The Julian Alps Association participated in the B2B event New Deal Europe in London

New Deal Europe Marketplace & Forum 2025 took place on March 25 at the Congress Centre in London. More than 80 participating providers held over 1,500 pre-arranged business meetings focused on promoting tourism in 12 Southeast European countries. Alongside the Slovenian Tourist Board, 16 companies from Slovenia took part in the event. The Julian Alps received additional exposure through a presentation during one of the forum breaks.

The forum, hosted by the European Tourism Association (ETOA) and moderated by Director of Insights Rachel Read, began with a presentation of a tourism spending study prepared for New Deal Europe by analyst David Edwards. This was followed by a panel discussion on increasing revenue per tourist, featuring Menno van Ijssel from the European Travel Commission, Claire Hanney from The Travel Corporation, Viljam Kvalič from Kompas Travel Agency, and Tim Hennigan from the U.S.-based luxury travel agency The Travel Collaborative. The discussion provided valuable insights and innovative ideas on how to unlock the region’s tourism potential.

In the past year, British tourists generated just over 435,000 overnight stays and more than 165,000 arrivals in Slovenia, representing a 13.5% increase in overnight stays and an 11% increase in arrivals compared to 2023. The United Kingdom accounted for 3.5% of all foreign overnight stays in Slovenia in 2024, making it the 10th most important foreign market based on overnight stays.

© Skupnost Julijske Alpe

The Julian Alps attracted a great deal of attention with their presentation during the second break. The presentation highlighted the region’s sustainable development, natural beauty, and diverse tourism offerings, including the long-distance hiking trail Juliana Trail. It was very well received, with listeners praising the comprehensive narrative that connected natural assets with a sustainable vision.

In addition to the presentation, representatives of the Julian Alps held 16 out of the 17 scheduled meetings throughout the day. They focused primarily on sustainable partners and providers who promote off-season travel and hiking experiences, with the goal of further positioning the region as a destination for responsible tourism.