EUSAIR - Final Report

Designing
high quality
gastronomic
products
Interview with Dean Kocijančič,
director of Izola Tourist Association
In September 2020, all four coastal municipalities,
Piran, Izola, Koper and Ankaran, presented a new
joint brand Love Istria. How was the idea of acting
together born?
All the coastal municipalities have always been closely
connected because of the common history and tradition
of the area of Slovene Istria. The tourist market is
very complex and each destination strives to attract as
many guests as possible. In doing so, they have the advantage
of destinations that can offer tourists a diverse
and high quality experience. Given that the area of
Slovene Istria is relatively small and is mainly perceived
by foreign guests as a single destination, the connection
between coastal tourist organizations makes sense for
further development. The Love Istria brand was created
in 2017, and in 2020 we further upgraded it with a new
corporate identity, which combines the basic symbols
of Slovene Istria: the sun, the sea, Venetian architecture
and the green countryside.
What can you offer more under a common
brand than if you were to appear on the
market individually?
By working and appearing together, we're certainly
stronger and more efficient. Foreigners in particular
see the area of Slovene Istria as unified and with the
help of a common brand we are more recognizable
for foreign markets. Due to the small distances between
places in our area, guests can visit and see different
points in coastal towns and the hinterland in a relatively
short time, so it is important that we ensure quality and
competitive products all together. The goal is to offer
high quality products and experiences that connect
the cultural heritage, tradition and local products in an
innovative and attractive way. The most important goal
in the field of designing new integrated tourist products
is to include unique, authentic and high quality tourist
products in the 5-star experience of the macro-destination
Mediterranean Slovenia, since this is a unique
opportunity to increase visibility and a more successful
positioning of Slovene Istria in the tourist market.
Under the auspices of the brand, we prepare joint promotional
content, organize joint appearances, especially
abroad, manage and promote the destination on social
networks and participate in other forms of promotional
activities of the destination Slovene Istria. We also find it
especially important to communicate with the specialized
public, so together we organize visits for study
groups and regularly prepare messages for the media.
34 | EUSAIR Slovene Presidency