Prime Minister Golob: Tourism is about people
Prime Minister Robert Golob visited the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization and met with its Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili. | Author Žan Kolman, KPV
Prime Minister Golob is the first Slovenian Prime Minister to visit the World Tourism Organisation's headquarters. In his address following the meeting with Secretary-General Pololikashvili, the Prime Minister underlined Slovenia's long tradition of tourism. "This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Slovenian Tourist Board and the 120th anniversary of the Tourist Association of Slovenia," he said.
"We believe in tourism and that tourism is about people. It is people who are the driving force behind sustainable tourism, and we want to promote this worldwide. That is why we are also running for membership on the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization, as it is important to seek alternative perspectives on sustainable tourism. We believe that we need to preserve not only our cultural heritage and showcase it to the world, but also our natural heritage, but both in a sustainable way," said the Prime Minister.
He said that Slovenia can be proud of how well it protects its natural and cultural values, and that awareness of this is growing. The aim is to increase the number of tourists, but not at the expense of sustainability and quality of service. "This is, in our opinion, the best way to develop tourism," he said. He added that he was pleased to see representatives of the World Tourism Organization regularly attending the Bled Strategic Forum.
The Prime Minister also touched on the broader United Nations context. He stressed the importance of the entire UN system and expressed his continued strong support for the World Tourism Organization.
Secretary-General Pololikashvili thanked the Prime Minister for his visit, noting that Slovenia is a very active member of the organisation. "You are doing excellent work in the field of tourism. You are one of the best examples of how to develop sustainable and green tourism," said the Secretary-General, highlighting Slovenia’s achievements in tourism. He pointed out Slovenia's brand as an excellent example, along with outstanding ambassadors of Slovenia, sports superstars like Luka Dončić, Janja Garnbret, and Jan Oblak, who represent Slovenia in the best light worldwide.
The main part of Prime Minister Golob's visit to the Kingdom of Spain will involve a meeting and talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.