Towards Just Industrial Heritage Tourism: The Case of Visiting Slovenian Mines

Summary This case study presents the transition of Slovenia’s former and still operating mines and the development of their tourism offerings. The change towards the tourism sector is an opportunity to revitalise industrial heritage areas and re-use abandoned facilities. Furthermore, the new job positions could be a chance for the re-activation of the industry’s former employees. These workers can be reintegrated into the economy through participation in a tourism product in the context of industrial heritage tourism. The results of the research show that former mineworkers have undergone a just transition – some retired with the help of retirement incentives, and others were reintegrated into similar production industries or into mine heritage tourism. The latter were given secure jobs in a comparable position with equivalent benefits and development possibilities. The study highlights the importance of just transition and just tourism. Though we have examined the case of mineworkers in this study, the findings could be applied to any industry with the potential of being transformed into a tourism offering. Moreover, the entire tourism industry should follow the ambitious goals of implementing the principles of just tourism. Information © The Authors 2025