It will be presented as the "Door to Pomurje", with the intention of promoting Pomurje's tourist offering and businesses. The ideas and concepts for the pavilion have already been presented. It will be called Expano. According to Lidija Kosi, Radio Slovenija's correspondent from the Pomurje region, a three-month public debate on the project will now take place. That will be followed by a search for contractors for the construction work.
Five key pillars of Pomurje's tourism
Expano will, in fact, be Pomurje in a nutshell. Representatives of the Franc Franc company, which prepared the selection of content and solutions inside the pavilion, say the name hints to the experiences on offer in the Pannonian i.e. Pomurje region in English.
Manuel Kuran from Franc Franc says: "The pavilion is divided into two parts, one focusing on the economy and the other on tourism. The tourist part touches on the five key pillars of Pomurje's tourism: from nature, its thermal waters, active tourism and culinary to its cultural heritage. The economy part is a kind of office for the internationalization of Pomurje's economy."
The Pannonian world will be presented to foreign and domestic visitors in an attractive and modern way. The interactive park of experiences with new technologies will urge them to continue exploring and discovering the region, which will be presented through the five key pillars for Pomurje's economy and tourism. The pavilion will also include a shop with domestic goods and souvenirs, a centre for mobility, a restaurant as a culinary laboratory, and a coffee corner.
Price: Three and a half million euros
Three and a half million euros will be spent for the pavilion. One million will come from Act on the Development and Support for the Pomurje Region. The rest will come from EU funds for programmes on sustainable urban strategy and from the budget of the Municipality of Murska Sobota. A building permit has already been obtained, but they're still cautious in announcing the date for the official opening of the pavilion, adds Kosi.
The aim of the project is to increase the flow of tourists in the region and try keep them in the region for a longer period, to attract more domestic tourists, offer internationally competitive content and invite tourists with a higher purchasing power. Regarding the economy, the aim is to shift from a classic to a new, modern, form of economy.
That, what Tuscan is to Italy
Presenting the project the Mayor of Murska Sobota, Aleksander Jevšek, said the pavilion, which would be right next to the highway, would be an excellent location for creating an entry point to the Pomurje region and Slovenia. With the help of the pavilion Pomurje would also be developed into a first-class tourist destination, especially for those guests "who know how to appreciate time when it stops, and when the soul finds peace". Jevšek's wish is that the Pomurje region in Slovenia becomes that what Tuscany is to Italy.
The Murska Sobota Development Centre, according to Bojan Kar, also sees the project as a pillar in the touristic and economic development of Pomurje. It will also be a big opportunity for many of the local communities and providers of tourist content, companies, cultural institutions, associations, and all those who contribute to the rich offering of the region.
A. P. J., MMC; translated by K. J.