At the beginning of this month, the Ljubljana Town Hall offered its spaces for the Dragon’s Ball, one of the key events for the promotion of Slovenia as an attractive destination in the field of LGBTQ+ tourism. In the past ten years, it has established itself as a top cultural, social and gastronomic event, which put Slovenia on the global tourist map of LGBTQ+ tourism. The event was held in partnership with Tourism Ljubljana and held under the honorary patronage of the Mayor of Ljubljana, Zoran Janković.
The Dragon’s Ball gala event was designed in 2014 by Mattej Valenčič and Matej Knific, co-owners of the Luxury Slovenia travel agency. With it, they wanted to encourage the promotion of Slovenia and its capital among LGBTQ+ guests. On average, they have high purchasing power, and they are looking for unique experiences of the highest quality.
The event has so far attracted more than two hundred foreign guests related to LGBTQ+ travel, including representatives of the media and tourism associations, agency owners and online influencers. Among the more prominent representatives from the world of tourism, Trisha Foresman, director of partnership development at Virtuos, the world’s leading association in the field of luxury and boutique travel, attended it this year.
AN OPEN AND INCLUSIVE PLACE
Ljubljana has been known for decades for its openness and inclusive spirit, which is also reflected in its LGBTQ+ scene. The city has a long tradition of striving for equality and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, which is confirmed by the many organizations, bars and clubs, as well as festivals and other events that contribute to the city’s lively pulse.
At the event, the Slovenian capital presented itself as a sustainable destination – with an emphasis on excellent gastronomy under the umbrella of the Tourism Ljubljana Gourmet Ljubljana brand. M.Sc. Petra Stušek, director of Tourism Ljubljana, emphasized on this occasion that the city and its hinterland offer top gastronomic experiences for the most demanding guests, based on our heritage, creativity and innovation.
THE PINK DRAGON AWARD
At the Dragon’s Ball event, the Pink Dragon Award was also presented, intended for exceptional individuals, organizations and companies, whose work contributes to inclusion and respect for diversity and helps build Slovenia’s reputation as an LGBTQ+ friendly destination. Tourism Ljubljana received the award in 2018; this year it was received by the Slovenian Tourist Organization.
For more information visit visitljubljana.com/en/.
