SLOWTOURISM is a regional cooperation project which aims to link Italian and Slovenian tourist areas in the Upper Adriatic through the philosophy of slow tourism, with a special focus on sustainability, responsibility and eco-friendly concepts.
- 20 October 2015
The project will develop a common market strategy and target tour operators, tourism associations and businesses, and local governments. The project will deliver new holiday options for local tourists as well as the international market, in particular China and Japan where there is an increasing demand for environmental and nature-related tourist destinations.
Benefits for the local economy
The final beneficiaries will be the local population who will benefit from the development of tourism-related products offering new employment opportunities and increased revenues from tourists. In total, the number of employees in the natural tourism sector is expected to increase by 5 %. Economic revenues from rural and ecological tourism are also expected to grow by 5 %, as are the number of tourist packages on the Italian and Slovenian slow tourism routes.
The slow tourism cross-border network will involve more than 100 operators for each ‘slow’ route/destination, whilst tourism organisations and associations will ensure the continuity, promotion and marketing of the ‘slow’ products and packages during and after the end of the project. This is expected to increase the number of visitors from outside the region by 10 %.
A legacy for future generations
The project will also increase seasonal tourism options in the area and the involvement of schools will help to spread the ‘slow’ philosophy to the next generation, instilling the importance of environmental aspects and natural resources that characterise the region.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “SLOWTOURISM – Valorisation and promotion of slow touristic routes between Italy and Slovenia” is EUR 3 650 982, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund Development Fund is contributing EUR 3 103 334 from the Operational Programme ‘Italy-Slovenia’ for the 2007-2013 programming period.