Lake Bled, Slovenia. Credit: Freeimages Slovenia's tourism office likes to promote the fact that it's the only country with the word 'love' in its name.
Before First Lady Melania Trump became the country's unofficial but, arguably, most famous ambassador, Slovenia registered a whisper of a blip on the international travel map.
Eclipsed by its more popular travel neighbors Italy and Croatia, a few years ago the best Slovenia's tourism office could muster was a play on words for its tagline.
But thanks in large part to the US election, the Central European country has drawn the attention of the notoriously fickle food and travel world which recently pronounced one of its chefs the best female chef in the world and Slovenia itself a beacon of sustainable tourism.
As the first foreign-born First Lady in nearly two centuries, it's understandable that Melania Trump's country of origin would have elicited global interest.
According to the latest figures, Slovenia received a record 10.8 million overnight stays in 2016, up eight percent compared to 2015.
Of those overnight stays, the country saw an 11 percent spike in foreign tourist arrivals, led mostly by visitors from Italy, Austria, Croatia, Germany, Serbia and the UK.
Last year, the capital city of Ljubljana enjoyed the spotlight as the European Green Capital of 2016, for strategies that include a zero waste program, more bike lanes, electric trains and green buses to combat air pollution.
The designation also drew the attention of a trade fair marketed as the world's largest, ITB Berlin, which named Slovenia their country partner at this year's edition.
At the same event, which wrapped up over the weekend, the National Geographic World Legacy Awards named Slovenia's tourist board the winner of their Destination Leadership award.
With nearly 60 percent of its land protected, Slovenia is touted as one of the world's most sustainable destinations.
"Our vision is for a 100 percent green Slovenia", said Maja Pak, Director of the Slovenian Tourism Office at ITB Berlin.
AFP Relaxnews
Source: Slovenia: 2017's next big destination?
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