Several buildings exist in Padna that were deserted after the Second World War, and are in dire need of restoration. Since they are not surrounded by functional land, local authorities have decided to merge these facilities into a so-called scattered hotel. The plan for Padna’s tourist development had also been supported by Piran Municipality – which governs this small village in the Slovenian part of Istria – in 2010.

An important breakthrough for Padna’s tourism occurred in 2011, when cruise ships started coming to the port of Koper, explains adviser of Piran’s mayor and former long-time president of Padna’s community Denis Goja: "That was when we sat down with trip organisers and formulated the concept of a 'tourist experience' in Padna. In 2011, we welcomed visitors from these ships on 20 Sundays. The entire village community participated in the beginning, and then some decided to work on improving this story more actively. Today, we can boast an enviable local offer, also praised by guests themselves." The charm of Padna lies in its landscape, open-hearted people and rich tastes, adds Goja.

In the past year, several important concrete steps have been made to found the scattered hotel, which is likely to start operating as early as next tourist season. "Piran Municipality has invited tenders for investors, who would have ten buildings at disposal for building accommodation facilities, i.e. a scattered hotel. Some have already come forward, and we continue searching for more investors, so we could include all tourist providers from the village into this hotel, and possibly run it as a cooperative. Padna already has 34 tourist beds, its people believe in the project, and we’ll continue along this trail with even larger steps."

Piran Mayor Peter Bossman confirms great interest in Padna's scattered hotel. In addition to four Slovenian investors, several investors from abroad have expressed interest, which is why the municipality extended the tender. However, Bossman warns that Piran remains a "handicapped" tourist destination despite being number one on the list of tourism-oriented municipalities. State authorities won’t understand how crucial infrastructure is for the development of tourism, argues the mayor and points out the airstrip at Portorož airport, which is still waiting to be extended. "We've been battling for 12 years to extend the airstrip. Infrastructure Ministry has finally set aside some funds for preparing the State Spatial Plan. At least in this case, we can finally hope to make a step forward. An even sadder case is the golf course, which is a 14-year-old saga. It seems we won’t have a course until we get a minister who would understand what opportunity this could mean for the entire local community."

Lea Širok, Radio Koper; translated by K. Z.