STA, 12 July 2022 - The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology has decided to allocate a total of EUR 69.14 million to 20 projects of development and restructuring of ski resorts into all-year mountain centres and construction of additional or renovation of the existing accommodation facilities.
The ministry will allocate EUR 63.42 million in subsidies for the restructuring of ski resorts as part of ten projects and EUR 5.71 million for additional accommodation capacities in the mountain centres as part of another ten projects.
Ksenija Flegar, the head of the Tourism Directorate at the ministry, told the press on Tuesday that the projects would result in more than 500 new beds for tourists and more than 200 beds in upgraded facilities with a higher rating.
Minister Matjaž Han noted that the ministry had managed to secure additional funds in collaboration with the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy and the Infrastructure Ministry.
Funds will be provided for all projects that had been initially positively evaluated, Han said, adding that an additional EUR 20.3 million had been added to the originally planned amount of EUR 48.8 million.
One of the two ski resorts that have not been selected is Kanin, the highest ski resort in Slovenia, with Han noting that the project by the municipality of Bovec for a circular cabin cable car had failed to meet all the criteria.
The minister said that he had invited representatives of the ski resort operator and the municipality to a meeting to find possibilities to co-fund the project from other funds.
Development and European Cohesion Policy Minister Aleksander Jevšek said that many projects would perhaps not be finalised by the end of 2023 due to the rising costs of the works that had already been approved and are under way.
"We have addressed this issue to the European Commission and in the coming days we will talk about how to resolve this situation," he said.
