Petra Stušek, Managing Director of Ljubljana Tourism, elected president of European Cities Marketing

Her senior position in the leading European association in the fields of managing tourism in city destinations, promotion and marketing activities of city tourism will further strengthen the image of Ljubljana as a modern, sustainable and successful tourist destination and consolidate her status of a top decision-maker in terms of the future of city tourism in Europe.

ECM includes over 115 cities from 38 countries and enhances the competitiveness and performance of its members which also come from non-European parts of the world. It operates as a platform for cooperation of professionals in leisure, business and city tourism with a purpose to establish new trends in the field of city tourism, sharing knowledge and examples of good practice, and networking.

“To be at the forefront of such an association is a great privilege and responsibility at the same time since ECM has an important impact on trends of city tourism. It contributes significantly to my professional life. I first came across the organization in 2004; since then I have gained valuable experience based on good practices applied in numerous cities, which I share with my team and which can be upgraded in order to further develop the tourism in Ljubljana or we can learn from the challenges of other destinations. We are happy to share our excellent practices since we honestly believe in education by examples in the interests of the common good. At the same time, a membership in such associations also contributes to the promotion ,of Ljubljana as a modern and friendly city for both its citizens and visitors,” stressed out  M. Sc. Petra Stušek, who was, before being elected ECM president, a member of its Management Board and later also performed the function of vice-president of the Management Board responsible for leisure tourism for two successive terms of office.

“The ECM association and development of city tourism are at the crossroads; changes in the habits of guests and the emergence of new technologies call for caution as well as greater innovation in managing destinations. In my term of office as the president of ECM, I will use my years of experience to help to implement the changes with great prudence and at the same time pay attention to innovation, integration and focus on the future."

M. Sc. Petra Stušek was appointed to the new position within the scope of ECM in Ljubljana where the General Assembly and international conference took place from 5 to 8 June. The non-profit organization has chosen the capital of Slovenia as the venue of their regular meeting because they, as stated on its web-page, see it as a city “known for its friendly, youthful and congenial hospitality and optimistic vibes.” The topic of this year’s meeting is entitled Tomorrow Today and relates to complex and rapidly changing driving forces of city tourism, such as technological development, consumer behavior, importance and role of destination management organizations (DMO), new market trends and other content that will characterize destination management in the future.

Over two hundred participants of this year's most important meeting of ECM members got to know the Ljubljana tourist attractions through destination dinners at the Ljubljana Castle and the National Gallery of Slovenia and through taking interesting tours which also include the rich cultural and bee-keeping tradition of the city, with one of the focal points also being the green character of Ljubljana shaped also by its green areas and the River Ljubljanica. After the ECM meeting, the participants also had the possibility to visit some of the top Slovenian tourist destinations, such as Lipica, Piran, and Bled, but most have chosen to embark on an adventure and experience the Ljubljana region through a guided canoe tour on the River Ljubljanica or learn about our culture on the Moustache tour.