MTLG 2018 Results: S Meeting Destinations

Ever since 2010, the Editorial Board of Kongres Magazine has been presenting fresh and interesting meeting destinations to international meeting planners.

Till this day we have presented 84 Meetologues from 23 destinations. Each destination is evaluated based on 75 different criteria that enable fair comparison of the destinations. Meeting organizers appreciate the expertise, value and practicality of this guide through congress destinations.

S – MEETING DESTINATIONS
Destinations that can host up to 500 congress attendees
The results of 2018 evaluation are presented in detail below.

IN THE HEART OF ALPS

1. NASSFELD HERMAGOR, AUSTRIA  4.05/5

In the last couple of years, the tourist offer of Nassfeld has seen some big investments. More than 26 million euros have been put into the Nassfeld ski resort (together with Pressegger See) in the last two years. The four valleys on the austro-italian border offer 110 kilometers of ski slopes, with 30 modern ski lifts ensuring smooth connections between them. Nassfeld is also famous for its high number of sunshine hours, as the protective effect of the Hohe Tauern mountain range blesses the town with the most sun in the region. This means that there are plenty of options for incentive and team building programmes in nature throughout the year. Natural conditions and a high quality of hotel accomodation positions Nassfeld among the most attractive incentive destinations in Central Europe.

COMPACT INCENTIVE EXPERIENCE

2. BAD KLEINKIRCHEIM, AUSTRIA  4.02/5

Bad Kleinkirchheim is known across the world for its skiing heritage, as the town is a long-time host of women world-cup ski races. Some might even recognize it for its thermal resort built in the 17th century. Less known is the fact that Bad Kleinkirchheim is an excellent incentive destination sprouting with diverse and exciting offer, which spreads across both the winter and summer season. There’s also no shortage of great accommodations. The incentive programmes range from active sports activities to historical and culinary experiences. A native of the region is also the legendary Franz Klammer with whom you can even go skiing on an exciting winter incentive. What separates the town from the regional competition is a top-notch culinary offer, developed in a different way in every hotel. All of this makes Bad Kleinkirchheim suitable for more demanding incentive groups.

FERTILE CROSSROADS OF CULTURES

3. GORIŠKA BRDA, SLOVENIA 3.87/5

A number of the features of Brda make it special and unique in the wider area. In the first place is its openness to the sea, creating a pleasant Mediterranean climate, followed up by its natural beauty with rich cultural heritage and eco-preserved countryside with exceptional culinary and wine offer, unrivalled in the region. A panorama of hills with a cluster of agglomerations and subdivided farmland and countless terraced vineyards is certainly one of the most beautiful Italian-Slovenian landscape-aesthetic experiences. In the field of tourism-convention offer, Brda is perhaps the future formula of tourism development: “less is more”. The convention fate of Brda and Collio is in co-operation and joint promotion.

ROOM WITH A VIEW

4. HVAR, CROATIA 3.85/5

None of the more than 1,000 Croatian islands has such karma and recognition as Hvar. Definitely a “must” Croatian destination, right behind Dubrovnik. Distance from the mainland gives it a touch of boutique smallness. On the beauty of the island, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, there is no point in wasting words, since there is no shortage of various urban legends and superlatives. Among other things, it used to be called Austrian Madeira. In Hvar, the urban has been coexisting with the rural for centuries.

GOOD WILL IS THE BEST

5. KRANJSKA GORA, SLOVENIA 3.84/5

The most important winter sports centre in Slovenia has among the Slovenian ski resorts the strongest brand, which is known worldwide mainly due to the Cup Vitranc. Slowly and steadily it has also developed a summer tourist offer, which enables the development of congress tourism. Both seasons are now virtually in balance. With the latest changes in the field of hospitality it will surely strengthen its position as an important centre for the implementation of incentive programmes and small conferences. Due to the recognition of the ski jumps in Planica and Vitranc Cup it has a high priority over other rivals in the region. It is an important boutique congress destination for quality mid-size corporate events up to 350 participants.

LOW-CARBON INCENTIVE ISLAND

6. MALI LOŠINJ, CROATIA 3.82/5

Lošinj and Cres are the only Adriatic islands that successfully deal with sustainable tourism and are amongst the more eco-friendly islands of Kvarner. They differ from the more famous Dalmatian isles, with their nature preservation, systematic sustainable development and cultural heritage. All these activities are well managed and present a huge opportunity for sustainable meetings industry in harmony with the capabilities of the islands. The key challenge is the invisibility on the meetings industry radar, lacking the recognisable incentive brands to build the high quality boutique and intimate stories. If local suppliers can develop from these points, they will be able to benefit from the current trends in the industry. I am certain their first clients will be the existing loyal guest of Cres and Lošinj.

HIDDEN SUSTAINABLE MEETINGS GEM

6. BOHINJ, SLOVENIA 3.82/5

The majority of congress guests will be sworn lovers of nature and its aesthetic value. Bohinj is a place that is created for sustainable conference programmes and for active incentive experiences. It is a place where without any hesitation you can drink water from the public water supply and from its clean streams. Even the basic network of thematic paths offers ideas for authentic congress programmes. In Slovenia, the beauty of Bohinj can only be matched by its neighbours across the peaks in the Soča Valley, or in Kranjska Gora.

EPICENTRE OF INCENTIVE INSPIRATIONS

7. SOČA VALLEY, SLOVENIA 3.81/5

In the narrow micro-region the Soča Valley is currently not facing increased competition. On the Italian side in Friuli Venezia Giulia, incentive tourism is underdeveloped and the development of the product in Brda and Nova Gorica is also at the beginning stages. A more serious competition is in Istria and neighbouring Carinthia, as well as within the wider Slovenian Julian Alps. The main advantage of the destination is a developed incentive product, gastronomy and preserved natural and cultural heritage, which is unequalled.

BEER AND CONGRESSES

8. LAŠKO, SLOVENIA 3.78/5

Laško is first and foremost a spa destination, because the main motive of going there are the two spa and thermal centres. In the future it will remain so. In the past five years, however, much has been done in developing congress tourism and enriching the offer and it is today surprising how much Laško can offer to congress guests beyond its traditional tasty beer. Everything from one of the best Slovenian cuisines to an exceptional cultural and historical heritage together with the possibility of organising green meetings. In making this breakthrough Laško has very quickly become much more competitive to the more established meeting industry destinations.

THE SUCCESS STORY

9. PODČETRTEK, SLOVENIA 3.77/5

The smallest place in our analysis is big in its offer and an example to all of us involved with tourism. Once a remote and poor community, in the 60-ies of the last century focused on tourism. Its epicentre is a thermal spring, around which a success story was created. At every step the locals you meet, be it a wine-grower, a caterer or a priest, will let it be known that you are welcome.There are few places where the only driving force of the economy is tourism. Because in these places industry has never developed, today this can be considered as one of their advantages. Podčetrtek has a great potential in the field of congress tourism. It is an authentic and in many ways a sustainable congress experience.

DOOR TO THE ADRIATIC

10. UMAG, CROATIA 3.76/5

Among the competing congress destinations, Umag even a year ago would be easily overlooked, but today it is already hosting the most demanding events such as the most important Microsoft event Windays. This proves that the destination is profiled as a congress and especially incentive location. To the good functioning a great desti- nation management contributes a great deal, which in a form of a clusterfrom 2010 is promoted under the brand “Colours of Istria”.