It was established in 1905 as the Country Association for Development of Tourism in Kranjska
The TZS (Turistična zveza Slovenije = Tourist Association of Slovenia) is a national association, it is voluntary, nonprofits, and interest based, non-governmental and non-political.
There are:
607 tourist societies in the associations performing their tasks on the principles 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 the network of Community of tourist information centres of Slovenia.
There are also 16 collective members in TZS.
The goal of the TZS is to take active part in tourism, together with the private and public sector and to maintain its position as an equal partner. The new initiatives and activities, contents and projects have been put forward in order to promote the slogan Tourism is People. The activities of the TZS help the national tourism to be effective, the GDP growth, public awareness and promotion of Slovenia as the green oasis of Europe .
The main prerogatives of the TZS are legally based on legislation of the associations, its statute, and strategy of development of tourism and tourist legislation. The TZS helps shaping tourist activities, offers and goals and the propulsive tourist policies of the state thus helping to bring forth successful results.
Basic and sustainable goals:
- Fostering and co-creating basis of tourism development as the quality life factor in combination with ecological, cultural, sports and entertainment elements
- Developing tourism as an exceptional economic, social, cultural and civilisation step ahead of the regions and the RS
- Protection of the environment is the basis of quality tourism and recreation
- Public and especially youth awareness of tourism and tourist's approach to life style
- Evokes and fosters:
* Research activity in tourism and for the tourism purposes
* General and specific education of youth and other populations for the needs of tourism
* Innovativeness and creativity of amateur activities in tourism
* Development of economic and other activities involved in tourism
* Development of tourism in the area of local self-management
* Quality in all areas, entrepreneurship, marketing, promotion, research, information of tourism
- Shaping up of the Slovene national and tourist identity and self-confidence both at home and abroad
- Activities supporting the Slovenia 's strive for its recognition in Europe and in the world
- Congruent activities in public and private sector and amateurs in tourism
- Fostering more active tourist policy of Slovenia and more coordinated activities on the national level
- Offering skilled support to amateur tourist activities
- Organising events, tenders for best souvenirs, participation at fairs
- Participating at countryside tourist activity, old city centres, castles, Karst caves, forest areas and others
- Developing tourist information system
- Fostering hospitality and kindness
- Tourist as a consumer protection
Project Execution
Is the principle of the TZS in connection with the individuals, every second inhabitant of Slovenia has been “tourist” active, public institutions, local management, schools, other associations and media.
The projects have been:
- My country - beautiful and hospitable
- Spring-cleaning (of the environment)
- Towards openness, tidiness and hospitability at the border crossings
- Tourist ecological microscope
- Tourist phone 080 1900
- Tourist post office box
- Helping tourism with my own ideas (tourism and the school children)
- Tourism as an educational subject in the nine-grade elementary school
- Souvenir of Slovenia
- Tourist event calendar
- Tourist information system
- Know and unknown region across the border
- Tourist consumer protection
- TZS Library
- Tourist ideas
- Cycling and tourism
- Slovene language and tourism
- Public awareness of tourism and coexistence with tourism
- Tourist mapping
- Tourist places development - activities of the inhabitants
- Slovene tourist roads
- Tourist forest and other educational paths
- Outing in tourism
- Wine growing and tourism
- Tourism in forests
- Safety - an element of quality tourism
- From the water spring to the sea
- Shopping in tourism
- Knowledge, youth and tourism
Activities and Working Methods
The TZS holds regular staff meetings, press conferences, counselling, workshops, festivals, evaluations, round tables, forums, polls and lectures, seminars, and other forms of education. The TZS works hand in hand with the Ministry of Economics and other ministries, the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Craftsmen of Slovenia. Takes active part in the Council of the RS Government for Tourism and collaborates with the Parliament of Slovenia.
The TZS is the organiser of the festival Turizmu pomaga lastna glava (Helping tourism with my own ideas), and takes part in fairs. The TZS was the organizer of the Year of Tourism in 1993/94, Year of Culture in 1997, Year of Sports in 1998, Year of Slovene Cuisine and Wine in Tourism in 1999/2000, Year of the Natural Beauty and Cultural Heritage in 2001/2002 and the Year of Knowledge, Youth and Tourism in 2003/2004.
The TZS publishes the monthly magazine Lipov list (The Linden Leaf), a series of publications Turistična misel (Ideas in Tourism) and has a rich library of its own. The TZS coordinates activities on the International Day of Tourism, September 27 each year. The TZS collaborates with associations and organisations that are connected with tourism (The Cultural Organisations of Slovenia, The Alpine Union of Slovenia, The Holiday Union, The Boy Scouts, Motoring Association of Slovenia, Ecological Movement etc. The TZS has been the member of the Slovene Council of Association Organisation of Slovenia, collaborates with other similar organisations across the border, tourist organisations of the Slovene minorities and the emigrants and with the WTO, the World Tourist Organisation etc....
Collaboration with educational institutions
The TZS has had a productive relationship with Turistica - Higher Vocational School in Portorož, Higher Vocational Institutions at Bled and in Maribor , secondary hospitality schools and the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Economics of the University of Ljubljana . The educational institutions have been the collective members of the TZS.
Common programmes
The TZS is the co-founder of the Slovene Tourist Organisation. The TZS has some common programmes with the Republiškim zavodom za zaposlovanje (The Employment Office of RS), Zavodom za šolstvo (The Education Office of RS), Upravo za kulturno dediščino RS (The Cultural Heritage Authority of RS) and with Pospeševalnim centrom za malo gospodarstvo (The Centre for Development of Entrepreneurship). The TZS is the co-signatory of the social agreement – Slovenia the Innovative Society.
The organs of the TZS
The highest organ of the TZS is the Assembly, composed of the delegates of the Association Member organizations - societies.
The Assembly convenes every four years and elects the members of the organs of the TZS that are: the executive board, presidency (the informal body), the supervisory board, disciplinary board, the president and five vice-presidents. The secretary general of the TZS is appointed by the executive board of the TZS.
Commissions
There are the following working commissions:
• Permanent commissions
• for tourism development
• for development of the society associations
• for human resources, awards and legal matters
• for youth and education
• for rural tourism development
• for environment protection
• for promotion and information
• for culture
• Periodical commissions
• for tourism protection in the forest areas
• for tourist as a consumer protection
• for sports
• Project councils and committees
• for the project My Country - Beautiful and Hospitable
• for openness, tidiness and hospitality at the border crossings
• for the project Cycling in tourism
• for the project Holidays of the domestic tourist
• for the project of volunteering
• for the European hiking paths
• for the world of ecotourism
• for the programme Knowledge, Youth and Tourism 2003/2004
• coordination committee for the Natural valuables, cultural heritage and tourism 2001/2002
• editors for the magazine Lipov list (The Linden Leaf)
Ready for suggestions and initiatives
The executive programme of the TZS is always open to suggestions and new proposals and initiatives, especially to those brought forth by the development of tourism. Inside the TZS the development is taken care of by the executive board, presidency, commissions – permanent and periodical, project boards, and other working bodies. Other outside bodies are invited to collaborate, so are the individuals and institutions.
The president of the TZS
DOMINIK. S. ČERNJAK
Vice presidents:
Dino Pucer (Ankaran), Alojz Šoster ( Ljubljana ), Štefan Dravec (Murska Sobota), Jože Kandolf (Velenje) and Anton Rous ( Maribor )
The General Secretary:
KARMEN GREBENC BURGER |
