Francesco Frangialli, secretary general of the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), said on Thursday that maintaining the competitive ability of tourist destinations required innovation and cooperation on the global and regional levels.
Speaking at a regional UNWTO conference in the lakeside resort of Bled, Frangialli added that tourists were no longer limited to a small number of destinations and that Europe's share of all tourists was in decline.
While 58% of all tourists world-wide visited Europe in 2000, the share now stands at 54.4% and is expected to drop below 50% a decade from now, he said on day one of the two-day conference of the UNWTO Commission for Europe.
Frangialli also said that Slovenia alone would find it increasingly difficult to attract visitors, however, a joint promotion of neighbouring countries such as Croatia, Italy and Austria would make it easier for tourists to decide to visit the country.
Zdenko Micic, state secretary at the Croatian Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development Ministry, said there was room for cooperation between the countries, but wondered whether the will existed to implement it.
Marjan Hribar, director general for tourism at the Economy Ministry, said that cooperation was already taking place, mainly among companies.
Micic, also the chairman of the Commission for Europe, said that tourists were becoming increasingly demanding and wanted more for less money.
Tourism should also adapt to climate change and the increasingly unpredictable weather patterns that are causing people to decide at the last moment on where to travel, Micic said.
He sees Europe's potential in catering to high-end guests, which in turn requires investment in facilities and personnel.
Economy Minister Andrej Vizjak said that Slovenia was aware of the importance of tourism. The sector in the country is developing at two times the pace of the rest of the economy.
Results from the first three months of 2007 show an 8% rise in overnight stays and a 10% rise in the number of visitors, which raises hopes for a record year. However, Vizjak agreed that new products and innovation were necessary to attract guests.
Tourism contributes 5.5% to the EU's gross domestic product on average and provides jobs for eight million people.
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