Indians and pirates in Slovenia - Terme Čatež presented new offer

(the Pirate Bay)

This summer, the pirates who have been navigating the waterways of winter thermal riviera for years have joined the Indians in Terme Čatež. Out of great love for water, they built the Pirate Bay - a complex comprising 20 floating houses that are connected to the land by a wooden bridge. These houses are built of natural materials, and all of them are big enough for four to five persons. The size of each house is 25 square meters and they all have wooden balconies.

The Pirate Bay, which is situated in the vicinity of the Indian Village, camp, suites and summer thermal riviera, was ceremoniously opened on May 13. Terme Čatež invested about EUR 820,000 in that project.

One of the most attractive tourist destinations in Europe, primarily because of thermal water and aqua programmes, had 127,532 overnight stays in the first quarter of 2010 and received increased number of tourists from Serbia.

(Size of each house is 25 sqm and they all have wooden balconies)

According to Boštjan Koren, the Sales and Marketing Manager for the region of former Yugoslavia, there were about 10,000 overnight stays by guests from Serbia in 2008. That number grew to 17,000 in 2009, while 13,000 overnight stays were registered in the first four months of 2010.

As Koren explained, the largest number of guests (46%) are from Slovenia, followed by Italians and Croats, but what is surprising is that Serbs are the third on this year's list of foreign tourists.

Although Serbia has a great geothermal potential and only one aqua park, people in Terme Čatež say that they currently do not plan to make any major investments in our country.

They say that they were seriously negotiating investments in several destinations in our country, as well as that they were offered cooperation in thermal water exploitation, but they only "carefully follow the events in Serbia" for now.

Terme Čatež keeps investing in Thermal Riviera Ilidža, which is the biggest tourist facility of the kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Construction of a hotel is also in the pipeline.

(the Indian Village)

Terme Čatež is situated in the vicinity of the border with Croatia and it is connected with our country by the highway, so that the destination can be reached easily and quickly. Čatež is an excellent example of how geothermal water can be used in a good way.

- For heating the water in swimming pools, as well as for heating tourists facilities, water from eight sources is used since its temperature close to the springs ranges between 56 and 62 degrees Centigrade. Water in swimming pools cools down and its temperature ranges between 28 and 34 degrees Centrigrade. There are 1,300 square meters of water surfaces on the winter riviera and 10,000 square meters on the summer riviera - said Koren.

Geothermal water has a medicinal effect and it is used in Terme Čatež for rehabilitation and health care, but these services produce only 5% of total income.

Thermal rivieras

The biggest outdoor thermal swimming pool complex in Slovenia and surroundings comprises ten swimming pools, which are different from each others by water temperature, shape and numerous water attractions.

All lovers of high-speed rides will enjoy an adrenaline slide 14 meters high. There are also pipe toboggan "black-hole" 30 meters long and adrenaline slide "boomerang".

(swimming pools of various shapes and dimensions)

Tourists can also enjoy the "lazy river" 450 meters long, while the lovers of long-distance swimming will find the place for themselves since there is an Olympic pool on the summer thermal riviera.

The swimmers can also easily cross from the summer to the winter thermal riviera, that is, from the outdoor sun-bathed space to the indoor space and vice versa.

Significant investments in Terme Čatež in 2010

Since May 2010, there are 90 new camping spaces and two new sanitarian facilities in camp***** Termi Čatež, which is appraised by German ADAC as currently the best camp in Slovenia. Each camping space occupies the surface of 90 square meters and is equipped with electricity and water connections. The toilets are equipped with washing machine, dish washer and dryers.

(summer thermal riviera)

Within the scope of Aquapark Žusterna*** hotel in Kopar, Terme Čatež receives its first guests in new suites "Lavanda". There are six bigger suites (for four persons) and four smaller suites (for two persons) near the beach. All suites have their own balcony and parking place in the hotel garage.

Information on business performance in the period January-March 2010

(Winter riviera)

- In the first quarter of this year, there were 127,532 overnight stays in Terme Čatež, which is 1.5% more than in the same period last year (that is, 1,928 overnight stays more), and 186,435 tickets for swimming pools were bought - the company announced.

Slovenian natural spa resorts had 2,772,072 overnight stays in 2009 (2,754,051 in 2008), 1,691,437 of which were used by domestic guests and 1,080,635 were the overnight stays by foreign tourists. The stays by domestic guests grew by 2.4%, while the ones by foreign guests dropped by 2% when compared to 2008.

The share of Terme Čatež in 2009 amounted to 8.4% of all overnight stays in Slovenia and 25% of all overnight stays in Slovenian natural spa resorts.

Prices

One needs to pay about EUR 120 to rent a house in the Pirate Bay for a day. The price includes the rent for maximum five people and up to 5 tickets for summer or winter thermal riviera. Daily rent for a wigwam amounts to about EUR 90, while the price includes up to 4 tickets for summer or winter thermal riviera. Tourists can also stay in hotels Terme, Toplice and Čatež.

M.K.