Minister Han visits Salzburg to strengthen economic and tourism cooperation
Minister Han in Salzburg | Author Tadej Cmerekar Komar, MGTŠ
Visit to the Klessheim school of tourism
As part of his visit, Minister Matjaž Han toured the Klessheim School of Tourism, an elite educational institution in tourism since 1957. The school is owned by the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce. Together with the director, Gabriele Tischler, he explored the modern infrastructure and campus, which includes both a secondary school for tourism and the International College of Hospitality Management. The minister emphasized the importance of quality education for the development of the tourism sector and highlighted opportunities for collaboration with Slovenian educational institutions.
Working lunch with Salzburg’s business representatives
During his visit, the minister attended a working lunch with leading representatives of Salzburg's business community. The meeting included representatives from prominent companies such as Palfinger, Spar, Quehenberger, Porsche Holding, Aldi Süd / Hofer, and Eurotravel Solutions. The discussion focused on strengthening business ties, investment opportunities, and cooperation in logistics, trade, and tourism.
"Austria is one of Slovenia’s most important economic partners, so cooperation between our companies is crucial for further growth and development. Salzburg is a region with a highly developed tourism and industrial sector, making such meetings valuable for exchanging experiences and identifying new opportunities," Han stated on the occasion.
Visit to Palfinger
Minister Han met with the management of Palfinger, a global leader in hydraulic lifting solutions. Together with CEO Alexander Susanek, they discussed the company's operations in Slovenia, where Palfinger employs around 1,000 workers in Maribor and has invested €76 million over the past 30 years. The minister highlighted the importance of foreign investments for the Slovenian economy and expressed satisfaction that Palfinger’s new €70 million investment in Ormož will further strengthen its presence in Slovenia.
The economic importance of Austria
Austria remains one of Slovenia’s key economic partners. In 2024, the volume of trade between the two countries reached €6.84 billion. Despite a slight decrease compared to the previous year, this still confirms the importance of this strategic partnership.
Austria is also the largest foreign investor in Slovenia, with direct investments totaling €4.78 billion in 2023, representing nearly 22% of all foreign investments in the country. More than 1,000 companies in Slovenia operate with Austrian capital.
In terms of service trade, Austria ranks among Slovenia’s most important partners, with service exchange reaching €2.31 billion in 2023—a 5.5% increase compared to 2022. Transport services, travel, and telecommunications account for the largest share of this exchange.
In tourism, Austria is the third-largest source of visitors to Slovenia. In 2024, more than 420,000 Austrian tourists visited Slovenia, generating over one million overnight stays, marking an increase compared to the previous year.
The two countries are closely linked in numerous sectors, including the automotive industry, green technologies, digitalization, artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0, and logistics. With many advanced projects in these areas, even more opportunities for further cooperation are emerging, enabling continued growth and development for both countries in the future.