Barbara Zmrzlikar

Head of Department of Research, Development, Innovation and EU Projects – Slovenian Tourist Board

Barbara is a marketing and tourism professional with more than 20 years of experience. Her career was built at Merkur, trade and services, once the biggest DIY retail chain in the region. Leading the team of more than 20 people during the growth period as well as during the period of 2008 economic recession she was responsible for leading the marketing department, developing and implementing marketing strategies, managing the marketing budget, branding strategies, advertising campaigns, launching the on line shop, developing loyalty programmes and for coordinating working processes with internal and external public. She was also active at the Slovenian Advertising Chamber as well as at the Slovenian Marketing Association, which has brought her a wide professional network.

After leaving Merkur her enthusiasm for new discoveries, quality food and wine inspired her to start her own business. In 2015 she founded a Taste & Travel Slovenia, travel agency specialised in boutique wine and culinary tours in Slovenia. Her focus was quality over quantity. She always took time to develop, taste and test the new tour. When in a dilemma what to include into the tour, hospitality, quality, authenticity and uniqueness of the experience was her highest ranked criteria. As a nationally certificated tourist guide she kept in touch with customers’ expectations and interests from the first hand.

Barbara is now working for the Slovenian Tourism Board as Head of Department of Research, Development, Innovation and EU Projects. She is proud of being a STB representative of Slovenia – European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2021 project and being responsible for introducing the Michelin guide in Slovenia. She was in charge of preparing the Action plan of Development and Marketing of Gastronomy Tourism 2019 – 2023. Currently she focuses her activities in implementing sustainable gastronomy guidelines and criteria in the national tourism sustainability & certification programme called The Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism.

Barbara considers the effort put in destination promotion as her personal contribution to present Slovenia in its most authentic way and to rank it as high as possible on the world wine & culinary travel list.