"I often use the Gault&Millau Slovenia guide to help me"
The Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) is the main partner of Gault&Millau Slovenia. Our joint efforts to highlight Slovenian gastronomy go beyond the desire to showcase Slovenian gastronomy, but also the ambition to raise standards and motivate young people in all catering professions. We talked to the Director of the STO, mag. Maja Pak.
Slovenia is becoming an important culinary destination. What role do you see for the Gault&Millau Slovenia gastronomic guide in this context?
As an internationally renowned culinary brand, the Gault&Millau Slovenia Gastronomic Guide has confirmed that Slovenia has a high-quality gastronomic offer based on rich traditions and a diverse food cultural heritage, while at the same time following modern gastronomic trends in its innovation and creativity. In doing so, it supported the efforts of caterers, winemakers and small brewers to offer their guests only the best from their kitchens, cellars and barrels.
The Gastronomic Guide is also a promotional tool to raise the profile of Slovenia as a top gastronomic destination, joining the countries that boast the so-called 'caps'. At the same time, the arrival of this globally influential and recognisable guide is a positive incentive for all caterers, winemakers and small brewers to raise standards in the catering industry, as the providers included in the assessment continuously improve their offer and thus their rating in the guide.
So supporting the first G&M 2019 was kind of a given for you?
The Slovenian Tourist Board ranks participation in the Gault&Millau guide among the most important projects in the field of gastronomy. The results of an extensive online survey carried out by the WTO in 15 European markets over the last two years showed that almost a third of tourists in key markets for Slovenian tourism consider enjoying good food and drink as the main motive for choosing a holiday destination.
International culinary guides have made a decisive contribution to this trend in recent years and have played an indisputable role in making quality culinary offerings as high a priority in the choice of travel destination as, for example, cultural, historical and natural attractions. It is in the hospitality industry that the added value of the human factor is greatest, and I sincerely believe that Slovenia has great potential in this area.
The Gault&Millau Gastronomic Guide is one of the key projects to present Slovenia as a great gastronomic destination committed to quality to potential visitors to our country.
What do you think makes G&M Slovenia different from other G&M guides around the world? What is our culinary speciality?
In the past years, Slovenian gastronomic operators have been assessed through the Austrian Gault&Millau guide, so having an independent guide with its own assessment team of inspectors is of great importance for Slovenia, as it includes a significantly larger number of catering operators, winemakers and small brewers. This autonomy also allows for autonomy in the content design, and the content of the guide will be further developed from year to year.
What do you think is the importance of the guide as we cross our national borders?
As our research confirms, committed gastronomic tourists are deliberate in their use of guidebooks, seeking knowledge and information, planning their visit carefully and booking in advance. These are also the guests who demand quality gastronomic offerings, which is why guides are a really effective channel for introducing suppliers, producers and destinations, or for consolidating the visibility of gastronomic brands on European markets and beyond. This is not to forget the 'multiplier effect' of gastronomy, which also has a positive economic impact on primary production and the processing of agricultural products and the broader food industry, not to mention other supporting economic sectors.
The role of the Gault&Millau guide in promoting Slovenia and its culinary offer to those guests looking for unique gastronomic experiences is crucial. Slovenia is a boutique destination committed to sustainability, which encourages the development and promotion of higher added value products, including in the gastronomy sector. As such, it is the perfect destination for those culinary enthusiasts looking for new destinations for authentic and unique experiences.
Our country is a new star on the European and global gastronomic map, increasingly topping the charts of the most attractive gastronomic destinations by influencers, the media and the profession. We are on the right track to become even more recognisable and attractive to even the most demanding foodies, as evidenced by the numerous awards and rankings our country has received on globally recognised lists, including The World's 50 Best Restaurants, and by the JRE, and we are increasingly being named as one of the top recommended gastronomic destinations by influencers and the media.
What are your favourite culinary destinations in Slovenia?
Gastronomy means an intense experience of a destination, its tradition and modernity, the traditions and culture of the land, as well as the relationship with locally produced ingredients. Gastronomy communicates the story of the land, tourism and its people in a particularly authentic and experiential way, which is why I enjoy tasting and experiencing the diverse gastronomic offer of our country.
I can hardly single out individual destinations, because there are so many experiences to choose from, and I choose them according to the occasion. I must admit that I often use the Gault&Millau guide to help me - on official visits, I usually choose top restaurants with a quality gastronomic offer, preferably also with the unique natural scenery of our country. For personal gatherings with friends, I often opt for a relaxed atmosphere, even on tourist farms.
