Page 18 - Trajnostni gospodarski razvoj turistične alpske regije

Abstract
a 10.8 % increase in tourist arrivals and a 7.2 % increase in overnight
stays compared to 2014. The increase in tourist arrivals compared to
the increase in overnight stays resulted in a decrease in the average
length of stay of a tourist, which was 2.6 days last year compared to 2.7
days the year before.
The shortening of the average length of stay of a tourist is, unfortu-
nately, a cancer on Slovenian tourism. With the establishment of regi-
onal destination organisations over the last few years, individual local
authorities within a region have expected to gradually increase the ave-
rage length of stay of tourists from one year to the next. The ambitious
plans have not materialised. And what are the reasons for this?
The tourists we want are mostly demanding and aware, and are loo-
king for a sustainable tourism offer for their destination. The creation
of local self-government has given municipalities, of which we have
212, an important and powerful role in tourism planning and develo-
pment. They have a direct influence on the design of the tourism offer
in a micro destination. We note that not all the potentials offered by
tourism in local communities have been exploited, which is why the
development of tourism in Slovenia cannot be compared with the pace
of tourism development in neighbouring countries such as Austria.
Tourism remains a great opportunity, which can only have a solid fou-
ndation in the local community.
The aim of the research is to find out the stakeholders’ views on
tourism demand and supply, market opportunities and the building
blocks of tourism development in local communities. A questionnaire
survey was used to establish statistical estimates of the factors and
regression analysis was used to confirm the hypotheses of tourism
supply and policy in local communities.
The important factors of tourism development are: sustainable tou-
rism offer, common tourism brand, modern communication channels,
quality of tourism offer and destination management.
The countryside is the identity of the Slovenian nation. The munici-
pality of Žirovnica has a rich cultural heritage, important for its tourist
image. Many personalities important for the development of natio-
nal consciousness, language and culture originated from these places.
The oldest thematic cultural heritage trail in Slovenia, the Žirovnica
Cultural Heritage Trail, which leads between the cultural and histo-
rical monuments in the villages below Stolo, is a tourist and cultural
landmark. It connects five monuments of local importance: the Čop’s

18