Title - Name
ApiRoutes
Scope / Sector / Industry
Development of bee tourism
Country / Region
Slovenia
Why is it good practice?
The ApiRoutes initiative is regarded as a best practice in the development of apitourism, as it has laid the foundations for the organised promotion of Slovenian beekeeping, which forms an integral part of the country’s national identity. Through the certification of apitourism providers, coordinated cooperation between local authorities and central government, and organised promotional activities for this particular form of alternative tourism, it has contributed to Slovenia’s international recognition as a pioneer in apitourism and a model for other countries wishing to develop similar forms of alternative tourism.
How is it applied?
The term ‘apitourism’ (from the Latin word *apis* – bee) refers to a destination where tourists have the opportunity to discover and learn everything about bees, honey and its production. It is a specialised form of tourism and is often classified as a sub-category of agritourism or even health tourism, as beekeeping is becoming an increasingly popular way of maintaining good health.
In Slovenia, beekeeping has a long tradition and is one of the country’s most important productive sectors. In fact, the country, with a population of just over 2 million, has nearly 11,000 registered beekeepers in the Slovenian Beekeeping Association. As a result, the Association, in collaboration with the travel agency Aritours, launched a partnership that led to the creation of the brand “ApiRoutes” (authentic-routes.com). ApiRoutes is an initiative that promotes and offers services to those wishing to experience the local traditions surrounding honey. Specifically, it has started offering visitors bee tourism experiences, the main ones of which are summarised below:
- Api Experiences: Beyond Beekeeping: These include watching a beekeeper at work, guided tours of apiaries, tasting and/or making bee products – many of which have medicinal uses (e.g. making honey cream) – taking part in honey cooking classes, baking bread with honey, preparing dishes using honey dough or beeswax candles, and decorating the front panel of the hive. The panels that close the hive began to be painted in the 18th century and are now a very distinctive feature of the Slovenian countryside. Today, approximately 50,000 different and imaginative patterns adorn the hives of various beekeepers. Finally, other honey-based experiences on offer include tasting sparkling mead and visiting a brewery that brews beer with honey.
- Api Well-Being Programmes: includes treatments such as a honey massage for body detoxification, the application of a honey face mask or bee venom face cream for anti-ageing effects, the use of propolis for oral hygiene, and alginate patches soaked in honey with therapeutic properties.
- Apitherapy: involves resting on beds placed in apiaries, thereby transforming them into beekeeping chambers. These spaces are suitable for inhalation therapy, providing relief from pollen allergies and asthma. In general, beekeepers are known for their good health and longevity, which is attributed to the free circulation of aromatic air from the hives, creating a microclimate that has a beneficial effect on the human respiratory system and general well-being. Today, beekeeping is a well-established science, which serves as a complement to traditional medicine.
- Guided tours for beekeepers: includes the provision of personalised tourist packages designed to meet the needs of experienced beekeepers and apitherapists seeking specialist knowledge in their field.
The above activities also include visits to beekeeping museums and are recommended to be combined with a visit to other places of interest in the country, such as special cultural and natural sites.
It is worth noting that, since 2013, ApiRoutes has undertaken to initiate, promote, link, coordinate and manage beekeeping activities and programmes in its capacity as coordinator of the “Apimondia & Apitourism” working group (Apimondia: the International Federation of Beekeepers), at a global level. In this context, the official ApiRoutes website now showcases bee tourism experiences from all over the world with the aim of promoting them more widely.
This initiative led the country’s government, in 2016 and following a proposal from the Association, to incorporate beekeeping into its tourism strategy; at the same time, the Apitourism Providers Unit was established, comprising officially certified bee tourism providers. Slovenia is the only country to have such certification, and there are now over 45,000 certified providers in the country.
Furthermore, in Slovenia, the key to the successful development of apitourism is seen as the cooperation between beekeeping farms, tourism service providers, tourist associations, local communities and the state, as well as their collaboration in the planning, positioning and promotion of their offering. In this context, in the same year (2016), the Slovenian Beekeeping Association, in cooperation with the Slovenian Association of Professional Guides, is running the first training programme for beekeepers and tour guides. The knowledge gained leads to the specialisation of tourist guides and fosters a connection between visitors and apitourism providers, which further enhances the quality of the experience and, consequently, results in a more enjoyable experience for the visitor.
At the same time, the country’s Tourist Organisation and the Beekeeping Association are jointly planning a series of initiatives to promote a sustainable approach to bee tourism and to support travel agencies in designing holiday packages and proposals, such as wellness holidays featuring local honey tastings. As part of their efforts, they are publishing a dedicated thematic tourist guide (in fact, it is reported to be the only bee tourism guide in the world).
The quality of the tourist services provided is considered very important in Slovenia. In this context, it was deemed appropriate to enhance the existing quality of services offered by certified providers, leading to the Anton Janša Beekeeping School running its first training programmes in early 2024, upon completion of which participants will be awarded the “1–3 Bees” and “Top Bee” certificates of excellence.
This certification applies to bee tourism providers, ranging from farms and shops to museums and other businesses offering honey products and services. One, two or three bees indicate that the providers meet basic requirements such as the quality of their facilities and surroundings, the use of organic or biodynamic beekeeping practices, the ability to present activities and products in an attractive way, innovative packaging, the ability to create a bee tourism experience, the provision of creative workshops (e.g. gingerbread baking, candle making, beehive painting, cookery workshops) and expert talks, the provision of protective clothing for visitors, first aid, the use of multimedia, etc.
On the other hand, in order to obtain the “Top Bee” mark, in addition to the above, the provider is obliged to
to complete training to acquire additional knowledge, as well as to present a unique product or service and its application in the actual offering. This certification also takes into account factors such as accessibility for people with disabilities and knowledge of foreign languages.
Today, the training programme run by the school in question is also delivered abroad, providing examples of best practice to all those who wish to improve the quality of their beekeeping, regardless of their geographical location outside Slovenia.
In addition to the above, other important bee tourism initiatives in Slovenia that are also worth mentioning are the “Carniolan Bee House” and the “Bee Trail”. Specifically, the “Carniolan Bee House”, situated in the medieval centre of the town of Višnja Gora, is a museum established by the Rothschütz family, who introduced the local Carniolan bee to the world more than 150 years ago. As well as its own activities, the Carniolan Bee House houses the Tourist Information Centre, where visitors can find out everything about the museum and the surrounding area. Meanwhile, the “Bee Trail” in Ljubljana is a 14-stop route in the Slovenian capital, stretching a total of 7.7 km, along which walkers can, under the guidance of specialist guides, see, amongst other attractions, seven apiaries or beehives.
Finally, as part of efforts to protect bees, local initiatives are being carried out to raise awareness among residents and visitors to the country. A typical example is a preventative measure that took place in the village of Rateče in the municipality of Kranjska Gora. Specifically, in 2021, a severe cold snap hit the wider area, bringing frost that destroyed most of the blossoms on the fruit trees. Consequently, the main source of food for bees would be limited to the flowers in the meadows in public spaces and the lawns around houses. In this context, the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry appealed to the public not to mow these green spaces during that period. Consequently, the Municipality of Kranjska Gora, in response to this appeal, erected stylish signs in the shape of bees, informing residents and visitors to the area that the meadows were not being mown because “the bees are having a picnic”!
At national level, and as part of efforts to highlight the country’s beekeeping tradition and raise awareness of bee conservation, the UN General Assembly, at the proposal of the Slovenian Beekeeping Association, declared 20 May 2017 as World Bee Day. This date was chosen because on the same day in 1734, Anton Janša, a Slovenian beekeeper, pioneer of modern beekeeping and one of the greatest bee experts of the 18th century, was born. With this declaration, Slovenia has gained particular international recognition as a beekeeping destination and has also reinforced its reputation as a sustainable and green destination, which is the central theme of the country’s tourism promotion (the “Slovenia Green” brand).
Where is it applied?
The ApiRoutes initiative is aimed at nature lovers, beekeepers, wellness and health professionals, travellers, and those seeking an alternative, experiential and eco-friendly travel experience.
When did it apply?
The ApiRoutes initiative has been implemented gradually since 2013.
Results
Some of the awards Slovenia has received for the development of its bee tourism are as follows:
- In 2022, Slovenian beekeeping (“Beekeeping in Slovenia, a way of life”) was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
- Slovenia is the first country to certify providers of bee tourism and bee therapy.
- Ljubljana has been named the most bee-friendly municipality in Slovenia by the Beekeepers’ Association on several occasions, and in 2017 it received the URBACT European Good Practice Award.
Other information
The official website of the Apiroutes initiative is: https://www.authentic-routes.com/