Hospitality - making people feel welcome

I spent these Easter holidays in Bovec, a town in the Julian Alps of Slovenia. A short break of relaxation before the last month of studying. The place is simply beautiful: scenic views, quiet atmosphere and very friendly people. The trekking routes were very well-marked, except for one in which the mountain-face from which our route passed had completely fallen off, stopping us short in our tracks. Though we had some days of bad weather, it resulted in a higher water level which made our rafting experience along the rapids of the Soča river much more interesting.

But what really made the trip memorable was the hospitality of the people, shown through small gestures which for a visitor mean a lot. The lady renting out our accommodation gladly picked us up from the bus station on our arrival, and gave us a lift there on our departure. She also brought us all a small surprise breakfast on Easter Sunday. On a day when the weather turned out bad, her daughter voluntarily offered to drive us around with her car to view some waterfalls and historical forts which were further than walking distance away, not to let us waste a day inside. Her brother, apart from organizing our rafting session, also stopped to take photos of us at different points along the river. Not to mention the jovial character of our rafting instructor. And we even got an email of best wishes from them five days after our departure, to ensure that we had a good stay.

All these small gestures managed to instil in us a desire to return back. A feeling that every euro spent there was worth it. And that's what makes a touristic experience memorable and recommendable. Our country was always known for its very hospitable people: "islanders who showed unusual kindness" (Acts 28:2). Are we still that hospitable country of kind and welcoming islanders? Do we still get out of our way to make visitors feel welcome? Or do we frown whenever a foreigner even dares to comment about us on internet news-portals? It is that sense of hospitality that will make tourists recommend our country as a destination of excellence to their friends, and that will make them want to return back. After all, tourism generates around 15% of our GDP, and we all stand to gain by keeping up our country's good reputation.

As for Bovec, I hope to return one day. It's an excellent destination for sports enthusiasts and mountain-lovers.

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