The Jakob Award
THE JAKOB AWARD 2023 – The International Award for inventiveness in tourism
Theme of the 13th selection for the Jakob 2024 award: "Innovative tourism management"
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Ambasador Jakob 2023
The Jakob award for 2023 and the title Educational trail ambassador was awarded to the project Educational trail Drvošec and Visitor center Lake Cerknica of the Public Institute of Notranjska Regional Park. They applied with the project that acquired an important upgrade in 2022. Visitor center Lake Cerknica opened at the starting point of Educational trail Drvošec on October 1. It includes an interactive exhibition where visitors can discover the world of the mysterious Lake Cerknica and listen to the stories of its transformations before or after taking a walk on the educational trail.
The committee provided the following explanation about their decision: “The existing educational trail has been successfully upgraded last year to bring Lake Cerknica one step closer to being included in opportunities and tourist offer content that Slovenia can only wish for. There is no need to create new stories about Lake Cerknica or its people, they just need to include the existing ones in different relations where local population can also be actively involved. Implementation of the Visitor center last year was also a very positive experience as it has already started to contribute to content improvement, but primarily, it introduces activities along the trail to the visitor. The lake is one long tale and discovery of its changes that are a consequence of the particular national habitat and a unique documentation of centuries of human presence. We should also mention the mysticism of the place and particular humour that can only be from “Cerknica”.
The subject of the 12th selection for the Jakob award: “Educational trail as tourist product”.
Evaluation Committee included prof. Dr. Janez Bogataj, acting as president, and members Jana Apih, Mateja Sušnik, Marko Lenarčič and Jože Prah.
The committee selected five projects among 28 applications for the second round of the Jakob 2023 award, and they paid special attention to the innovation of the proposals:
- Škrateljc – Institute for Culture, Education and Sport – Fairy-tale adventure trail across Slovenia
Project description: Fairy-tale adventure trail across Slovenia presents natural and cultural heritage of local environment in an innovative manner where families can learn about magical locations across Slovenia through stories. - European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Geopark Karavanke – Karavanke Trail
Project description: Karavanke trail is a cross-border long-distance trail that stretches 265 km and is divided into 13 daily stages which allow visitors to discover an incredibly rich geologic, natural and cultural heritage of the area.
- Cultural Technical Tourist Association Baška dediščina – On our own land theme trail
Project description: In 2012, the On our own land theme trail has connected seven filming destinations in Grahovo ob Bači and Koritnica in Bača Valley and its upgrades include innovation and rich cultural heritage of this area.
- Municipality of Solčava – Logarska dolina trail
Project description: The Logarska dolina trail is a natural ethnographic trail for individuals and groups of all ages. Its purpose is to raise awareness among visitors about nature protection, preservation of cultural heritage and promotion of sustainable tourism.
- Public Institute of Notranjska Regional Park – Educational trail Drvošec and Visitor center Lake Cerknica
Project description: In 2022, Educational trail Drvošec acquired an important upgrade; Visitor center Lake Cerknica opened on October 1 at the very entrance of the trail. It includes an interactive exhibition where visitors can discover the world of mystical Lake Cerknica and listen to the stories of its transformations, before or after taking a walk on the Educational trail Drvošec.
of fair Alpe-Adria