Portorož will celebrate World Tourism Day with an afternoon and evening dedicated to gastronomy, music, hospitality and the people who contribute every day to the tourism story of the destination. The event will also provide an opportunity to highlight the strong results of the summer season and the role of Portorož & Piran as an attractive year-round destination.
Tourism tells stories of hospitality, connects people and enriches the places where we live. In this spirit, the Portorož Tourist Board will celebrate World Tourism Day on Saturday, 3 October 2026, at Trg prekomorskih brigad in Portorož.
The programme will begin at 4:00 PM with the Culinary Promenade. Local producers and providers will serve a selection of Istrian specialities, including homemade pljukanci pasta with porcini mushrooms and Istrian sausage, fish burgers, lemon noodles with prawns, and mixed shellfish prepared alla buzara. The culinary offer will be complemented by excellent Istrian wines. Taking part in the promenade will be Hiša Dual, Sava Hoteli – St. Bernardin Resort, Gorki Chilli, Altroke, Nitprint, Pikine dobrote, Grand event catering, Limoni Šik and Vina Kralj & Krmac.
The main evening programme will begin at 6:30 PM, opening with the selection of Miss Tourism Slovenia 2026. The new Slovenian representative will travel to China in December to take part in the Miss Tourism World competition. More than 60 representatives from around the world participate in the event, taking part in cultural and promotional activities and presenting the tourism highlights of their respective countries. The Slovenian competition has been organised for more than a decade under the auspices of the Miss Association, which holds the exclusive licence rights for the competition.
The evening, hosted by Iztok Gustinčič, will also feature the ceremonial presentation of the Coat of Arms of Excellence in Tourism, awarded by the Municipality of Piran. Music and dance entertainment will be provided by Lea Sirk, Žiga Rustja, Minka Lavrič, Funk Affair, violinist Barbara Zalaznik and dancers from the SWANK Dance Club. Members of the Rosa Klementina association will also add to the programme.
Admission to the event is free. In case of bad weather, the event will take place at the Portus Congress Centre, LifeClass Hotels & Spa. The event is organised by the Portorož Tourist Board in cooperation with the Misson Agency, with LifeClass Hotels & Spa as the event partner.
Summer brought strong tourism results
The destination Portorož & Piran recorded 952,613 overnight stays from June to August, 2% more than in the same period last year. Domestic guests accounted for almost a quarter of all overnight stays, while the leading foreign markets were Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Italy. Positive tourism trends are continuing in September. In the first 25 days of the month, the destination recorded 200,486 overnight stays, 5% more than in the same period last year.
In the first eight months of the year, the destination welcomed 461,075 guests, who generated 1,466,129 overnight stays. Both arrivals and overnight stays were around 2% higher than in the same period last year.
The Portorož Tourist Board focuses its promotional activities primarily on periods outside the main summer season. In autumn, the focus shifts to wellness, outdoor activities, gastronomy, authentic experiences and events. Cooperation with local tourism providers also plays an important role, as only a diverse and high-quality offer can attract visitors throughout the year. Autumn is additionally appealing thanks to more pleasant temperatures, fewer crowds and numerous opportunities for relaxation and outdoor activities in nature. At the same time, the congress tourism season has also begun, bringing more business guests to the destination during this period.
