Ljubljana Elementary School Students Send New Year's Greetings to Peers Worldwide from Ljubljana
28 Dec 2023
In collaboration with the Department of Preschool Education of the City Municipality of Ljubljana, Ljubljana Tourism once again invited Ljubljana's elementary schools to create New Year's cards in various languages, intended for peers worldwide. The response was excellent, and students addressed their peers from different countries in as many as 16 languages, recommending a visit to the Slovenian capital.
Mag. Petra Stušek, direktorica Turizma Ljubljana, je s sodelavci predstavila dosežke v letu 2023 in največje projekte v prihodnjem letu © arhiv Kino Šiška
"Hello, in the new year, I invite you to visit my dragon city, full of life, greenery, and fun, where you take a selfie on the Dragon Bridge with a dragon and on the Triple Bridge with the mysterious castle on the hill in the background. I wish you a happy, healthy, and joyful New Year 2024. Seize the day," wished a 13-year-old Wasim in Arabic, a 12-year-old Pia in German, and a 13-year-old Ana in Italian to their peers worldwide.
The children wrote their greetings either in their native language or in one of the world languages they are learning. They wrote a total of 62 cards in 16 different languages, including Albanian, Arabic, Belarusian, French, Macedonian, Spanish, and Turkish. They wished their peers around the world good health, happiness, peace, and curiosity. Among the sights of Ljubljana, they most often highlighted the December holiday decoration and atmosphere, the Triple Bridge, the Dragon Bridge, and Ljubljana Castle. They also recommended visits to the opera, theatre, ZOO, mosque, and the National Gallery.
The most original cards with New Year's wishes were published on the Ljubljana Tourism website and social media. Participating elementary schools were also given 90 postcards of Ljubljana and stamps to send to partner schools across Europe with whom they are connected in various international projects. In this way, Ljubljana Tourism aims to promote international cooperation among Ljubljana's elementary schools, contributing to the recognition of Ljubljana's tourist offerings, Slovenian culture, and society.
Through the New Year's cards written by children in different languages, Ljubljana Tourism aims to emphasise the diversity and richness of cultures coexisting in Ljubljana. At the same time, they want to encourage young people to take on the role of ambassadors for their city and start positively valuing tourism as an element of connection, socialising, and discovering the world. Collaboration with young people is understood as an important part of Ljubljana Tourism's activities. In the current year, they have conducted numerous presentations, provided advice and mentorship for elementary, high school, and college students, and offered individuals the opportunity for internships and job shadowing.