Business opportunity – opening a hotel in Slovenia, EU

In August 2019, more than 1 million tourists visited Slovenia. There were more than 3 million overnight stays in that same month. 78% of those overnight stays were foreign tourist. This means that the number of tourists coming to Slovenia was 9% higher than in August 2018. Because Slovenia is becoming more and more interesting to foreign tourists, there was also a higher demand of accommodation. All this information can be transformed into a perfect business opportunity if you plan to start your business in Europe. Opening a company in Slovenia enables you to buy property here and turn it into a hotel, which can offer accommodation and accompanying services.

Data d.o.o. would be happy to support your business in Slovenia, by offering various services and consultation. Our legal team can explain to you the conditions your hotel has to abide by according to Slovene legislation. They can also draft contract for your company as well as internal regulations. We also provide accounting services, tax consultation and services of virtual office.

Arrival of tourists to Slovenia, EU – statistics

In comparison to August 2019, there were more than 9% more arrivals of foreign tourists to Slovenia. The majority of tourists came from Germany (16%), while Italy (13%) and Netherlands (9%) followed. Also comparing to August 2018, the country that had the largest increase of tourists to Slovenia was Czech Republic (by 31%), which added up to 6% of all overnight stays of foreign tourists.

The most popular tourist destinations were in the Slovenian Alps. More than 37% of all overnight stays were recorded in their hotels and other lodgings. Seaside was also popular with 21% of all overnight stays, followed by the municipalities with spas (6%). Foreign tourists have chosen their hotel or lodging most frequently in Ljubljana. The also frequently chose Piran, Bled, Bohinj and Bovec.

Hotels had the majority of recorded accommodations, followed by short-term rent of private rooms, apartments, houses and camps.

Open a hotel in Slovenia by registering a company

If you consider opening a hotel in Slovenia as a good business opportunity, the first step would be to register a company in Slovenia. Non-EU citizens can open an LTD company with 7500€ share capital. You will also have to make sure to register the appropriate business activities within the company. After company registration, you will have to abide by specific regulations in order to carry out the business activities of the hotel legally.

You would need to abide by minimal technical standards that refer to business premises and equipment within the hospitality establishments. Additionally, you would have to consider minimal technical standards also for outdoor areas and obtain an operating permit for the premises. Your hotel will also have to undergo categorization. If you provide catering services, you would also have to acknowledge food safety standards and safety at work regulations.

Also, you would have to ensure a minimal range of services for a specific categorization, run the hotel according to the attested work schedule and abide by the restrictions for alcohol and tobacco sale.

For more information about company registration in Slovenia, you can write to us on our email [email protected]. You can also contact us over the phone 00386 1 6006 270 or 00386 40 530 718 (Viber, WhatsApp). You can also follow us on Facebook.