Game changer
Slovenian Tourist Board
Aleksandra Jerebic Topolovec
From Local Gem
to Global Brand:
Green Slovenia’s
Tourism Journey
There’s a quiet love tucked inside Slovenia. You can feel it: “I feel Slovenia.” A slogan many of us have fully embraced - probably even more so among younger generations than the late-80s line “Slovenia, my homeland.” No surprise there: almost forty years have passed, and in that time, under the stewardship of the Slovenian Tourist Board (STB), Slovenia has transformed from a hidden European gem into one of the world’s leading destinations in sustainable tourism.
This wasn’t luck. It was strategy, deliberate execution, and a constant push to innovate - taking STB from a traditional promo body to a digital marketing powerhouse. We spoke with one of the architects behind that shift, Aleksandra Jerebic Topolovec from STB’s digital marketing team. Where do we excel? Where are the gaps? How do our athletes and musicians help? How do we reach brand-new audiences in the farthest corners of the world - and keep a genuinely human touch in a digital-first era?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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The Slovenian Tourist Board serves as the central hub of Slovenian tourism. What does that actually look like in practice - and what’s your role?
In short: our primary goal is to promote Slovenia effectively to our target audiences. We want to catch their attention and spark intent to visit - get them excited to explore our country and make sure they can easily find the information they need to decide.
Thirty years ago, STB operated almost exclusively as a promotional organization. In recent years, we’ve expanded far beyond that. Digital channels are no longer just support; they’ve become our core communications channel. Our role now includes development, management, training, and data sharing with destinations and the tourism industry. Internationally, our innovative projects are often recognized as best practices for other national tourism boards.
You mentioned we’re often a model for others. What makes Slovenia’s approach stand out?
It’s hard to single out one project - our strength lies in the interweaving of activities. But the real differentiator is our leadership in sustainability. In 2016, Green Destinations recognized Slovenia as the world’s first certified green destination.
We also amplify our message through ambassadors - top athletes like Luka Dončić, Tadej Pogačar, and Janja Garnbret, and musicians such as Joker Out. We collaborate with them directly across various campaigns, and I’m happy to say they always take on the role with real enthusiasm. That ambassador synergy has been a winning formula for years.
Earlier you said the goal is to reach very specific audiences. Who are they, and how do you get to them?
There’s a lot happening. Across 20+ foreign markets, all year long (outside the summer peak), we run an always-on global digital campaign. We follow a 360-degree marketing approach to keep communications connected, coordinated, and consistent. Stories created for our official portal Slovenia.info flow into digital campaigns, supported by social posts, newsletters, and digital and print ads.
We manage 15 social channels with a combined 1.7 million followers, publishing 8,500+ posts per year that generated 31 million+ interactions last year. We funnel all that traffic to Slovenia.info, which attracted 7 million+ users last year. In our content-led digital marketing team, my focus is on potential travelers. We prioritize Slovenia’s core products: outdoor activities, arts & culture, gastronomy, and health & wellness.
Managing that many touchpoints and followers is complex. What’s your tech playbook?
It’s a serious challenge. Last year’s audit showed we needed to replace our marketing stack. As a public entity, we had to compile a very detailed inventory of everything we do. We had four separate systems and wanted to consolidate into one effective platform. We needed a solution that would reliably support our marketing activities, including CRM for contact and consent management - covering all compliance aspects. For context: we identified 100+ different consent types we must track. Privacy and data protection laws are demanding, and we’re committed to ensuring every contact consents for the right purpose and clearly understands what they’re signing up for.
FrodX won the public tender with HubSpot. We then undertook a full rebuild and data migration to HubSpot, where we now maintain about 130,000 marketing contacts, segmented by audience. HubSpot has become our central data hub, connected to touchpoints on our portal and other systems where we collect personal data.
"Digital channels are no longer just support - they’re our primary communication channel. That means more investment in data-driven decisions, digital tools, and innovation.
Looking ahead-what trends will shape tourism marketing, and how is STB preparing?
We realized early on that ads must be tailored to different target groups and social platforms. The core idea can be the same, but you have to adapt creative to each platform and audience. We’ll keep adapting by generation – Millennials and Gen Z- with tailored messages, tools, and channels.
Our communication is also aligning more tightly with values. Sustainability, respect for nature, society, local communities, tourism employees, and residents is increasingly important - and that shows in our messaging. We’ve also boosted off-season marketing to spread visitor flows away from hotspots. That means promoting less-visited destinations and actively managing overtourism in popular areas like Ljubljana and the Julian Alps, especially in summer.
A great example is our “Safe in the Mountains” initiative, a partnership with the Alpine Association of Slovenia and the Slovenian Mountain Rescue Service. We use our strong digital channels to reach travelers from countries with large visitor numbers in our mountain regions and educate them about safety, proper gear, and responsible behavior. The campaign’s landing page on Slovenia.info has become a key information hub for anyone planning a mountain trip.
We’ll continue integrating new digital tools and AI, just as we did with our award-winning virtual assistant Alma, named after the great Slovenian traveler Alma Karlin. Despite all the digitization, we know that in tourism, the human touch - direct contact with partners, ambassadors, and guests - remains uniquely important.
"When you’re part of such a personal story, you’re driven to keep finding new ways to connect. In the end, we promise people beautiful, high-quality experiences in their precious free time.
Tourism is full of stories. Do you have one for our readers?
I do - and I’ll never forget it. One day at STB, I intercepted an email from a Canadian woman searching for her Slovenian roots. Her family had lost contact with relatives in Slovenia more than 40 years earlier. She planned to visit with her mother, a daughter of Slovenians who emigrated as a child. By pure coincidence, I’m from the same tiny village in Prekmurje called Lipa as that family, which emigrated to Canada in the early 20th century. Since I knew relatives in Slovenia, I reached out to the woman directly, gathered detailed information, and invited them to visit. At first, they thought it was a scam - honestly, I might’ve thought the same. But then they saw the old photos on the table. It was incredibly moving, and they still return today.
When you’re part of a story that personal, it motivates you to keep finding new ways to connect. After all, we’re promising people wonderful, high-quality experiences in their precious free time - and that takes both heart and thoughtfulness.
Številka 4 | DECEMBER 2025
GAME CHANGER
INSPIRING BUSINESS STORIES OF REMARKABLE PEOPLE
