Tourist Association of Slovenia

Established in 1905 and still the main national tourist organisation, the Tourist Association of Slovenia is voluntaristic, interest-based, non-profit, non-governmental and non-political. The highest organ of the TZS is its Assembly, composed of delegates of the Association’s member organisations and societies. Nowadays it brings together 530 tourist societies which perform their tasks on the principle of public interest and as institutions of civil society, 30 municipality and regional unions and other associations, 200 junior tourist societies and 75 tourist information centres, all connected in a network of tourist information centres of Slovenia.

The goal of the TZS is to take an active role in tourism in collaboration with the private and public sector. Under the slogan ‘Tourism is People’, it fosters innovative approaches and creativity in both professional and amateur activities in tourism, and holds regular workshops, festivals, evaluations, round tables and seminars. Its past projects have included: ‘My Country - Beautiful and Hospitable’, ‘Spring Cleaning (of the Environment)’, ‘Towards Openness, Tidiness and Hospitality at Border Crossings’, ‘Tourist Ecological Microscope’, ‘Tourist Post Office Box’, ‘Tourism as an Educational Subject in Ninth-grade Elementary School’, ‘Known and Unknown Regions across the Border’, ‘The Slovene Language and Tourism’ and the 'Tourist Event Calendar', plus a range of tourist consumer protection programmes.

The free phone line (8am-7pm) is at the disposal of tourists and tourist workers who are invited to express their ideas, proposals and recommendations. TZS is the organiser of the festival Turizmu pomaga lastna glava ('Tourism Assisted by my Own Ideas') programme and takes part in the organisation of numerous fairs. TZS was also the organiser of the Year of Tourism 1993-1994, the Year of Culture 1997, the Year of Sports 1998, the Year of Slovene Cuisine and Wine in Tourism 1999-2000, the Year of Natural Beauty and Cultural Heritage 2001-2002 and the Year of Knowledge, Youth and Tourism 2003-2004. TZS also co-ordinates activities on the International Day of Tourism, held on 27 September each year. It publishes the monthly magazine Lipov list ('The Linden Leaf') as well as a series of publications in the series Turistična misel ('Ideas in Tourism') and also has a rich library of its own.

TZS collaborates with various associations and organisations that are connected with tourism, including Turistica - College of Tourism Portorož, higher vocational training institutions in Bled and Maribor and secondary-level hospitality schools around the country, and with the Faculty of Social Sciences and Faculty of Economics at the University of Ljubljana. It also participates in some common programmes with the Employment Office, the Education Office and the Centre for Development of Entrepreneurship. TZS works hand in hand with the Ministry of the Economy and other ministries, with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (GZS) and with the Chamber of Crafts. It takes an active role in the Council of the Republic of Slovenia Government for Tourism and collaborates with the Parliament of Slovenia. TZS is a co-signatory of the social agreement 'Slovenia the Innovative Society' and also co-operates with the World Tourism Organisation (WTO).

Tourist Association of Slovenia

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