Vogel, a ski resort in the hills surrounding Lake Bohinj, saw record numbers of visitors this summer, with 126,000 tourists in total. For winter-time, the resort hopes to attract at least 100,000 skiers and other visitors.

The renovation of the cable car was completed on Thursday. "The tow wire ripe is brand new, after 15 years of operation. It's been quite a feat, as it weighs 27 tons," explains Boštjan Mencinger, the director of Žičnice Vogel company.

However, the resort will not open until next Saturday, on 10 December, since the supplier from France is late in delivering spare parts. "In the past two years, we didn't have snow for the whole December and nearly all January, so I hope this time we get some snow already in December."

For now only one ski slope (accessible by chairlift) and the snow park for children will be open, since the snow there can be artificially made. Other ski slopes are part of the Triglav National Park, where snowmaking is prohibited. This year's investments into the ski resorted have amounted to EUR 1m. "These are our own funds. The business is going well for Vogel, which is why we were able to afford it," adds Mencinger.

The company's majority owner, Anthony Tomažin, who bought a 60-percent share of Vogel in 2015 and pledged to invest, has not yet fulfilled his promise. He has also cancelled the plans to visit Vogel this Thursday due to illness. However, despite profitable operation the company will not be able to carry out the much needed replacement of the Zadnji Vogel double chairlift without the help of a strategic owner.

Marjeta Klemenc, TV Slovenija; translated by K. Z.