CEO and owner of Pohorje Village Wellbeing Resort; Tourism consultant
5 Start d.o.o.
Maribor, Slovenia
20 profile visitsTASTE Participant
Vasja Ilešič. from Slovenia. I’m passionate about sustainable tourism, storytelling, and creating experiences that connect people, nature, and local food.
5 Start d.o.o. is a tourism company based in Slovenia, managing the Pohorje Village Wellbeing Resort. Our mission is to create regenerative and sustainable tourism experiences that connect visitors with nature, local culture, and authentic gastronomy. We integrate green practices, digital storytelling, and community partnerships to promote local identity, reduce environmental impact, and inspire year-round, responsible travel. Through projects like Green.Wild.Magic, we combine innovation and tradition to make Pohorje a model of sustainable destination development.
My name is Vasja Ilešič, CEO of 5 Start d.o.o., a tourism company managing the Pohorje Village Wellbeing Resort in Slovenia.
Our vision is to create a regenerative destination that blends nature, wellbeing, and local culture into a single sustainable experience.
Through the Green.Wild.Magic project, we are connecting local food producers, chefs, and digital storytellers to design a new culinary journey that reduces carbon footprint, promotes zero-waste practices, and enhances the visitor’s digital experience.
Our mobile app and QR-based storytelling system bring guests closer to local farmers, forest foragers, and traditional recipes — merging gastronomy, nature, and technology in one immersive experience.
Aligned with the Go Green, Get Digital, Be Resilient programme, our project supports:
Green Transition: sustainable sourcing and circular food systems,
Digital Transition: digital storytelling and guest interaction tools,
Resilience: diversification of tourism through year-round educational and culinary experiences.
We believe Pohorje can become a living example of how small destinations can lead big changes — inspiring visitors to taste sustainability and bringing new opportunities to local communities.