At the symposium, contributions were presented by participants from Turistica in Portorož, the Public Institute Kozjanski Park, DOPPS - Birdlife Slovenia, the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Primorska, InnoRenew CoE institute, the Faculties of Arts at the University of Ljubljana and the University of Maribor, the Faculty of Tourism at the University of Maribor, the Higher Vocational College for Hospitality, Wellness, and Tourism in Bled, the Biotechnical Faculty at the University of Ljubljana, the ZRC SAZU center, as well as other independent artists and architects. The symposium was divided into four sections.
The first section focused on protected areas, with a special emphasis on Kozjanski Park, addressing issues of their management, the specifics of biosphere reserves, their inclusion in the UNESCO program, and a case study of good practice from the Škocjanski Zatok nature reserve. The second section addressed the topics of public and protected areas, sustainability, and the principles of the New European Bauhaus from the perspective of art and architecture. Three artistic projects highlighted the close connection between the transformation of public spaces and the involvement of the local community. Sustainable architectural examples were linked to a new tourist guide of Slovenia, which visually highlighted examples of good architectural practices in renovating existing buildings and preserving cultural heritage. The principles of the New European Bauhaus were presented through a project involving the planning, construction, and use of the InnoRenew institute building in Izola, which is a finalist for the NEB 2024 award. The third section focused on forest themes, ranging from a historical reflection on the concept and construction of the forest imaginary, through forest therapy and outdoor active tourism, to the potential of art for creative learning in the forest. Forest tourism, or tourism related to forests, poses new challenges and requires innovative approaches in the field of tourism studies. The fourth section addressed the current issue of the use of generative artificial intelligence in connection with heritage interpretation in protected natural areas, the presentation of educational tourism to provide green and digital competencies, a comparative study of the impact of sustainable tourism in protected areas, and the issue of coexistence between local residents and tourists in Slovenian Istria. The section concluded with a contribution that highlighted the problem of merely nominal advocacy for sustainability amidst unsustainable practices stemming from an ill-conceived tourism strategy at the national level, through an analysis of conflicts arising from cruise tourism in Koper.
Dr. Irena Weber, a member of the organizing and scientific committee, emphasized the importance of the participation of experts from various disciplinary fields in innovative and synoptic collaboration, which introduced specific approaches to topics that students at Turistica would not otherwise have the opportunity to encounter in their regular studies. In this regard, the involvement in the Green, Digital, and Inclusive University of Primorska (GDI UP) project is of crucial importance.
