At the first auction held in July last year the starting price for the ski resort (without the circular cableway and the restaurant) was 1.98 million euros, while during the second auction the official receiver stopped auctioning at 420,000 euros (both time the price was lowered during the auctioning), which was still considered too high, as it was estimated that the removal of the old devices only would cost at least twice as much. Foto: Soča rafting
At the first auction held in July last year the starting price for the ski resort (without the circular cableway and the restaurant) was 1.98 million euros, while during the second auction the official receiver stopped auctioning at 420,000 euros (both time the price was lowered during the auctioning), which was still considered too high, as it was estimated that the removal of the old devices only would cost at least twice as much. Foto: Soča rafting

As a short-term solution the mayor of Bovec Valter Mlekuž optimistically predicts the restart of the existing devices which had been stopped two years ago, after the accident. "There is no talk about new devices, at first Kanin should start operating again, and then next steps would be discussed," Mlekuž explains their plans. He is not willing to disclose the actual numbers and data, as the agreements with all the involved parties have not been concluded yet.
Restart would be a solution for the next few years
"We have prepared the new estimate of damage to the entire infrastructure. I don't want to talk about the numbers yet, but they remain within the normal range. This could be the solution for the coming six, seven years. We are making small steps into the right direction. I can't speak yet of the parties which would be willing to invest into this project, as I don't have their confirmations yet, but the Russians are still willing to participate," Mlekuž remains mysterious.
Lower occupancy in Bovec during winter…
Unfavourable weather is the other reason which kept the Bovec ski resort closed this winter. "We had no summer to speak of, and no real winter. The alternative activities Bovec offers, i.e. cross country skiing, ice climbing on waterfalls, and snowshoeing thus remained unexploited," complains Janko Humar, director of the Bovec Local Tourist Organisation. Consequently the results have not improved since the last year. Although the occupancy during holidays was around 60%, and until April 2000 overnight stays are expected – which is only one tenth of the previously counted numbers in Bovec. At the moment only approximately 30 of the providers of the accommodation capacities are operating, out of almost 200 existing.
The bus transport to other ski resorts in the vicinity has been well accepted by the guests. Last year 38% of the guests staying in Bovec took advantage of the transport. "You spend some 40 minutes for the ride. Everything is well organized, and we have been given all the necessary information at the reception. There were no problems, but we are really sorry not to be able to ski at Kanin; the Slovenian part of the ski resort is sunlit all day long, " Ana from Poland explained.
Thus the answer to the question whether Bovec in winter will once again become "increasingly attractive tourist location" depends greatly on the sale of the ski resort and the hotel.