Creative Faculty of Tourism - call for Literary Contributions

Dear students of the University of Maribor, Faculty of Tourism,

On the occasion of Prešeren Day – the Slovenian Cultural Holiday (8th February) and World Poetry Day (21st March), we invite you to celebrate the rich literary creativity of Slovenia, Europe, and the world by selecting your favorite poems, novel excerpts, or your own literary works.

Language holds the wealth of thoughts, which we will read, reflect upon, discuss, and use to broaden our horizons…

How to Participate?

Choose from the following categories:
📖 Poems – Select and submit a poem by your favorite poet.
📚 Novel Excerpts – Share a passage from a novel that inspires you.
✍️ My Literary Writing – Submit your own original poetry, prose, or creative writing.

📌 Submission Guidelines:

Each contribution (regardless of category) should not exceed 3 pages.
You may also send a short video of yourself reading your selected work or your own writing.

📅 Deadline: 10 March 2026
📩 Send your contributions to: jasna.potocnik1@um.si

Let’s celebrate literature, culture, and creativity together! We look forward to your inspiring submissions.

Best regards,
Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor

On Tuesday, 20 January 2026, the Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor, successfully organised visiting lectures as part of the course The Power of Digital Platforms in Tourism, led by Assoc. Prof. Maja Turnšek, PhD. The event took place at the Student Campus in Ljubljana and brought together students and professionals from various segments of the tourism and hospitality industry.

The visiting lectures represent a key element of the learning process for 2nd-year master’s students of the programme Tourism Destinations and Experiences. Within the course framework, students actively select and invite guest lecturers from professional practice, gaining first-hand insights into the digital transformation of tourism. The students also moderated the discussion sessions, fostering a dynamic exchange of knowledge and experiences, and strengthening the connection between academic theory and real-world applications.

This year’s programme offered a rich overview of digital platforms and tools shaping contemporary tourism, from accommodation management systems and social media communication to data-driven destination management, digital heritage preservation, and hospitality operations.

Guest lecturers

We would like to sincerely thank all guest lecturers for their valuable contributions, inspiring presentations, and openness in sharing professional insights:

Klara Korenč (Klarin svet) and Vid Soklič presented the role of major booking platforms such as Airbnb and Booking, as well as the Slovenian hospitality management platform Bentral. Their session focused on practical aspects of platform use, digital marketing strategies, and operational optimisation for accommodation providers.
Nina Colarić Cvirn, Head of Social Media Communication at the Slovenian Tourist Board, offered insights into national-level digital communication strategies, content creation, and community management across social media platforms.
Dejan Ristić, Senior Advisor for Tourism Infrastructure Development at Tourism Ljubljana, presented Ljubljana’s tourism data dashboard, demonstrating how data analytics supports destination planning, visitor flow management, and strategic decision-making.
Matevž Straus, Lead of the Arctur Heritage+ Programme at Arctur, showcased innovative approaches to cultural heritage digitalisation through 3D modelling and immersive technologies, highlighting their role in tourism experience design.
Nina Abramova, Owner and CEO of Basa Vietnamese Cuisine Restaurant, shared her entrepreneurial journey and practical strategies for opening and successfully managing a restaurant in a foreign country without a marketing budget, focusing on digital visibility, storytelling, and customer engagement.
Viktoriia Tymoshenko, Room Attendant at InterContinental Ljubljana, provided valuable insights into how digitalisation is transforming housekeeping operations, work organisation, and service quality in contemporary hotels.

Hands-on experience with the Bentral platform

A special highlight of the event was the hands-on workshop with the Bentral hospitality management platform. Thanks to the generous support of the Slovenian company Intersplet, students were granted free trial access to a test environment, enabling them to gain practical experience with professional hotel management software solutions. This significantly enhanced their understanding of operational processes in accommodation management and strengthened their applied digital skills.

Student perspective

Reflecting on the experience, master’s student Sanjay Jomy emphasised the importance of practical learning:

“The sessions clearly demonstrated the power of digital platforms in tourism, especially in areas such as cultural heritage preservation, destination planning, and visitor management. Practical examples helped me understand how technology is applied beyond theory and used in real tourism contexts. Overall, the experience was both insightful and motivating, and it strengthened my interest in digital innovation within the tourism sector.”

The Faculty of Tourism remains committed to integrating real-world expertise into its study programmes and providing students with practical, future-oriented learning experiences that prepare them for the evolving demands of the tourism industry.

The winter semester is ending on Friday, 23.01.2026. The winter examination period starts Monday, 26.01., and lasts until Friday, 22.02.2026.

Registration must be completed exclusively via AIPS (https://aips.um.si/Prijava.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f). Select your subject, exam date and submit your application.

We want to remind you again of some important information:

Registering for exams:

No later than 8 days before the exam (later registration is not possible).
Register only if you meet the requirements/conditions for taking the exam.

Withdrawing from exams:

No later than 2 days before the exam
If you fail to attend the exam and do not withdraw in time, you will lose one exam take and be banned from attending the next exam of the course.
If you miss the withdrawal deadline but have a valid reason for not attending the exam, it will be considered a timely withdrawal, provided you submit the relevant supporting documents (e.g., medical proof) to the Student Affairs Office within 3 working days after the exam.

Let us remind you to pay attention when applying if you have the conditions for taking the exam. If you don't have the conditions, you must withdraw! (not later than two days before the exam according to Rules on Examinations and Grading of the UM). If you don't withdraw from the exam, you will be banned from attending the next exam take.

All exams will be held live in the classrooms (written and oral exams). Slovenian programs in Brežice and English programs in Ljubljana. Hours and locations of the exams will be entered into AIPS one or two days before the exams.

Please make sure you apply to the right exam – »Only for part-time students, who had lectures in English. / Samo za izredne študente, ki so imeli predavanja v angleščini.«

We wish you good luck!

You are kindly invited to participate in the Erasmus+ REX 2026 project conference entitled Rethinking Student Mobility in Higher Education, which will take place on 20 May 2026 at the University of Maribor.

We invite researchers, higher education teachers, professional staff and policy makers to submit abstracts addressing the development and promotion of student mobility in higher education through the use of virtual reality (VR) and other digital technologies.

The deadline for abstract submission is 1 March 2026.
Participation in the conference is free of charge.

More information about the conference and abstract submission is available on the project website:
https://projects.uni-foundation.eu/rex/news/call-for-papers-rex-conference-2026/

We look forward to your contributions and to welcoming you in Maribor.

As we step into the new year, we sincerely thank everyone who was part of our journey in 2025.

May 2026 be shaped by knowledge, deeper understanding, and wise decisions.

May the upcoming holidays also be a time to rest, reflect, and recharge.

We inform you that the University of Maribor, Faculty of Tourism, will be closed from Thursday, 25 December 2025, until and including Sunday, 4 January 2026, due to collective leave (29, 30 and 31 December 2025) and public holidays.

During this time, the study process will not take place, and we will not be receiving or processing your emails or postal mail addressed to the Faculty of Tourism.

Thank you for your understanding.

On Friday, 5 December 2025, the Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor, solemnly celebrated the 16th Faculty of Tourism UM Day in its new premises at Trg izgnancev 1 in Brežice. The event also represented the central highlight of the Faculty of Tourism UM Week.

The ceremony opened with the academic anthem Gaudeamus Igitur, performed by the Mixed Youth Choir of the Brežice Gymnasium. The audience was first addressed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marjetka Rangus, Dean of the Faculty of Tourism UM, who emphasised that the new facilities do not represent merely an infrastructural change, but mark a new developmental chapter for the faculty, which has grown into an internationally integrated and recognisable educational and research institution over the past sixteen years.

On behalf of the University of Maribor, the audience was addressed by Assist. Prof. Dr. Maja Modic, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, who highlighted the importance of the Faculty for the development of tourism at both regional and national levels. The importance of close cooperation between the Faculty and the local community, as well as the successes of Brežice tourism, which is increasingly establishing itself as a leading destination of the eastern cohesion region, was also emphasised by the Mayor of the Municipality of Brežice, Mr Ivan Molan.

The ceremonial part of the event was devoted to the presentation of awards and recognitions of the Faculty of Tourism UM, through which the Faculty annually highlights individuals and groups who, through their work, significantly contribute to its development, reputation, and quality of operations.

The Awards for Professional Excellence were presented to Natalija Novšak Robida, Head of the Centre for General, Legal and Human Resources Affairs, and Tanja Druks Ralinovski, a long-standing staff member of the Student Affairs Office and an important contributor to the organisation of the study process and the development of new forms of education.

The Award for Excellence in Knowledge Transfer from the Working Environment was presented to Dr Marko Jurakić, who for many years has organised field excursions through partnerships with various higher education institutions and has actively involved students in the creation of scientific monographs and research contributions.

The Award for Scientific and Research Excellence for this year was presented to the organising team of the international conference TEDU25, consisting of Assist. Prof. Dr. Tomi Špindler, Senior Lecturer Dr. Biljana Božinovski, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marjetka Rangus, Assist. Dr. Jerneja Šavrič, and Ms Maja Štimec. The conference, held in May 2025 at Terme Čatež, connected domestic and international researchers and enabled students to present their research work for the first time in an international scientific environment.

An important part of the ceremony was also the presentation of awards for academic achievement, which were received by the most successful students of the previous academic year across all study programmes of the Faculty of Tourism UM. The recipients were Iana Fleshler, Jerca Mohorič, Emana Habibija, Eva Drakulić, Nidal Alispahić, Elizaveta Buvaeva, Anja Koretič Urbanč, Carina Petrič, and Namitha Jan.

For exceptional dedication to teaching, the Awards for Teaching Excellence were presented to Assist. Tjaša Alegro in the category of higher education associates, and to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marko Koščak in the category of higher education teachers, for his high-quality, practice-oriented, and student-friendly teaching approach.

The special Green Compass Award, granted to the Best Graduate of the Faculty of Tourism UM for 2024, was awarded to Almaida Mizić, who distinguished herself during her undergraduate studies through excellent academic performance and an outstanding role in student and faculty life. As Vice-Dean for Student Affairs and President of the Student Council of the Faculty of Tourism UM, she continues to make an important contribution to connecting students with the faculty management.

The Faculty also presented the Plaque of the Faculty of Tourism UM to the University of Maribor Press for its outstanding contribution to the development of scientific and professional excellence of the Faculty. The plaque was accepted on behalf of the Press by Ms Dunja Legat, MSc, Head of the Press, and Mr Jan Perša, Head of Production and Technical Editor.

The cultural atmosphere of the event, which was moderated by Lecturer Hana Kuhar, was once again enriched by the music of the Mixed Youth Choir of the Brežice Gymnasium, conducted by Simona Rožman Strnad.

The ceremony was concluded with a forward-looking address by the Dean, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marjetka Rangus, who expressed her gratitude to everyone whose efforts enabled the Faculty’s activities and celebrations to take place at the new location this year. The historic townhouse at Trg izgnancev 1 has thus gained a new purpose, significantly contributing to the revitalisation of the old town centre of Brežice, while the Faculty of Tourism UM has gained new premises to further develop its educational and research activities.

Faculty of Tourism UM Week in the Spirit of Connectivity, Creativity and International Cooperation

The Faculty Day concluded the Faculty of Tourism UM Week, which took place between 1 and 5 December 2025, bringing together students, staff, the professional community, and the local public, and was organised as part of the jubilee year of the University of Maribor, celebrating its 50th anniversary. The festive week formed part of a wider series of events through which the University’s members marked this important milestone throughout the year.

At the Faculty of Tourism UM, the week began with a meeting of the Strategic Council of the Faculty of Tourism UM, followed in the afternoon by a festive creative workshop, where participants, together with the Student Council, crafted greeting cards and symbolically opened the festive December.

On Tuesday, a public discussion evening titled “Stories and Bubbles” took place with Miha Istenič, during which visitors learned about the successful and internationally recognised family sparkling wine house and the development of the Istenič brand. Discussions on sparkling wines, wine culture, and the development of wine tourism were led by Assist. Prof. Dr. Vita Petek and Prof. Dr. Jasna Potočnik Topler, who also moderated the event.

An international dimension to the week was provided by Thursday’s guest Assist. Prof. Dr. Stuart Heys from the University of Otago, New Zealand, who presented the use of modern technologies in outdoor tourism and discussed the challenges and opportunities of sustainable development in this rapidly growing field.

In the jubilee year of the University of Maribor, the Faculty of Tourism UM Week once again demonstrated the Faculty’s openness, strong integration within the local environment, close ties with the economy and international partners, and the dynamic pulse brought by education in tourism.

Project partners of the Erasmus+ REX initiative gathered in Izmir, Turkey, at the Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH) for a productive project meeting hosted by the Turkish team. Each partner institution was represented by one to three participants, fostering an engaging and collaborative environment.

The leading partner, the University of Maribor, Faculty of Tourism, was represented by project coordinator Assist. Prof. Dr. Vita Petek and Prof. Dr. Jasna Potočnik Topler.

The meeting began with an analysis session of Work Package 3 (WP3), during which the UVSQ team presented the results of their research and key findings. Discussions then focused on the upcoming outputs of WP3 and the preparation for Work Package 4 (WP4), which will be led by the Norwegian partner HVL. The meeting concluded with the development of a detailed plan for WP4 activities.

With this meeting, the REX project reached its halfway point, marking significant progress and paving the way for the remaining year of joint work ahead. The gathering further strengthened the collaboration among partners and set clear directions for the next phase of the project.

Studying tourism brings many inspiring life stories. One of them is the story of Alex James, a student from India, who is completing his undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor.

Alex recently shared his personal story in the Land of Dreams show on Radio Si, a programme dedicated to true stories about foreigners living in Slovenia.

In the interview, Alex talked about his beginnings in Slovenia, his experiences, work, love, and more. He also reflected on how living and studying in Slovenia has influenced his personal and professional growth.

Alex is now preparing his final thesis and is looking forward to completing his studies and continuing his journey.

You can listen to his interview on Radio Si here: https://radiosi.rtvslo.si/podcast/land-of-dreams/157324464/175166920

Picture: Print screen Radio SI

At the Student Campus in Ljubljana, we hosted our autumn M&M Day – a traditional event of the Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor, which we organise twice a year: in spring in Brežice and in autumn in Ljubljana.

With M&M Day, we bring together students from both of our study locations – those attending the Slovene-language programmes in Brežice and those studying in English in Ljubljana. The event is also joined by visiting Erasmus students. The aim of M&M Day is to connect students from both locations, encourage cooperation, idea exchange, creativity, and broadened horizons.

From Brežice to Ljubljana – in the spirit of artificial intelligence
Early in the morning, two buses filled with students departed from Brežice to Ljubljana, where they joined their colleagues at the Campus. We began the day with a welcome address by the Dean, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marjetka Rangus, who highlighted the importance of such events for strengthening connections and building the FT community.

This was followed by joint lectures in English and the highlight of the day – the AI Challenge. Students competed in a quiz on artificial intelligence, and the top two teams then participated in a “pro et contra” debate, where the speakers presented different viewpoints on the opportunities and challenges of AI in everyday life. The audience voted for the team supporting the positive impact of AI, which proudly took home the M&M Challenge Trophy. The trophy will again be awarded at the spring edition of the event in Brežice.

This year’s theme focused on artificial intelligence, which profoundly influences all aspects of modern life and work. Through the quiz and debate, students demonstrated critical thinking, understanding of the topic, and teamwork skills.

Students as organisers
After the competitive part, students and staff – both academic and administrative – enjoyed a joint lunch and relaxed socialising. The event concluded in a pleasant and friendly atmosphere, once again proving the importance of collaboration between our two study locations.

This year’s event was fully organised and carried out by our 3rd-year undergraduate students within the Event Management course. Over the past month, they carefully planned the logistics and successfully ensured a smooth execution on the day of the event.

We have been organising M&M Day for four years now, each time addressing relevant contemporary topics such as food waste reduction, tree planting, building cultural bridges, carbon footprint reduction, and storytelling. This time, our students explored the role and impact of artificial intelligence. The next, spring edition will once again take place in Brežice and will be combined with the Faculty’s Career Fair.