SOČA EVERGREEN
DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING STRATEGY FOR SOČA VALLEY TOURISM 2025+
Summary DRAFTING PROCESS
ANALYSIS STRATEGY PLAN PRESENTATIONS HOW TO ACHIEVE IMPLEMENTATION WHERE ARE WE? WHERE FROM HERE? THE GOALS? AGREEMENT Situation Analysis Different perspectives Proposals for solutions Confirmation
Nov 2018 - Jan 2019 Jan - Mar 2019 Mar - Aug 2019 Aug 2019 - Jul 2020
3 5 6 2 more than10 surveys workshops in-depth public coordination with 238 with more than interviews presentations meetings responders 260 attendants and 37 written responses
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN THE SOČA VALLEY AS A DESTINATION Bovec, Kobarid, Tolmin, Kanal ob Soči
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN STRATEGY CONTENT
1 2 3 4
ANALYSIS STRATEGY with DEVELOPMENT AND DIAGNOSIS vision and position PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Challenge 1 Restarting tourism after COVID-19
Slovenian Tourist Board predicts a 60% drop in overnight stays compared to 2019
WTTC predicts a 20–30% drop
Soča Valley Tourist Board predicts about a 50% drop, depending upon border closings, and 2–3 years to recover
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Challenge 2 The destination’s fragmented nature and complexity
4 municipalities > 800 accommodation providers circa 13,300 beds > 40 agencies > 300,000 tourists > 800,000 overnight stays
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Challenge 3 Managing tourist flows and hotspots Increasing overnight stays from 2008 to 2019
Overnight stays in Soča Valley municipalities from 2008–2019
486,798
202,297
162,568 161,160
61,334 36,992 8,197 1,030
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Challenge 4 Managing tourist flows and hotspots
Between 25,000 and 30,000 tourists per day, but 18,300 residents
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Challenge 5 The destination’s seasonal nature and the professionalization of tourism
• 87% arrivals and overnight stays from May to September • 57% over all overnight stays in July and August
Overnight stays in the Soča Valley’s municipalities in 2018
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Challenge 6 Quality of services and experiences
Travelling to a mature destination increases visitors’ expectations
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN THE SOČA VALLEY 2025+ VISION
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN THE SOČA VALLEY 2025+ will be the LEADING YEAR-ROUND ALPINE DESTINATION, with with a range of outdoor and heritage experiences between the Alps and the Mediterranean. comprehensive range of outdoor the Mediterranean and cultural evergreen backyard of experiences destination the Julian Alps
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN WHAT DO WE AIM TO ACHIEVE?
Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3 Objective 4
Restart after Year-round Quality Sustainable COVID-19 approach and Value Management
• Setting standards • Increasing tourist • Increasing added • Reducing visitors’ and redesigning traffic outside of the value and the amount carbon footprint tourist services peak tourist season tourists spend per day • Increasing green • Keeping jobs and • Increasing the • Increasing the quality awareness and the increasing businesses’ number of full-time and competitiveness sustainable operation flexibility tourism employees off experiences of all stakeholders offered • Adapted marketing • Maintaining our • Established systems aimed at maintaining reputation in • Quality local product’s and methods of the destination’s traditional markets branding and identity effectively managing reputation in foreign and increasing it tourist flows markets in new ones • At the very least maintaining the • Preserving the valley’s • Redesigned average length of stay identity and heritage approaches to more clearly communicating green priorities
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN SUSTAINABLE SPATIAL CONCEPT
• Tourist Hubs • Outdoor hotspots • Green side valleys and Alpine meadows • Long-distance hiking trails • The Slovenian Mountain Hiking Trail
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN STRATEGIC MODEL with 4 priority areas Green destination
Promotion and marketing
Products and Management services Collaboration Year-round destination Year-round
Tourist infrastructure
Quality and value SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Tourist infrastructure
Objective: Measures:
Continued improvements 1. Infrastructure and coordinated regulations and upgrades to tourist for outdoor activities infrastructure and 2. Infrastructure at points of interest management systems, 3. Attracting investors for strategic investments and a integrated 4. Encouraging small-scale investments approach to sustainable in businesses – selectively spatial management through 5. A system of sustainable mobility throughout the Soča Valley the Soča Valley 6. Comprehensive spatial and environmental planning in support of the green destination Tourist infrastructure and plans Results:
Increased quality of Cycling network: 3 long-distance A common approach At least 10 public services and user 50 km of paths trails and 300 km of to take off and landing natural and cultural experience for all through the valley, marked, sites for paragliders, heritage sites visitors 5 MTB areas, well-maintained, with improved logistics upgraded 1 long-distance trail, and GPS-supported 3 family-friendly trails hiking trails
A new location for Establishing Established common At least 45 Acquired investors for TIC Tolmin and systematic monitoring, mechanisms and microinvestments half of public-private establishment of TIC and visitor management regimes supported planned projects Most na Soči management of hot for visitors, traffic, spots activities, and spatial and environmental management
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Water sports
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Paragliding
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Cycling
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Hiking
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Investments in points of interest and major public, PPP and private infrastructure projects
PPP
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Sustainable mobility
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Guidelines for the spatial development of tourism and land use change
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Products and Services
Objective: Measures:
A lively, well-designed, 1. Making a range of products and services for comprehensive range of the whole year products and services for 2. Increasing the quality of products and services, the Soča Valley, with more and repositioning prices supply than demand, 3. Developing 5-star experiences and increasing the meaningfulness of existing products and services recognizable hospitality, for visitors, including the product and service deficit and a strong network of 4. Networking providers and creating a comprehensive interrelated providers range of products and services 5. Improving culinary products and services
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Products and Services Results:
The connected Joint efforts to extend An improved range of Improved cultural New modules for provider network the season: weekend products and services, tourism programs with experiences and SOČA EVERGREEN deals, season with directed regular schedules services targeting TEAM, 6 x product openings (kayaking, development of wellness group, experience fishing, etc.), New outdoor products manager Year’s packages (infrastructure, quality, regulation)
Common Soča The SOČA Three new 5-star Integrated culinary Developing a model of Valley/Julian Alps EVERGREEN Team experiences products with marketing and promoting typical ingredients and brand with a quality Building scheme: according to the STB year-long operation dishes from the Soča certificate: 20 different providers criteria and a popular Valley: 1 campaign per 40 different services, supported international culinary year, e.g. “Tolminc on products, and festival every table”, and a pilot experiences project of collaboration with the herder community
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN IMPROVED RANGE OF OUTDOOR PRODUCTS DEVELOPING CULTURAL TOURISM
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Management
Objective: Measures:
With partners for the 1. Strengthening the management of the destination professional and effective 2. Human resources development for tourism management of the Soča businesses Valley as a destination 3. The excellence of Soča Valley: ensuring standards of excellence throughout the destination 4. Research, development, and innovation 5. Establishing partnerships with other destinations Management Results:
Soča Valley Tourist Platform for destination A permanent program Board = a strong, collaboration, the SOČA for acquiring and professional DMMO EVERGREEN training employees for with a bolstered Partnership, including the needs of a tourist development and SOČA VALLEY economy management function, AMBASSADORS and with stable financing
Destination and A system for advising Assured coordinated provider quality brands tourism providers development of tourist obtained hubs and green side valleys, meadows, and plateaus
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Management scheme
Council of Soča Valley Tourist Board The director of Soča Valley Tourist Board BOARD OF EXPERTS, DESTINATION COORDINATION in a 3-month along with destination ambassadors expanded collegium of mayors from the Soča Valley
PROMOTION AND INFORMATION & INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT, QUALITY TRAINING PERSONNEL MARKETING DISTRIBUTION TOURIST FLOWS AND INNOVATION (RDA)
Monitoring visits and Product development and Managing experiences* TIC Bovec Tourist guides and collaborating in designing support for product groups* interpreters management regimes for Managing the local TIC Kobarid Internet and social media outdoor activities and traffic* product quality brand* Training existing human Maintenance of hiking trails Managing the green TIC Tolmin resources (RDA) and other infrastructure in scheme Marketing Working with young agreement with Directing the development TIC Kanal people and providing municipalities of microdestinations* scholarships Promotional events Contractual TIC: Managing points of Undertaking and leading Podbrdo, Most na Soči* interest projects Tourist startup Media, PR and crisis Developing and accelerator* (RDA) communication Booking center Advising tourism providers* managing a visitor’s card Brand management* Information and Planning and constructing Research, analysis, HRD for tourism (RDA) communication platform new tourist infrastructure and strategy Coordination Networking Collaboration Inclusion INDICATIVE PRODUCT GROUPS, proposed and managed by providers themselves (groups form dynamically, and are adapted to providers’ needs and interests)
Water sports Cycling Hiking Cuisine Culture Well-being Winter Other initiatives (relaxing escapes)
Accommodation Food service Institutional Partners in Slovenia Experience providers Other providers providers stakeholders and abroad
TASK FORCES for targeted campaigns and projects Promotion and marketing
Objective: Measures:
Strengthen the Soča Valley’s 1. Setting up a comprehensive communication platform position as the Mediterranean for the destination and elaborating the brand backyard to the Julian Alps, architecture and system for the Soča Valley. the perfect place for a visit all 2. More precise profiling and familiarization with target groups and visitor interests. year round. 3. Comprehensive development of internal communication and marketing within the destination itself (internal communication, strengthening partnerships, Soča Evergreen Team). 4. 360-degree development and management of owned media (content marketing). 5. Comprehensive and targeted management of digital and traditional media. 6. Management and development of a reservation system.
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Promotion and marketing Results:
Strengthened A common reservation Achieving objectives for reputation of the Soča system for marketing product campaigns that Valley as a destination and sales experiences, target specific target all year round, with and increased revenues groups in collaboration increased visits from selling experiences with the local providers outside of the high season (June, July, August)
Sustainable behavior Regular communication Regular communication of both providers and and networking with with residents in the guests providers within the Soča Valley in order to destination increase hospitality (SOČA EVERGREEN PARTNERSHIP, SOČA EVERGREEN AMBASSADORS)
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Positioning the Soča Valley
Destination Soča position Valley
Regional Julian position Alps Friuli Venezia Giulia
National I Feel position Slovenia
International Europe, Alpe Adria position Unesco MAB Trail
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN IMPLEMENTATION joint responsibility SOČA EVERGREEN PARTNERSHIP
RDA and Local action groups Investors Municipalities with public services Societies SočaValley Tourist Board
Government Triglav Providers National Park
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN THE SOČA VALLEY 2025+ SOČA TODAY EVERGREEN
A destination of diverse A destination for outdoor activities experiences A popular destination for water The Mediterranean backyard of the Alps (adrenaline) sports for “green” and active getaways Summer destination Year-round destination
Amount Quality and value
Tourism = supplemental income Tourism = the principle profession Comprehensive, collaborative, Scattered and unconnected and well-managed Vulnerable and conventional Stronger and open to innovation SVTB: Destination marketing SVTB: Promotion and marketing and management SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN THE SOČA VALLEY 2025+ SOČA EVERGREEN
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN List of abbreviations used
DMMO = Destination Management and Marketing Organization STB = Slovenian Tourist Board SV = Soča Valley SVTB = Soča Valley Tourist Board (Turizem Doline Soče) SVDC = Soča Valley Development Center (Posoški razvojni center) TIC = Tourist Information Center WTTC = World Travel & Tourism Council RDA = Regional Development Agency
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN Summary of the Development and Marketing Strategy for Soča Valley Tourism 2025+ Client: Turizem Dolina Soče, Rupa 17, SI-5230 Bovec For: Janko Humar, director
Project team: • K&Z, Development Consulting l.t.d. (development, investment, and project planning) Slavka Zupan
• NEA CULPA l.t.d. (marketing and development in tourism) Neja Petek, Petra Goneli
• GOODPLACE l.t.d. (development in tourism) Jan Klavora
• Presledek. (architecture and spatial planning) Vid Zabel, Martin Kruh
Maps: Vid Zabel Photography: Cover Shutterstock.com, others from Mediateka STB and the Nea Culpa archive
Document created: November 2018 – February 2020, supplemented April 2020
SOČA VALLEY 2025 + SOČA EVERGREEN