Ljubljana has comparative advantages and the experience necessary to occupy a better position in the market of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe in particular. Analysis of the relevance and effectiveness of competitiveness factors of the convention destination, Ljubljana reveals that the location factor, conference facilities and outside congress activities, are assessed as successful and are at the same time important for the competitiveness of the destination. Ljubljana less successfully meets the criteria of accessibility, quality of service, information or image, local support, accommodation facilities, which are all rated as very important factors of competitiveness. Given that it is precisely these criteria that play an extremely important role in choosing the destination and hence its positioning on the international market, they should be given more attention in the future.
Comparison with the region:
According to its conference and accommodation infrastructure, Ljubljana belongs to the group of capitals suitable for medium-sized and smaller meetings (up to 2.500 participants). It is positioned side by side with the new EU member states and geographically in the region of the Western Balkans. Thus, according to congress stakeholders in Ljubljana the most competitive destinations are Zagreb, Belgrade, Prague and Budapest. Compared to the newer EU capitals and countries of South East Europe, Ljubljana is ranked in the second half. It is preceded by Budapest and Vilnius, and we should also highlight the rapid growth of Belgrade. While most countries and cities in Europe, including New York, recorded a minimal decrease in the number of congresses, the cities in our immediate vicinity, mainly from South East Europe, recorded a fall on a smaller scale or record growth. At the end of last year in order to give Ljubljana a new sales and promotional momentum, a partnership called Ljubljana Strategic Bidding Team (LSBT), was established; it is composed of interested partners from both the private and public area.
