The Positive Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tourism: A Case Study of the Ribnica Destination

Gašper Krže – Erudio School of Sustainable Tourism, Litostrojska cesta 40, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Anton Vorina – Celje School of Economics, Higher Vocational College, Mariborska 2, 3000 Celje, Slovenia

Abstract: Our analysis aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pan­demic on the tourism industry, with a focus on smaller and less well-known destinations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the world came to a near standstill, and the tourism industry suffered its most significant decline in history. Despite this, there remained a desire for some forms of tourism, and many well-known tourist destinations had already adapted or integrated new routes for visitors even before the pandemic. However, smaller and less well-known destinations were unable to do so due to a lack of funds. In light of these challenges, Ribnica has taken proactive steps to adapt to the pan­demic and implement positive methods to support its tourism industry. Dur­ing the pandemic, Ribnica developed a new tourism strategy, updated its tourist image, and introduced new products to attract visitors. Additionally, Ribnica has integrated tourism best practices to maintain the safety of visi­tors and locals during the pandemic.

It is worth noting that while Ribnica’s efforts have been successful in attract­ing visitors during a challenging time for the tourism industry, the pandem­ic has had an overwhelmingly negative impact on travel destinations world­wide. Thus, it is essential to continue implementing positive strategies and best practices to support the recovery and growth of the tourism industry.

7th International Scientific Conference – EMAN 2023 – Economics and Management: How to Cope With Disrupted Times, Ljubljana, Slovenia, March 23, 2023, CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, published by: Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans, Belgrade, Serbia; ISBN 978-86-80194-69-1, ISSN 2683-4510, DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/EMAN.2023

Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission. 

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