This summer, I had the pleasure of experiencing Slovenia for the first time on a family holiday and was blown away by its beauty. It’s a destination that had been high on my hit list for some time, and after pouring over stunning images online and meticulously planning a 12-day road trip from capital to coast via Lake Bled and the Soca valley (big thanks to Tina Mladenovic, senior project manager at Elite Travel Premium DMC for your tips), expectations were high. And I can happily say I was not disappointed.

But you don’t want to hear about the exploits of my 13- and 11-year-old, as fun as they are. The reason for writing this piece is to flag the potential of Slovenia for business events, and incentives in particular, for planners who don’t yet have it on their radar. I have a strong feeling that, like neighbouring Croatia and nearby Montenegro, Slovenia is destined to become an incentive hotspot.

Slovenia is by no means new to the MICE market. The Slovenian Convention Bureau is 20 years old, the capital Ljubljana has hosted Conventa, one of the longest-running B2B MICE events in the region, for the past 16 years, and global incentive industry association SITE (Society for Incentive Travel Excellence) held its Incentive Summit Europe event in Slovenia in 2023. But as far as the UK incentive market is concerned, it’s yet to take off in a big way.

Ljubljana

Ljubljana is the perfect base for incentive groups to explore what Slovenia has to offer. Since the country is small (but beautifully formed) – it’s possible to visit the majestic mountains and pristine lakes, the Karst region with its impressive caves, and even the pretty Adriatic coast within day trips from Ljubljana or you could easily combine two destinations for a twin-centre trip.

Compact, clean and green, Ljubljana has more of a village vibe than that of a busy capital city. With a population of less than 300,000, even in the height of summer when we visited, it didn’t feel hectic or overrun with tourists. Ljubljana is a pretty city that’s easy to explore on foot, with its historic castle perched on a hill and the Ljubljanica River, crisscrossed by bridges and lined in outdoor cafes, bars and restaurants curving through the centre and.

Credit: Ljubljana Tourism Most Photos

There are plenty of hotel options, with the likes of the InterContinental Ljubljana, Grand Plaza Hotel & Congress Center and Radisson Blu Plaza, Ljubljana, all offering flexible meeting spaces and ideal for larger conferences and events. Other options include Hotel Occidental Ljubljana from the Barceló hotel group, which opened last September and offers 148 rooms, and the Zlata Ladjica Boutique Hotel, located in one of the oldest buildings in Ljubljana and offering 15 rooms.

Ljubljana offers an array of diverse experiences and activities that can be incorporated into incentive programmes, from river cruises, paddle boarding and kayaking to baking, wine tasting or CSR programmes.

Ljubljana Tourism recently unveiled three new experiences to explore the city’s culinary scene including the revamped Yummy Market Walk, a tasting tour which invites groups to explore seven tasting stations, each showcasing the best of Slovenian cuisine and culture, in the city’s vibrant market, or the Ljubljana Region Gourmet Experience. This exclusive tour offers a unique opportunity to explore the lush countryside of Ljubljana and discover Slovenia’s top gourmet destinations including a visit to the Orešnik Cheese Farm and the Grič Restaurant, helmed by the acclaimed chef Luka Košir.

Beyond the capital

Surrounded by the Julian Alps and Triglav National Park and probably one of Slovenia’s best known tourist hotspots, Lake Bled is a must see. Less than an hour’s drive from the capital, it can easily be done in a day trip from Ljubljana. Groups can visit Bled castle set up on the cliff which offers amazing views of the lake and the surrounding Julian Alps, visit Bled Island on a traditional wooden boat (pletna) and ring the wishing bell, swim, paddle board, kayak or fish, take a ride on the summer toboggan and much more.

There are miles of pristine hiking paths and mountain valleys to explore throughout the area, and Bled also makes a great base to get the adrenalin pumping in the nearby Soca Valley, with ziplining, mountain biking, rafting, kayaking and canyoning among the activities on offer. I tried both rafting and ziplining, which were brilliant fun, but chickened out of the canyoning (my husband and son did it and had a blast!).

Slovenia has just 30 miles of coastline on the Adriatic Sea (sandwiched between Italy and Croatia), but it certainly makes the most of it. The large resort town of Portoroz has plenty of high-end hotel options including a Kempinski, while Piran, a small, picturesque town featuring Venetian architecture, is worth exploring.

We ran out of time (giving us a good excuse to return) to explore the Karst region, a limestone plateau known for its underground rivers, gorges, and caves, and home to many attractions that would be a great addition to incentive itineraries. These include the Škocjan caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Postojna cave, the largest and most visited cave with underground tunnels, halls, stalactites, and stalagmites, and the Predjama castle which is built into the cliff and has its own cave system.

So if you’re looking for a relatively undiscovered incentive option in Europe, Slovenia has a lot to offer and is definitely worth considering.