Postonja cave receives Fijet award; Golden Apple
Postojna, 19.5.2014 Company Postojnska jama, the operator of famous Slovenian underground Postojna Cave on May 15received the Golden Apple Award, which has been presented by FIJET - World Federation of Travel Journalists and Writers since 1970 for excellent achievements in tourism and preservation of important natural and historical heritage. During the spectacular ceremony in the Concert Hall of Postojna Cave the Slovenian opera singer Irena Predan and ensembleofhorn playerJoze Setnicar performed and it culminated whenthe statuette of Golden Apple was brought from under the cave ceiling to the platformby caver. Tijani Haddad, FIJET president and Saso Dravinec, vice president of FIJET Slovenia presented the award to Marjan Batagelj, the chairman of Postojna Cave management. The speakers at the ceremony were Tijani Haddad, FIJET president, MSc Marjan Hribar, director general of the Slovenian tourism and internationalisation directorate and Saso Dravinec, vicepresident of FIJET Slovenia. Numerous guests attended the ceremony, among them
the Mayor of Postojna Municipality Jernej VerbiÄ, Plamen Starev, president of FIJET Golden Apple Committee, Marijana Rebić, FIJET Secretary General, journalists from Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian, French and Slovakian FIJET national organizations, as well as other journalists from Slovenia, Austria and Italy.
In argumentation for Golden Apple award it is stated that in recent years Postojna Cave boasts manynew services, activitiesfor guests and edutainment programs. Investments are not mainly aimed at increasing the number of visitors, but especially at giving the guests an extraordinary experience of the unique cave. The cave operator, company Postojnska jama d.d., has in recent years implemented the concept of sustainable tourism development for the cave as to insure the protection and to preserve this outstanding natural heritage and attraction for future generations in good or an even better shape than it is today. The Postojna cave last year marked the 800th anniversary of the first recorded visit. It is the Slovenia’s most remarkable natural sight and the most visited show cave in Europe, one of the most beautiful caves with richest cave karst formations in the world. Today Postojna Cave receives more than half a million visitors each year. To date the cave has been admired by Smore than 35 million visitors. On the occasion of presentation the Golden Apple Award to the company Postojnska jama journalists from several FIJET national organizations took part at the four days long study. In Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital, the project 2000 Years of Emona was presented, the celebrating of 2000 years of Emona, the first settlement within present-day Ljubljana. The study tour led from Ljubljana to Postojna and through the Slovenian Karst region between the towns Postojna, Nova Gorica and Sežana. Its purpose was to show the participants besides Postojna and its famous cave some other unique features of this region, most of all typical karst phenomena, unique architecture of karst villages, tourist offer of family run tourist farms and wine cellars and local culinary. In Nova Gorica they took part at the Slovenian Incoming Workshop, the most important Slovenian tourist business event, where they were greeted also by MSc. Karmen NovarliÄ, Head of Slovenian Tourist Board.