International tourism and its impact on the Slovenian society and landscape

By all the usual measurements, Slovenia should present a particularly attractive destination for tourists. First, it has a diversity of natural phenomena; second, the cultural landscape has imprints of many peoples and times. But oddly enough only several resorts, based on attractions of nature, like Rogaka Slatina (mineral wells), Portoro-Portorose (Mediterranean littoral) and Bled (alpine lake) are comparable to similar places in Europe. On above named examples the effects of the tourist industry are elaborated. This paper suggests that the phenomenon tourism impacts the culture, economy and looks of a diversity of Slovenian regions. Due to a basic ignorance during most of the socialist era, in Slovenia as a whole tourism gives bread only to 3% of the resident population. Opportunities for the development of this branch of economy are diverse.