‘Love Piran’, the latest initiative to promote responsibility, courtesy, and cleanliness among tourists

Living together in such close quarters can be challenging. It’s akin to being on a boat, in an elevator, on public transportation, or another cramped space. This situation affects both tourists and locals alike. A few years ago, a middle-aged man passed away. He was upset with a group of young people who were moderately noisy in a hostel during the evening. He went to confront them, but sadly, a heart attack struck him down…

Not all infractions, however, involve direct harm to other people or city property. Sometimes tourists put themselves in danger, indirectly affecting emergency services responsible for their safety. On one occasion, a group of overly bold foreigners decided to sail in a burja (a strong wind) near Piran, ignoring warnings. Their rudder failed, leaving them at the mercy of the wind and high waves, which mercilessly tossed their boat. Fortunately, a police boat crew rescued them, but the tourists, shaken and stressed, required medical attention.

With the number of visitors to Piran steadily increasing, the public company Okolje Piran (Piran Environment) launched the ‘Love Piran’ campaign. This initiative aims not to deter tourists but to promote better behavior, enhancing the experience for both visitors and locals. The campaign urges locals and visitors to act appropriately, especially given the rise in violations over the years. Inspired by other countries, they created leaflets and posters with pictorial guidelines on acceptable behavior in Piran, as announced by Okolje.

The increase in visitors has led to more breaches, including but not limited to:

Public drinking, nighttime disturbances, damage to public property, inappropriate and indecent behavior, outdoor sleeping, and, in extreme cases, people and pets relieving themselves in public areas.

“Love Piran” campaign encourages cleanliness and order

The campaign’s values and goals are encapsulated in the slogan ‘Love Piran,’ urging both locals and guests to cherish the city. “Anyone who loves Piran will take care of its orderliness and cleanliness,” assert the project’s creators, aiming to foster a friendly environment where everyone feels welcome.

This soft approach, not aiming to punish or drive people away but to gently remind them of the principles that apply even in a relaxed atmosphere like Portorož and Piran, is also supported by the Portorož Tourist Association.

Leaflet distribution in hotels and restaurants

The association will distribute leaflets to all hotels, private accommodations, and restaurants. Posters on advertising spaces and in Piran buses will raise awareness among day-trippers, and the campaign will extend to social media with a promotional video on proper behavior, encouraging younger visitors and residents to help maintain a clean and friendly environment.

The project was initiated following an amendment to the ordinance on cleaning and arranging public spaces, adopted at the May municipal session.

Neset Dulai, director of the public company Okolje Piran, emphasized that the ordinance alone is not enough to protect and maintain the area’s cleanliness. Visitors need to be educated about acceptable behavior in the Piran municipality; otherwise, it’s merely a firefighting measure that leaves behind a scorched earth.

If appeals fail, fines will be imposed

Preventing abuses, not just penalizing them, is crucial. With a constant influx of new visitors, fines would only serve to fill the city’s coffers without resolving the underlying issues. However, if appeals are ineffective, Piran municipality will resort to fines imposed by inter-municipal wardens as a last resort.

The four municipalities of Slovenian Istria, in cooperation with the Inter-Municipal Administration of Istria, continually conduct awareness campaigns on the importance of a clean and healthy living environment, stated Denis Udovič, head of the inter-municipal warden service.

According to him, past campaigns have focused on littering cigarette butts, picking up dog waste, fighting plastic bag use, and feeding wild animals. Only through collective effort can they ensure a healthy, clean, and organized space today and in the future, Udovič added.

While tourists naturally seek enjoyment and many of them try to spice up their Holiday by any means necessary, especially in a generally calm and somewhat quiet town like Piran, doing so at the expense of others is not the answer. There are many ways to have fun without disturbing the local population and other visitors by being overly rowdy or damaging private and public property, and our Piran Guide is here to help with many suggestions on what to do, how to keep busy, as well as how to have fun and drinking responsibly, without necessarily causing damage and disturbance to others.

Be part of the solution, not the problem

Last word of advice, that should apply anywhere you go, but especially in Slovenia, where locals take pride in their clean surroundings—a pride that has unfortunately suffered over the last decade or so, as more tourists visit their beautiful cities and towns and bring their own poor habits along:

In any place you visit, always strive to leave it better than you found it when you leave. This applies to nature especially!

Locals and future generations of visitors will thank you, and at the end of the day, it’s the decent thing to do and something you can take pride in. Thank you!

(and have plenty of fun)

Image courtesy of ©Julia Wesely / Slovenia.info