Felicity Long
As the hunt continues for lesser-known European destinations that travel advisors can suggest to clients, Visit Europe, the marketing arm of the European Travel Commission, is teaming up with travel market platform New Deal Europe to showcase some of the southeastern portion of the Continent.
The campaign, called Alps2Adriatic, is aimed at introducing the North American market to several regions: Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Italy; Slovenia’s Julian Alps, Vipava Valley and Karst; and Umag resort in Croatia.
During the campaign, which will run through the end of the year, organizers will participate in sales visits across North America, host webinars for travel advisors and engage with travel media in a coordinated, multipronged approach.
They will also take part in three major trade shows: the USTOA Annual Conference & Marketplace, set to take place Dec. 1 to 5 in Maryland; the NTA Travel Exchange, set for Nov. 9 to 12 in Ottawa; and the Signature Travel Network annual conference, to be held in Las Vegas Nov. 10 to 13.
Why this part of Europe in particular?
“The Alps2Adriatic region is full of history, character and real hospitality. It’s not overrun, and it rewards people who want to become fully immersed in all it has to offer,” said Katja Kralj, coordinator of the project and representative of the Vipava Valley.
“It’s important for us to work together across borders,” she said, adding: This region is … full of contrasts, but there’s a real unity in how we want to welcome travelers. For the North American market, where people are looking for authentic and meaningful experiences, we believe we have a lot to offer.”
Robert Dee, co-founder of New Deal Europe, highlighted the region’s natural landscapes, historical architecture, its wine and gastronomy and its commitment to sustainability.
“We want to help the trade understand how to package all this and make it part of their regular sales portfolio,” he said.
What the region offers guests
Highlights in the region include Lake Bohinj in Slovenia; the border towns of Nova Gorica and Gorizia, once separated by the Iron Curtain and this year’s joint European Capital of Culture; the Skocjan Caves, a Unesco World Heritage Site, and the Lipizzaner stud farm in Slovenia; Umag, Croatia, known for its luxury hotels and organic wines and olive oils; and Trieste, Italy, the former imperial port of the Hapsburgs.
The Alps2Adriatic campaign is co-funded by the European Travel Commission as part of it wider efforts to support long-haul tourism and highlight Europe’s lesser-known destinations.
New Deal Europe Marketplace and Forum will take place in London on March 24.
The organization represents tourism boards, hotels, DMCs and attractions in 12 countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. It supports business development and growth through events, training courses and media campaigns.