At the end of 2025, the Notranjska Park successfully updated its website, marking an important step towards smart and sustainable visitor management in one of Slovenia’s most sensitive natural areas. The renovation stems from the recognition that Lake Cerknica is one of Slovenia’s greatest natural wonders, yet an extremely complex and vulnerable ecosystem that requires responsible care from both managers and visitors.
The website redesign was developed in close collaboration between Notranjski Park and the digital agency Emporij, which, with its expertise in digital solutions and user experience, helped create a platform tailored to the specific needs of the protected area and its visitors.
The central focus of the new digital platform is visitor flow management, which monitors key parameters in real time—weather, water levels, and the number of visitors at specific locations. Based on this data, the system generates smart recommendations to help visitors choose less crowded routes and experiences, thereby relieving pressure on sensitive parts of the park.
The redesigned website serves a dual purpose. On one hand, it presents Notranjska Park as a destination with diverse opportunities to experience nature and provides visitors with a comprehensive information service for planning their visit. On the other hand, it acts as an educational and research hub, offering in-depth content on conservation projects, biology, geology, and European initiatives in which the park is actively involved. In this way, it goes beyond the traditional tourist role and becomes a digital hub of knowledge, experience, and sustainable practices.
The renovation included a new visual design based on the park’s overall graphic identity, an updated information architecture, a modern user interface, and a powerful backend system. These solutions enable easier content management and faster access to key information.
The platform also features a multilingual AI chatbot, available 24/7, which draws data directly from the website and the Visitor Flow system. Visitors therefore receive always up-to-date and reliable information, while the park team gains valuable insight into the most frequently asked questions and interests.
The website renovation project was co-financed through the LIFE Tršca and LIFE for Seeds projects, with support from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, the Ministry of Public Administration, and The Sigrid Rausing Trust. The renewed digital platform fits within the broader trend of smart tourism, where technology serves as a tool for improving the visitor experience while ensuring long-term nature conservation.
