An important focus this year is the search for a variety of accommodation capacities, both in hotels and in non-hotel accommodation (apartments, campsites, mobile homes, glamping sites). There is also a noticeable demand for renovated facilities, especially of a higher quality and price class, which undoubtedly justifies all investments, especially for the target group of couples and guests who want a more individual, boutique vacation. A noticeable trend is also the search for the possibility of trips to the surroundings, both on walking and hiking paths and bicycle trips. Investing in environmentally friendly programs and obtaining the Slovenia Green environmental mark in many Slovenian natural Spas also play an important role in raising awareness among guests. All these measures are not recognizable at first glance, but investments in, for example, returning unused thermal water to aquifers are certainly a measure for the future and, as such, very important.

The structure of guests is expected, with a slight drop in the number of domestic guests, who were still using tourist vouchers at the beginning of 2022. In addition to guests from neighbouring countries and Germany, the increased number of guests from the so-called Visegrad group, especially from the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, and now at the peak of the season, also guests from Benelux, is particularly impressive. By the end of the summer and further, into the fall, we hope for slightly better results due to short-term decisions and reservations.

Further information prepared by individual Spa companies can be found below:

TERME ČATEŽ THERMAL SPA

This year, Terme Čatež received two flattering awards for Terme Village – camp, namely ‘The best Slovenian camp’ according to ADAC and ACSI. More at https://www.terme-catez.si/en/events-and-news/2023/07/4619-Camp-Terme-Catez-is-once-again-the-best-camp-in-Slovenia 

For decades, Terme Čatež has been synonymous with tourism 365 days, we are open all year round, and in the summer months the occupancy is even higher due to the holidays of domestic and foreign guests.

At the beginning of the summer, the resort presented and offered guests a new application that enables the purchase of all-day tickets for the Thermal Riviera and valuable gift vouchers for all the services of Terme Čatež.

TERME DOBRNA THERMAL SPA

During the entire first half of the year, the resort recorded good occupancy of accommodation capacities in Terme Dobrna, comparable to last year. In this year’s summer months, they expect an additional increase compared to last year.

Compared to last year, the resort has noticed changes in the share of occupancy by foreign guests in 2023. As expected, the number of visitors from abroad increased, with the largest number of German, Austrian and Italian guests.

In the first half of the year, they opened a renovated Hotel Švicarija in Terme Dobrna, which has come to life perfectly and is very popular among guests both in the summer months and in the autumn and winter, the right choice for all those who swear by wellness pampering. With the included wellness and spa offer available at Hotel Švicarija, Terma Dobrna is thus expanding its accommodation boutique complex, which also includes Spa Suite apartments and Boutique Hotel Dobrna.

TERME KRKA THERMAL SPAS

According to their estimates, the 2023 summer season will be similar to the summers of previous years – they expect loyal domestic guests both in the Terme Šmarješke Toplice and Terme Dolenjske Toplice, as well as in the coastal Talas Strunjan. Also, they are recording a lot of reservations by foreign guests. Most of them are from Italy and other neighbouring countries, as well as Germany and the Czech Republic.

Classic thermal vacations, accommodation in the renovated Strunjan Lagoon and holidays with elements of mindfulness are at the forefront in the Terme Dolenjske Toplice. This year, guests are choosing longer vacation stays of a few days – they are interested in attractive, modern and uniquely equipped accommodation units, beautifully landscaped natural surroundings, safe and well-kept swimming pools, an offer of various relaxation and sports activities and getting to know the environment.

They want high-quality and above-standard services, food made from top-quality local ingredients, and above all, personal treatment. Terme Krka offers them all this – as an authentic experience.

THERMANA LAŠKO THERMAL SPA

Occupancy in July and in the first half of the year is in line with the company’s expectations and plans. In the month of July, they recorded more domestic guests than foreign guests. The structure of foreign markets is very diverse, from Italian, Belgian, Austrian, Croatian guests and others. They are also satisfied with the trend of bookings for the coming months and expect slightly higher occupancy than last year.

Already in the past years, with the dispersion of tourist flows, Thermana Laško achieved that there are no seasonal fluctuations in occupancy or are minimal. Every year, they carefully select updates to their offer, both in terms of content and additional offers.

SAVA TOURISM

Occupancy in the first half of this year in the Sava Hotels & Resorts group was good in all seven resorts – Sava Hoteli Bled, Terme Ptuj, Terme 3000 – Moravske Toplice, Zdravilišče Radenci, St. Bernardin resort Portorož, San Simon resort Izola and Salinera resort Strunjan, comparable or even higher in some places compared to last year.

Based on the current demand in the Sava Hotels & Resorts group, they estimate that occupancy during the summer holidays will also be good.

For this summer, a structure of 30% domestic guests and 70% foreign guests is indicated. Guests from the following foreign countries predominate Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Croatia…

This year, the proportion of foreign guests is increasing, especially those who arrive by car. Visegrad markets are growing, overseas markets are slowly picking up.

This year, the following renovations are planned and carried out:

HEALTH RESORT ZDRAVILIŠČE RADENCI

An increase in the number of various saunas and restrooms in the Zdravilišče Radenci will meet the demand and wishes of our guests.

TERME 3000 – MORAVSKE TOPLICE THERMAL SPA

At Terme 3000 – Moravske Toplice, they operate sustainably, as it is important to the company that the operations put as little burden on nature as possible. For bathing and heating needs, they pump close to 1 million cubic Liters of thermal water every year. The underground base from which this water comes has enough water and its level is not falling. However, in order to ensure this for future generations, they decided to return part of the pumped water to the bowels of the earth and thus ensure that future generations will also be able to enjoy the beneficial effects of the black thermo-mineral water without hesitation.

SAVA HOTELS & RESORTS

In recent years, they have carried out several energy-saving investment measures, i.e. energy rehabilitation of buildings, such as thermal envelopes, replacement of joinery and rehabilitation of energy systems, which affect energy savings. They have implemented quite a few energy-saving measures in recent years as part of a more sustainable operating concept (energy-saving light bulbs, faucet aerators, waste compression). These measures, both sustainable and cost-saving, naturally do not affect the comfort of guests.

In the long term, they will focus on the introduction of new alternative energy sources, such as solar energy for the preparation of hot sanitary water and the additional use of geothermal energy.

OLIMIA THERMAL SPA

At Terme Olimia, they are very satisfied with the number of visits and occupancy, as it has significantly exceeded last year’s, with the biggest difference in apartments.

They are aware of the importance of protecting nature and accordingly strive to maintain a healthy and clean environment. Economical behaviour directs them to the set goal: to preserve the natural environment, which ennobles their offer. The advantage is that they include all environmental aspects in a comprehensive way, on the one hand, in existing processes, and on the other, in development and investment projects.

In 2022, they obtained the Green Key sustainability label, a leading standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation in the tourism industry. The obtained standard means the company’s commitment to comply with the strict criteria set by the International Foundation for Environmental Education FEE.

LIFECLASS HOTELS & SPA PORTOROŽ

In the first half of the year, occupancy was at the level of last year. In terms of occupancy, the summer season will also be comparable to the previous year. According to the current data, the month of July is still slightly behind last year, but the prospects for August are better for the time being compared to 2022. According to the reservations, the situation changes daily – the performance in July will mainly depend on the second half of the month. So far, it shows similar occupancy results as we recorded last year.

This year, as expected, there were fewer Slovenian guests, but they were replaced by guests from Austria, Italy, Germany and the Visegrad markets (Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic). The biggest shift is recorded in the mentioned Visegrad markets, and Hungary (we noticed this already last year) and the Czech Republic (a big shift compared to last year) stands out among them. Overnight stays by Italian guests also increased in July and August.

TERME ZREČE THERMAL SPA

Terme Zreče generated 10,740 overnight stays this July so far, which is 3.6% more than in July 2022, while in the first half of 2023, they generated 56,465 overnight stays, which is 10% more than in the same period of 2022.

In July, they counted the most Slovenian guests at Terme Zreče, namely 65%. Among foreigners, most guests come from the Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Israel, Italy, Kuwait and Belgium.

In the continuation of the summer season, the number of overnight stays remains at the same level as last year. Based on current demand and the trend of last-minute bookings, which also depend on weather conditions, they expect that the number of overnight stays will increase significantly in the coming weeks.

In Unitur, this summer they are focusing on the exclusive connection of the thermal spa Terme Zreče and the mid-mountain Center Rogla, as well as on upgrading active and green experiences.

Otherwise, this summer too, they are paying special attention to the content and quality of our offer, both in Terme Zreče and Rogla, focusing mainly on upgrading the experience offer for families, programs based on healthy, green and active experiences and the creation of culinary stories that offer a synergy between the rich culinary tradition of our places and modern trends in a healthy way of eating, which include fresh, locally produced foods and nutritional products.

Find out more about Slovenian thermal spas at: slovenia-spa.si.

The topic of energy is fundamental to all our economies and considered as the basis of value creation

With the challenges brought along by climate change and the ever-growing energy demand, the need for sustainable solutions has never been more pressing. The vision of W&P Engineering is to be an impactful company and lay the groundwork for a world powered entirely by green energy. Their core drivers are innovation, eco-friendly technologies and smart solutions that can answer today’s questions and solve tomorrow’s problems. W&P Engineering provides tailor-made solutions for each individual hotel with the latest sustainable technologies.

Joel Vogl joined the W&P Engineering Group a few years ago and took over the management of the international division and serve on the Board of Directors. Through his influence, an own Spin-Off focusing on Hydrogen-based solutions with the name INFENER was founded.

In more than a decade many things have changed in terms of climate change and our understanding of sustainability. What would you say about the improvement in your field? Is the demand for sustainable solutions growing fast enough?

Years ago, I started my career at a global market leader in its sector, which is known for very energy-intensive production processes. The topic of sustainability and energy transformation for the benefit of the climate was on the daily agenda. The pressing issues have been known for decades and the massive consequences for the global climate have been scientifically proven. Short-term thinking, quarter-to-quarter, and frequently changing management in large companies and bonus systems that usually only take economic parameters into account, have mostly cut back on meaningful investments in favour of a more sustainable future. Forward-looking managers lead their companies today to the difficulties of the future and make them competitive in order to be resilient and able to survive in the market tomorrow. The topic of energy is fundamental to all our economies and is considered as the basis of value creation. At W&P Engineering and INFENER, I now have a different perspective as we provide the solutions that are needed all over the world. We work with companies from many different sectors that have a great need for optimisation in highly complex systems or want fundamentally new concepts for new construction projects. There are many enormously exciting future technologies. But some technologies have been known for years and could have made a difference early on. We mostly work with innovative-thinking clients who understand that sustainable investments are the way to go. But there are also quite a few potential clients who have not understood and are today enormously overburdened with energy prices. Here we have to say that it is not too late to act, but waiting and doing nothing will destroy the business in the short or long run.

Your company is specialized in energy efficiency and the integration of renewable energy solutions in different types of buildings. How long is the process from planning to execution?

Depending on the size and complexity of the project, one can expect between several weeks to months to even years. This really depends enormously on what kind of project it is and whether external resources are sufficiently available for implementation. We have developed a very lean and fast process, especially for energetic redevelopment, and can evaluate and simulate the optimal location-based solution. There is never just one solution, especially in existing buildings. It is very important to examine the different variants in detail and to include an economic efficiency study. With new buildings, of course, we have the possibility to plan everything from the very beginning. This offers incredible opportunities for state-of-the-art innovations. Above all, energy and building technology can be ideally harmonised in a new construction. This results in completely new standards in terms of building design. For example, it makes a lot of sense to activate the façade of a building and use it as an energy generation area. In some cases, new buildings can even be designed to be energy-positive, i.e. they generate potentially usable income.

the balancing act between modernisation and technical renewal must be ensured

Among your projects, we can see Spa Hotels and Resorts as well. What are the specifics when we are talking about Thermal Spa Resorts? 

Spa hotels very often have similar characteristics. Basically, the loads are quite high, as there are continuously many consumers at good occupancy, e.g. there are often many saunas, washing machines, and dryers with daily running times and high peak loads. With peak shaving, a lot can be achieved here. Since Thermal Spa Hotels use a lot of water to provide a pleasant and luxurious experience for their guests, this requires special energy efficiency. Natural thermal water can have a huge variance in terms of output temperature. It often needs to be further heated for the treatments and pools. But there are also cases where the water needs to be cooled down because it’s too hot. There are many pumps running at high power. A lot of waste heat is generated that can often be used. From a geological point of view, it is not uncommon for thermal spa hotels to have the opportunity to think further about the geothermal processes and thus smooth out the heat demand in the winter season or even use it irreversibly for the air conditioning of the building. Very outdated system and control technology is often found in thermal spa hotels. Many of these hotels originated historically and were developed and built in a pioneering effort. Historic buildings must of course retain their charm and yet be technically renewed, otherwise they become uneconomical. Here, the balancing act between modernisation and technical renewal must be ensured. That is the special challenge.

Your view and solutions are holistic. It is not enough to change only the source of energy, but to include other areas as well, like mobility, waste management and water management.

Absolutely! A holistic view in engineering that covers all relevant mass flows is very important to close loops and exploit the full potential at a site. I am a great friend of a very high level of operational safety for the business, a high degree of self-sufficiency and well-considered sustainability resulting in the base for increased local value creation. In a globally complex world, we must manage to think about our needs and consumption more locally again and reduce dependencies. Especially in the energy sector, we all feel how important decentralisation is. Water scarcity is becoming increasingly severe worldwide, waste production continues to rise and at the same time, we are experiencing a transformation of mobility. When it comes to water, we focus on the careful use of this valuable resource while maintaining comfort. We close water cycles and can thus minimise consumption. Waste can become a valuable resource in terms of energy, for example, if we take a closer look at the different types of waste. Of course, we always have to evaluate the set-up and the quantity balances, but basically, we have to take a step towards even more circular economy.

In the mobility sector, we are increasingly seeing hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, the methanol fuel cell and much more that is still to come. Particularly in the case of electromobility, we are happy to look at how this can be integrated at a suitable project location.

There is no good off-the-shelf sustainability solution

What would be your advice to the Thermal Spa Resorts that are thinking about implementing a sustainable concept? Where to start? 

Always start with a potential analysis or rather a variant study. I always have to emphasise this. There is no good off-the-shelf solution. Every location has its special features and must be assessed individually. The best concepts result from good data and a well-thought-out comparison of variants. I always recommend investing in something at the beginning in order to move in the right direction. Often there is a local network of companies that have only been doing what they can do for years, always have the same suppliers and hardly dare to innovate. That is different with us. We look at every project with an open mind and evaluate it in a product-neutral way. We are at the forefront of innovation and proactively help shape it. Any investment in a technical feasibility study pays off. Start with it!

Can you explain to us your approach to one of the Spa resorts: Balvanyos Resort in Romania, which is also a member of ESPA and winner of the award for innovation and excellence in the European SPA & Health Resorts Industry?

2021, we analysed the Balvanyos Resort in Romania in detail and developed four different variants of energy transformations for the existing hotel and the new extension. Moreover, the entire building technology and also the technical system of the spa area were inspected in-depth. We were able to present variants with an annual cost-saving potential of up to 60% and a very economical return on investment. Besides the drastic decarbonization, a real added value for marketing and green tourism can be achieved.

Balvanyos is an exceptionally beautifully located and excellently managed Resort in the middle of the Carpathians. The owners do their utmost to ensure that the guest has a first-class experience. From the spa to the gastronomy and the many exciting leisure options, there is nothing lacking there. A magical place.

Which are the projects (related to tourism and especially Spa and Health Resorts) that you are currently working on? 

We are currently working on a number of hotel projects that are intended to set completely new standards in terms of sustainability. We will soon start developing a 6-star luxury resort in French Polynesia. Here there are very special challenges and incredible opportunities to develop this extraordinary resort in a natural way and without destroying flora and fauna. In addition to exceptional architecture, the main focus is on energy, water and waste. Especially islands and other remote locations are very vulnerable. Here it is worth exploiting the full potential and setting a real «lighthouse» as the standard for new developments. We are also currently working on several already existing Thermal Spa Hotels all across Europe. We are aware that this traditional Thermal Spa sector in particular has a great need for energy-efficient upgrades. We would like to contribute to making the use of these incredibly valuable treasures of the thermal springs more sustainable and economical.

My heart beats above all for innovations that lead to our economy becoming more resilient

What is your personal and professional goal in terms of sustainability?

My heart beats above all for innovations that lead to our economy becoming more resilient from the bottom up, against all crises. I would like to see more science and foresight in all topics related to sustainability. Above all, I wish for processes to be thought of in an even more circular way and for out-of-the-box ways of thinking that embrace the collective and do not just occur singularly. We are in an enormous phase of upheaval. The knowledge is there to transform the world as it is today and to save the world’s climate with enormous effort. I have great hopes for the wider application of hydrogen in our energy systems. I am optimistic and hopeful that governments in particular will show more sense in the future and break away from old structures that have always slowed down change. I would like W&P Engineering and our Spin-Off INFENER to be able to exert a convincing influence and actively shape the future.