Our Students at the Christmas Experience Academy in Rovaniemi

This year, our students once again took part in the international BIP programme Christmas Experience Academy (CEA), which brought together students and lecturers from the University of Lapland, University of Maribor, University of Lisbon and University of the Balearic Islands in Rovaniemi.

The week offered a diverse programme of lectures and activities focusing on the design of tourism experiences, the experience economy and value creation, immersive technologies in tourism, destination imaginaries, tourist attractions, gastronomic experiences, as well as the role of Sámi culture and local entrepreneurship in tourism.

The Christmas Experience Academy was not limited to the classroom. An important part of the programme was dedicated to experiencing tourism in practice. Students explored Rovaniemi and its history, discovered local gastronomy and cultural offerings through a visit to Korundi House of Culture, and visited Santa Claus Village, Santa's Pets, Husky Park, Glass Resort Igloos, Bearhill Husky, as well as other tourism attractions and providers.

The week concluded with an exploration of tourism experiences connected to one of Lapland's most recognisable natural phenomena – the Northern Lights.

Our sincere thanks to the University of Lapland for the invitation, excellent organisation and cooperation in delivering another successful edition of the Christmas Experience Academy.

As a partner in the Interreg Euro-MED project ECO-SEAROUTES, the University of Maribor, Faculty of Tourism, actively contributes to the development of more sustainable tourism models in the Mediterranean. On 14 and 15 September 2026, the project brought together representatives of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in Slovenia and Rui Gomes, Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and Director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes, on the Slovenian coast.

Our colleague Dr Maja Turnšek actively participated in the event, presenting the ECO-SEAROUTES project and moderating the discussion on the role of Cultural Routes in supporting sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean.

The event was organised as a parallel event to the 11th Mediterranean Coast and Macro-Regional Strategies Week.

The Interreg Euro-MED project ECO-SEAROUTES promotes eco-nautical routes as a way of easing the pressure of mass tourism on the Mediterranean coast. The project aims to develop and disseminate a new tourism model that redistributes visitor flows away from threatened and overcrowded coastal areas and towards neighbouring coastal and inland destinations, while spreading the benefits of tourism more evenly across the region.

Its main ambitions include:

redistributing tourism flows away from overcrowded tourism hotspots;
strengthening cooperation across the Mediterranean in the field of sustainable tourism.

The Phoenicians’ Route has been one of the backbones of the ECO-SEAROUTES project. Both ECO-SEAROUTES and the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe share the same ambition: to guide travellers towards places, heritage and stories that lie beyond the usual tourist trail.

Slovenia currently has network members in 13 certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, while three additional initiatives hope to obtain certification in the future. The event provided an opportunity to bring representatives of the routes together, exchange experiences and discuss possibilities for further cooperation.

As part of the programme, participants visited Gramona Ecological Olive Farm on the Seča peninsula, presented as an example of good practice in sustainable and environmentally responsible tourism and agriculture.

Rui Gomes, Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and Director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes, also participated in several panels of the official programme of the 11th Mediterranean Coast and Macro-Regional Strategies Week.

One of the key sessions was the panel “Cultural Routes in Action: Vision for the Future”, moderated by Irena Marš from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.

The panellists discussed the potential of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe as an established model for advancing sustainable tourism objectives within the framework of EU macro-regional strategies. The discussion highlighted their cross-sectoral contribution to innovative tourism products and sustainable destination management, as well as the importance of cross-border and transnational cooperation in addressing shared challenges.

Particular attention was also given to the European added value of Cultural Routes and the opportunities they may provide for innovative and sustainable investments in the 2028–2034 programming period.

Following the panel, the discussion continued on 15 September in the historic Palazzo Manzioli in Izola, where representatives of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in Slovenia met with Rui Gomes.

The discussion focused on the current state of Cultural Routes in Slovenia, opportunities for further cooperation and their role in achieving more sustainable tourism development across the Mediterranean.

Today, 24 August 2026, the University of Maribor opened the second application period for non-EU candidates wishing to enrol in postgraduate study programmes in the 2026/2027 academic year. This is a new opportunity to apply for master’s and doctoral studies.

Applications must be completed and submitted through the eVŠ portal by 4 September 2026 to be considered on time.

The first application period for EU candidates also remains open until 4 September 2026.

At the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Maribor, we offer two postgraduate study programmes:

Master’s programme Tourism Destinations and Experiences
Doctoral programme Contemporary Tourism Studies

Take the next step in your academic and professional journey—join an international community dedicated to shaping the future of tourism.

We warmly invite you to apply!

For further information, please contact the Student Affairs Office at referat.ft@um.si.

Undergraduate Studies

EU citizens: 20–27 August 2026
The second application period is currently open.

Non-EU citizens: 3–4 September 2026
The second application period will be open for two days.

Postgraduate Studies

EU citizens: until 4 September 2026
The first application period is still open.

Non-EU citizens: 24 August–4 September 2026

All applications must be submitted electronically via the eVŠ portal.

For further information, please contact us at referat.ft@um.si or call +386 8 20 57 067.

More: https://www.ft.um.si/en/prospective-students/study-tourism/#study-programmes

From 23 to 29 August 2026, the Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor, in cooperation with local partners – the Municipality of Brežice, the Brežice European Film Festival, ZPTM Brežice, the Posavje Museum Brežice and the Brežice Library – will hold the international Summer School of Good Stories: Literary, Film and Wine Tourism in Brežice. Nearly 50 students from more than ten European universities will take part, exploring the role of stories in literary, film and wine tourism through lectures, workshops, fieldwork and meetings with local stakeholders.

The summer school, organised by the Faculty in cooperation with the Department of Tourism and Communication Studies at the University of Zadar and partners from the local community, is designed as an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP). The first online meeting with participants will take place on Thursday, 20 August, while the main part of the programme will run in Brežice from Sunday, 23 August, to Saturday, 29 August. The programme will conclude with an online evaluation session on 31 August.

Opening of the summer school in the Faculty of Tourism’s new premises

The official opening of the summer school will take place on Sunday, 23 August 2026, at 4 p.m. in the new premises of the Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor, at Trg izgnancev 1 in Brežice.

At the start of the programme, participants will be welcomed by representatives of the University of Maribor and its Faculty of Tourism, as well as by Ivan Molan, Mayor of the Municipality of Brežice; Mojca Florjanič, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Brežice and co-founder of the Brežice European Film Festival; and Dr Aleš Pavlin, the festival’s founder and programme director.

The opening will be followed by a lecture by the head of the summer school, Prof. Dr. Jasna Potočnik Topler, entitled Tourism as Narrative: The Power of Story in Interpreting Place, or When Literature, Film and Wine Meet. That same evening, participants will also visit the Brežice Youth Centre, where they will be welcomed and introduced to Brežice as a youth-friendly and creative municipality with a rich cultural and tourism offer.

Brežice as an international tourism classroom

The central theme of the summer school is storytelling as an important tool in contemporary tourism. The programme combines academic insights with practical workshops, creative work and experiences in the local environment. Students will explore how stories about places, literature, film, cultural heritage and wine can form the basis of engaging and authentic tourism experiences.

The first thematic section will focus on literary tourism and stories of place. Participants will learn about literary trails, the role of place as a character in a story and different approaches to interpreting a place. In cooperation with the Brežice Library, they will also take a literary walk through the town and meet tourist guides from Slovenia and abroad.

The film section of the programme will examine the role of film in shaping the image and visibility of tourism destinations. Students will explore how film narratives influence perceptions of places and how a film location can be developed into a tourism product. They will also consider the use of virtual reality and modern technologies in tourist guiding, and attend film screenings and discussions with filmmakers.

Wine tourism will also form an important part of the summer school. Lectures, a sensory workshop and a visit to a local winery will allow participants to discover how wine heritage, wine tasting and winemakers’ stories can be incorporated into comprehensive tourism experiences.

The programme also includes travel writing and creative writing workshops, during which students will work in international groups to develop their own ideas for literary, film and wine tourism itineraries. They will present the resulting projects on Friday, 28 August, under the shared title Good Stories as a Tourism Product.

Collaboration with the Brežice European Film Festival

This year, the summer school is closely linked to the Brežice European Film Festival, which will take place in the town from 26 to 29 August 2026. Students will attend film screenings, take part in discussions with filmmakers, and analyse how film tells stories about places and influences visitors’ interest in destinations.

The connection between the summer school and the festival will bring students, researchers, tourism professionals, filmmakers and the local community into direct contact. Brežice will therefore be more than merely the host of the summer school: it will become its central learning environment, a town where stories, heritage, film, wine and contemporary tourism meet.

The programme will bring together lecturers and experts from Slovenia and abroad, including representatives of the University of Maribor, the University of Zadar, the University of Montenegro, the University of Algarve, CETT Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy, and other partner institutions. The programme also involves the Posavje Museum Brežice, the Brežice Library, the Municipality of Brežice, the Brežice European Film Festival, the ARGOS Association of Regional Tourist Guides of Slovenia, tourist guides from Slovenia and abroad, and local providers.

The international summer school will enable participants to acquire new knowledge, collaborate across cultures and create concrete tourism products. At the same time, it will enhance the international visibility of Brežice as a university town – a town of stories, culture and creative tourism experiences.

Summer school programe is available HERE.

We are publishing the instrurctions for enrolment in the next academic year - INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENROLMENT IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2026-27 (FOR ENGLISH-PROGRAMME STUDENTS).

Please read the instructions carefully. E-enrolment opens on 17 August.

The University of Maribor is publishing the »Public Call for Applications for the Co-Funding of Doctoral Study Programmes for Students of the University of Maribor – 2026/2027 Academic Year«.

Co-funding may be approved for an applicant who meets the following requirements:

In the 2026/2027 academic year, the applicant is enrolled in the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rdor 4^th year of doctoral study and has regularly progressed into the next year of study during his/her study.
The applicant has previously not completed any study programme which corresponds to the qualification level awarded under the 3^rd-cycle study programmes.
The applicant has previously not received any public grants or other forms of public funding for study programmes leading to “doktorat znanosti" (PhD), irrespective of the institution where he studied or whether he has completed his doctoral studies.
The applicant has a supervisor or intended supervisor.
The applicant has received at least 21 points under the criteria for the evaluation of the doctoral applicant's eligibility.

Application deadline is 18 September 2026 until 12:00 (noon).

All forms and application instructions are available on the UM Doctoral School website.

We are publishing the DECISION ON REPEATING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE PROCEDURE FOR THE APPLICATION AND APPOINTMENT OF STUDENT TUTORS AT THE FACULTY OF TOURISM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARIBOR.

The Student Council of FT UM is collecting applications for student tutors. For the academic year 2026/2027, the following applications are being collected:

2 student tutors for the full-time professional Bachelor programme
1 student tutor for the part-time English-language Master programme

More information, the eligibility criteria and the application form are available in the decision.

Applications must be submitted using the form attached to this decision (Form 1), along with the required documents, by no later than Tuesday, 16 June 2026, by 11:00, sent by email to referat.ft@um.si, where the subject field must read "Application for FT student tutor".

A new generation of 39 graduates and master's graduates of the Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor, received their bachelor's and master's degree certificates at a ceremonial graduation event held on Thursday, 4 June 2026. The certificates were awarded by the Dean of the Faculty, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marjetka Rangus.

The Faculty of Tourism thus welcomed its eleventh generation of graduates from the professional higher education, university and master's study programmes. The ceremony took place in the magnificent setting of the Knight’s Hall at Brežice Castle.

Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marjetka Rangus awarded certificates to 23 graduates of the professional higher education programme, 7 graduates of the university programme, and 9 master's graduates.

This year’s keynote speaker from the professional field was Mr Robert Šinkovec from Relax Turizem d.d., a long-standing mentor of students during their practical training and a recipient of the Faculty of Tourism UM Award for Excellence in Knowledge Transfer from the Working Environment. He addressed the graduates with encouraging and inspiring words as they embarked on their professional careers. He highlighted the importance of perseverance, responsibility and genuine interpersonal relationships, encouraging graduates to build their success gradually through hard work, knowledge and a respectful attitude towards others.

This year, two graduates spoke on behalf of their fellow graduates. Vedad Abdagić, a graduate of the university study programme and representative of full-time students, and Elizaveta Ibragimova, a graduate of the master's study programme who also represented graduates of the part-time English-language study programmes, expressed their gratitude to everyone who had supported them throughout their studies. They emphasised the importance of community and the support of family and friends, reflected on their academic journey, and looked ahead to the challenges and opportunities that await them.

The event was hosted by lecturer Hana Kuhar and was further enriched by performances from two talented young musicians of the Brežice Music School – Izak Vukič on saxophone, accompanied on piano by Špela Troha Ogorevc, and Ivana Lesinšek on violin. The young musicians study under the mentorship of professors Ita Nagode and Andrea Haber Požar.

The Faculty of Tourism is proud of the Class of 2026. On this important milestone, it sincerely congratulates all graduates and master's graduates and wishes them every success, perseverance and fulfilment in applying the knowledge they have gained.

The Student Council of the Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor, is collecting applications for student tutors for the academic year 2026/2027.

We are publishing the Decision on the Announcement of the Procedure for the Application and Appointment of Student Tutors at the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Maribor. The application forms are attached to the published decision.

Student tutoring is an important form of support that helps students integrate into the study environment, understand the study process, exchange experiences, and successfully navigate their studies. Student tutors play an especially important role in supporting younger students, international students, and students who may need additional guidance during their studies.

Available tutoring positions

For the academic year 2026/2027, applications are open for the following positions:

2 student tutors for the full-time professional Bachelor programme,
2 student tutors for the part-time professional English-language Bachelor programme,
1 student tutor for the academic Bachelor programme,
1 student tutor for the full-time Master programme,
1 student tutor for the part-time English-language Master programme.

The Selection Committee will also appoint a coordinator of student tutors and a tutor for students with disabilities from among the selected candidates.

Who can apply?

Students of FT UM who meet the eligibility criteria set out in the internal instructions on the implementation of the tutoring system at the Faculty of Tourism may apply for the position of student tutor.

In the selection process, the committee will consider communication skills, a positive attitude toward tutoring work, knowledge of the study process at FT UM, the ability to accept and consider the opinions of others, awareness of broader student-related issues, and active participation in extracurricular activities.

A special requirement for tutors for part-time English-language programmes is good communication skills in a global foreign language. A tutor for students with disabilities must demonstrate an understanding of different types of disabilities and familiarity with measures for eliminating barriers for students with disabilities.

Tutor responsibilities and remuneration

Selected student tutors will be included in the FT UM tutoring system in the academic year 2026/2027. They will meet regularly with their assigned group of students and provide them with support. The minimum number of meetings during the academic year is five.

Student tutors will be required to keep records of their work and report regularly to the coordinator of the tutoring system at FT UM. Tutoring work includes meetings with students, preparation for these meetings, and participation in events related to the tutoring system.

Student tutors will receive financial compensation for their work. The hourly rate for tutoring is 20% higher than the minimum student hourly wage.

Selected tutors will attend an onboarding session organised by the University of Maribor Rectorate in September 2026, which will be held online via MS Teams, as well as an onboarding session at FT UM, which will take place in person in Brežice. Travel expenses for the in-person onboarding session will be reimbursed.

Students who have successfully completed the onboarding sessions in previous years and are reapplying for the student tutor call are not required to attend the training again.

Application deadline and submission

Applications must be submitted using the application form attached to the call, together with the required documents, no later than: Wednesday, 10 June 2026, by 11:00. Applications must be sent by email to: referat.ft@um.si. The email subject line must read: "Application for FT student tutor". Applications submitted after the deadline will be rejected as late.

Selection procedure

The Selection Committee will meet on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, after 11:00, to review the received applications. If necessary, the committee may conduct interviews with candidates within five working days after the opening of applications.

Student tutors, the coordinator of student tutors, and the tutor for students with disabilities are appointed by the Faculty Senate of FT UM for a period of one academic year. Selected candidates will be notified about their appointment by email.