The Šaleška Valley is gaining international recognition with its original and sustainability-oriented tourism promotion. The Šaleška Valley Tourist Board is presenting the region’s tourism offer at the world’s leading travel trade show, ITB Berlin, taking place from 4 to 6 March, in cooperation with RRA Koroška. We are particularly proud of our success at the prestigious Golden City Gate competition, where we, together with the Municipality of Velenje, received two Silver Awards. Our promotional films Šaleška Valley – Sustainable Destination and Local Gastronomy of the Šaleška Valley were both awarded.
ITB Berlin is regarded as the most important global tourism fair, where key stakeholders of the world tourism industry meet. This year, the Slovenian Tourist Board’s presentation focuses on Slovenia as a destination of exceptional artistic and cultural experiences for discerning visitors. The team of the Šaleška Valley Tourist Board proudly presented authentic and sustainable experiences that highlight our natural and cultural heritage as well as our distinctive local gastronomy.
The Municipality of Velenje won 2nd place in the Green Destination category with the promotional film Šaleška Valley – Sustainable Destination, confirming our commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable development in tourism. The film’s author is Matej Vranič, recipient of the Cultural Creator of the Year 2024 award of the Municipality of Velenje.
The Šaleška Valley Tourist Board achieved 2nd place in the Chef category with the promotional film Local Gastronomy of the Šaleška Valley. Created in collaboration with Boštjan Volk from the Šaleška Valley, Young European Chef 2023, and Čebelarstvo Čanč, the beekeeping family with the longest tradition in the valley, the video showcases the richness of local flavours and the authentic culinary experience of our region. The author of the video is Grega Neuvirt.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Golden City Gate competition, which has attracted numerous participants from over 100 countries throughout its history.
The Slovenian Tourist Board also received several awards for its promotional projects. The international jury awarded Golden Bears to: the campaign “It’s All in Our Nature” (Campaigns category), the publication “Beekeeping Experiences. My Way.” (Printed Advertising category), and the German TV show about Slovenia Globetrotter (TV/Documentary Film category). Silver Awards went to the following projects: the Joker Out video Feelgood Towns (Art & Culture category), the Virtuoso Chairman’s Event 2024 (MICE & Events category), and Sports and Tourism Integration (Innovation category). Two awards were also received by Turizem Ljubljana. Congratulations to all!
This recognition is a great honour for our work and confirms that our efforts toward sustainable development and high-quality destination promotion are being acknowledged internationally. With its unique blend of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and local gastronomy, the Šaleška Valley is becoming increasingly attractive to visitors — a fact reflected in the growing number of tourists.
In 2024, the Šaleška Valley welcomed 38,918 visitors who recorded 107,521 overnight stays — a 16% increase compared to 2023. The City of Velenje recorded 16,048 visitors and 38,172 overnight stays, representing a 15.4% increase over the previous year. The majority of foreign guests came from Germany, followed by Austria.
We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of our promotional videos, as well as to all partners and visitors who believe in the story of the Šaleška Valley. With pride and dedication, we will continue to develop authentic experiences that will place our region even higher on the world tourism map.
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