Good practice:

Collective brand “Bohinjsko/From Bohinj”

Bohinj is a well-known and developed rural alpine destination in the Julian Alps and the Triglav National Park. In recent years, providers and coordinators of tourist activities in Bohinj became aware of the importance of destination international competitiveness, which stems from the visibility of a brand for the tourist destination Bohinj. The brand represents the essential and lasting characteristics of the destination such as landscape, people, culture and history.

The Bohinj collective brand “Bohinjsko/From Bohinj” is a local network of local providers of produce and culinary products, culinary offers of local specialties, and crafted products with the aim of coordinated cooperation and greater visibility of the Bohinj destination. And also to achieve greater efficiency and recognition of authentic experiences in the region.

This good practice provides certification, rewarding of quality, promotion and sale of local produce and products with a higher added value of the Alpine region, which through the brand ensures a higher quality and thus competitiveness of the offer and the destination as a whole.

This good practice was made using a bottom-up approach; with the involvement of all relevant local stakeholders. The owner of the brand is the Municipality of Bohinj, who transferred the brand management to Turizem Bohinj, who is also the parent distributor of the brand. Turizem Bohinj is responsible for custody of the brand and its efficient management and distribution.

At the beginning Turizem Bohinj set out a short- and medium-term draft of activities and sources of financing the operation of the Bohinj collective brand. Now there are various sources of funding available for the operation of the brand (Municipality of Bohinj, brand users, donors, Turizem Bohinj).

Currently there are 44 providers with certified produce and products, and also culinary products. Certification is done twice a year, and once every two years they also check already issued certificates to verify that products still meet high quality standards. Certification and examination of new applicants for the “Bohinjsko/From Bohinj” certificate is implemented by the Centre for Quality, which runs under the auspices of Turizem Bohinj. Participants are satisfied and their sales are rising.

Number of certified providers is growing yearly. Some, mostly those engaging in amateur activities, sometimes decide they will no longer participate, even though they gain a lot due to the project. Turizem Bohinj takes care of the promotion and encourages them and helps them develop new products.

The Bohinjsko brand influences the quality and strengthens the local economy. At Turizem Bohinj, through the project Bohinjsko and the Centre for Quality, they are looking for potential producers of Bohinj souvenirs, they help them to apply for a tender for the quality certificate “Bohinjsko/From Bohinj”, and in cooperation with a designer and developer they are developing new and innovative souvenirs for sale. For all products with the certificate, they take care of incorporation in shops and promotion.
Following the success of the brand in the field of produce and products, Turizem Bohinj is planning the introduction of the brand also in the field of services, accommodation and events.

There are quite a few examples of collective municipal or destination brands, but in Bohinj they have established a new approach as they do not wish to sell for individuals, but instead for providers to develop their own businesses as it is more sustainable.