural choice for Slovenian guests, especially for family vacations, camping, and shorter breaks throughout the year. According to data presented by Minister Glavina at the opening of the fair, approximately 1.8 million arrivals and more than 11 million overnight stays were achieved from the Slovenian market in the previous year, with a growth of 2 percent compared to the year before. In the Croatian tourism sector, such figures are interpreted as an indicator of stable demand, but also as an incentive to expand the offer beyond the classic "peak of summer."
Minister Glavina emphasized that in recent years Croatia has been strengthening its offer in the pre-season and post-season, and during 2026, additional opening and visibility of projects co-financed by European funds are expected. In such a framework, the message about the price-quality ratio and "value for money" was also emphasized, which is crucial in close markets compared to alternatives in the region. The emphasis was not on a single destination or a single product, but on the idea that Croatia can be experienced through multiple seasons and through multiple types of travel, from active holidays to cultural and gastronomic content.
Camps, family accommodation, and the Local Host label
A special emphasis of the Croatian presentation in Ljubljana was on the types of accommodation that Slovenian guests traditionally often choose. Minister Glavina singled out camps, stating that according to research by the German auto-club ADAC, Croatian camps are among the leaders in Europe. Along with camps, family accommodation was also highlighted, and the Local Host label was emphasized as a novelty, designed as a recognizable sign of households that offer guests a more authentic local experience and recognizable hospitality. In practice, this aims to further highlight what a portion of travelers is increasingly looking for: contact with the local community, host recommendations, and an experience of the place that does not remain at the level of "just accommodation."
This positioning fits into a broader strategy that Croatia is not communicated on the Slovenian market only as a summer destination, but as a country with enough content for travel throughout the year. This includes eno-gastronomy, cultural programs, visits to museums and festivals, stays in nature, but also active tourism such as hiking and cycling. When such contents are linked with an accessible arrival and the possibility of a short trip, a product is obtained that can work in both spring and autumn, and not just in a few peak weeks of summer. This was precisely one of the main communication goals of the Croatian appearance in Ljubljana.
The Croatian pavilion as the center of fair events
The status of partner country was also visible in the organization of the fair: the Croatian pavilion was designed as a content center, with a program spread across all four days. As part of the Croatian stand, 22 co-exhibitors participated, including numerous tourist boards, national parks and nature parks, hoteliers, and agencies. The concept of the appearance was to present the whole, from the most famous Adriatic destinations to specific niches such as active tourism and eno-gastronomy. Visitors could thus get information about multiple regions and contents in one place, but also feel "live" part of the atmosphere and identity that the destinations offer.
Within the Croatian pavilion, elements of cultural and historical heritage, eno-gastro offers, and destination stories were presented, and the emphasis was on the experience. In recent years, fairs have become less about sharing catalogs and more about experiential contact with the destination, so in Ljubljana, flavors, music, and handicrafts came to the fore, as well as communication about natural and cultural attractions. Croatia used this opportunity for a clear message: in addition to the coast, it wants to more strongly show the continental part of the country and areas that have not been equally promoted for tourism so far, and can offer an authentic experience.
From licitar to Rab cake: tradition and gastronomy as a "living" invitation to travel
The first day of the fair, February 4, 2026, was designed as an introduction to the Croatian story through tradition, flavors, and music. Visitors were greeted by the licitarko mascot, and the program included a presentation of Konavle embroiderers and Konavle embroidery, one of the recognizable elements of traditional heritage. In the gastronomic part, there were tastings of carnival fritters and presentations of Croatian wines and liqueurs, along with tasting bites organized in cooperation with the Croatian Chamber of Economy. As a particularly recognizable product, the Rab cake was also presented, while the klapa Sebenico was responsible for the musical-scenic performance.
In the fair context, such elements have a double role. They create the impression of a "small trip" for the general public and help the destination stay in memory, while giving professionals and the media concrete content to convey the story. When traditional motifs and gastronomy are linked with clear information about destinations, the traveler gets one more reason not to travel only "to the sea," but to plan a route, explore local products, and stay longer. It is precisely on this, according to the messages presented in Ljubljana, that part of the Croatian offer outside the summer months wants to be built: on motifs that do not rely on the weather forecast, but on content and identity.
Official opening with a strong political and institutional dimension
The official opening ceremony of the fair was held on February 4, and began with an opening speech by Iztok Bricl, General Director of Gospodarsko razstavišče, the institution that organizes the fair. Along with Croatian representatives, Tanja Fajon, Vice President of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, also addressed the audience. This gave the event a political dimension, which is logical in tourism as it is a sector that connects the economy, mobility, and regional cooperation. Given the importance of tourist traffic between the two countries, messages about partnership also had a broader context of good neighborly relations and common interests in tourism development.
In official messages from Ljubljana, the emphasis on sustainable tourism and responsible development was additionally highlighted. The Slovenian side, in its review of the fair, emphasized that tourism is not just about travel, but also a way of connecting and promoting responsible practices, and within the fair, initiatives such as the Jakob Award, which highlights the best examples of responsible tourism, are mentioned. Croatia, as a partner country, was presented in this framework as a destination that wants to strengthen the offer with an emphasis on quality and authenticity, and not exclusively on the growth of the number of guests. Such a message is particularly important at a time when there is increasing discussion about pressures on space and infrastructure at the peak of the season.
Cooperation between CNTB and the Slovenian Tourist Board and joint appearances in distant markets
Director of CNTB Kristjan Staničić said in Ljubljana that the title of partner country further confirms the strong ties between Croatia and Slovenia and that these are neighbors who share similar values and an approach to tourism development, especially when it comes to sustainability, quality, and authentic experiences. He specifically singled out the cooperation between the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Slovenian Tourist Board, which, according to him, is successfully developing also in distant markets through joint promotional activities. Such an approach starts from the fact that travelers from distant markets often want to see "multiple countries in one trip," so the region can be presented as a complementary whole, with different experiences at relatively short distances.
Staničić also emphasized that at the Alpe-Adria fair, not only individual destinations are presented, but the diversity of the total Croatian offer throughout the year. In this framework, national parks and nature parks, as well as the active tourism offer, occupy a special place. This conveys the message to Slovenian guests and professionals that Croatia, along with the sea, offers content that encourages travel in the months outside the peak of the season, which is important for both sustainability and a more balanced development of tourist destinations. In practice, this means more content for weekend trips, more reasons to come in spring and autumn, and a stronger focus on "experiences" rather than just accommodation.
Slovenian perspective: Croatia is an important market for Slovenian tourism as well
The Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board, Maja Pak Olaj, also spoke at the fair, highlighting that Croatia is the partner country of the fair and that cooperation between the two national tourist organizations has been strengthening for several years through joint promotional campaigns in distant markets. At the same time, she emphasized that Croatia remains one of the key markets for Slovenian tourism, stating that Croatian guests in the previous year achieved almost 780 thousand overnight stays in Slovenia, which represents a growth of 11 percent. According to her statement, Croatia is thus ranked among the most important foreign markets of Slovenia by overnight stays achieved.
These data point to a two-way dynamic: while Slovenians travel massively to Croatia, the interest of Croatian guests in Slovenia is also growing. In practice, this means that the markets complement each other, and joint campaigns can have an additional effect in promoting the Alpine-Adriatic region as a connected whole. When this is linked with the emphasis on sustainability and experiential tourism, a framework is obtained in which both countries can build competitiveness on the quality and diversity of the offer, and not just on numbers. That is exactly why the partnership at the fair in Ljubljana was not just a formality, but also a message about strategic cooperation in tourism.
Where Slovenians stay most in Croatia and what that means for destinations
The importance of Croatia's appearance at the fair in Ljubljana is also confirmed by the trends that the Croatian side states for the Slovenian market. According to these data, Croatia is convincingly the most popular foreign destination for Slovenians, and Istria, Kvarner, and Zadar County stand out as the most popular regions. At the destination level, the most overnight stays are achieved in Umag, Mali Lošinj, Novalja, Novigrad, and Medulin. These are places that, along with the classic coastal offer, have developed infrastructure for family holidays, camping, and active tourism, and have strongly positioned themselves on the Slovenian market over the years.
For Croatian destinations, such a concentration of demand is both an advantage and a challenge. The advantage is in stable recognition and repeat arrivals, while the challenge is to manage pressures at the peak of the season and simultaneously ensure the quality of service. That is why in Ljubljana, the need for a more balanced distribution of traffic throughout the year and through space was emphasized, which includes a stronger promotion of continental regions and less exposed areas. In tourism, it is increasingly important that destinations do not live only for a few weeks, but have a more sustainable rhythm, which depends on the offer of content, organization of events, and quality of service throughout the year.
What Croatia wants to achieve after the Alpe-Adria 2026 partnership
Croatia's appearance at Alpe-Adria 2026 in Ljubljana was not just a promotional outing, but part of a broader strategy towards the Slovenian audience and the tourism sector. At the center was the message of year-round Croatia, with an emphasis on the quality of accommodation, authentic experiences, and sustainability, but also a very concrete call to Slovenian guests to travel outside the main summer months. The partnership gave additional visibility and allowed numerous co-exhibitors to be included in the program, whereby the pavilion functioned as a cross-section of various Croatian tourist products. At the same time, through official appearances and statements, the fair also served as a political-institutional signal about the importance of tourism in the relations between the two countries.
After the closing of the fair on February 7, 2026, the expectations of the Croatian organizers and co-exhibitors are focused on a more visible effect in planning trips for spring, autumn, and the summer months. In the messages presented at the fair, it was emphasized that competitiveness will increasingly depend on quality, diversity, and the ability to develop tourism in accordance with the space and the local community. Through the role of partner country, Croatia wanted to show that it is moving in that direction and that it offers Slovenian guests, who have been choosing it as one of their favorite destinations for years, more reasons to come throughout the year, to different regions and with different travel motives.
Sources:- Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Republic of Croatia – description of the Croatian appearance and statements by Minister Tonči Glavina and Director of CNTB Kristjan Staničić (link)- Gospodarsko razstavišče / Alpe-Adria – official fair website with the date (Feb 4–7, 2026) and Croatia's status as partner country (link)- Government of the Republic of Slovenia (gov.si) – report on the fair opening with an emphasis on sustainable tourism and partnership with Croatia (link)- HRT News – report on the Alpe-Adria fair and Croatia's status as partner country (link)
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