STA, 18 May 2018 - The final 2017 tourism data by the Statistics Office confirmed today the continuing strong expansion of the sector in Slovenia. The number of overnight stays exceeded 12 million for the first time last year, reaching 12.6 million and surpassing the 2016 figure by 13%. Tourist arrivals were up 15% to 4.95 million, also a new record. 

STA, 18 May 2018 - Population ageing is a major topic of the campaign leading up to the 3 June election. While parties advocate a variety of solutions to make the country's pension system sustainable, most of them would encourage pensioners to remain an active part of the labour force longer. 

STA, 16 May 2018 - The National Party (Slovenska Nacionalna Stranka, SNS), a Eurosceptic, nationalist, protectionist and populist party, is relying heavily on anti-migrant rhetoric in its hope to re-enter parliament after a seven-year hiatus. Its founder and leader Zmago Jelinčič Plemeniti prides himself on not mincing words. 

Below is a review of the headlines in Slovenian dailies for Friday, 18 May 2018, as prepared by the STA: 

A few weeks ago I attended a meeting at Ziferblat that was part of the training for Migrantour, a project that aims to give migrants in Slovenia the skills and knowledge needed to become tour guides in Ljubljana.

It was there I first met Jana Milovanović, an anthropologist by training who left academia to follow her various interests outside the halls and classrooms of a university setting, working directly with migrants and other marginal groups, a topic that’s only become more interesting, and urgent, in the last few years, with the opening of the Balkan Route to Europe. As such I caught up with Jana a few days later for a coffee and tried to learn more about her life and work in this context. 

STA, 17 May 2018 - Several organisations representing farmers and forest owners have launched a petition urging the authorities to reduce the populations of deer and large carnivores. The petition has been signed by 51 organisations and will be sent to the government, parliament, European Commission and European Parliament. 

STA, 17 May 2018 - A parliamentary inquiry into suspected money laundering at NLB and NKBM banks has spread the blame wide for suspected misdeeds at Slovenia's largest banks. In the case of NLB, it pointed the finger at the Borut Pahor government (2008-2011), former central bank governor Marko Kranjec and several senior bank executives. 

STA, 17 May 2018 - Slovenia's biggest boat show, Internautica, will open at Marina Portorož on Thursday, presenting more than 200 vessels and some 350 exhibitors. At least half of the exhibitors will be from abroad, with a special focus on the nautical industry of Sicily. 

STA, 16 May 2018 - Calls for more cooperation, but also frustration in the face of continuing problems in illegal Roma villages in the south-east of Slovenia, marked President Borut Pahor's consultations with representatives of the Roma community, municipalities, state institutions and NGOs in the region. 

A perfect hiking destination for this weekend.