Melania Trump Won't Be Discussed By Her Slovenian Town's Tourism Board

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First lady Melania Trump looks as US President Donald Trump is reflected in her glasses and talks to members of the media about hurricane Irma upon arrival on the South Lawn of the White House... Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images

Melania Trump has put Sevnica on the map, but besides capitalizing on her role as first lady of the United States to sell products, people promoting the small town in Slovenia where she grew up aren't overly excited about her.

Related: Slovenians Stand Up for Melania Trump, Slam Jimmy Kimmel for Mocking First Lady's Accent

The head of the town's tourist board would not even grant an interview unless the first lady was left out of the conversation.

"I don't want to talk about politics," Mojca Pernovsek, who oversees tourist office where visitors can buy a book about Trump's youth and first lady products including chocolate coated apple slices, told The New York Times in a report published Monday.

Pernovsek told the newspaper there was plenty else to highlight, from the town's valley and hiking trails to wood-chopping to fishing, beer, wine and men-only salami festivals.

Tour guide Lidija Ogorevc, who charges about $35 for a tour of places connected to Trump, was similarly unenthused about her.

"For me, I really don't really care about these things," she said.

Ogorevc reportedly glossed over a bottle of First Lady wine at Sevnica's 12th-century castle and pointed out a different bottle that was "the top wine."

She was really excited to show us the town’s castle, but grumpy about visiting Melania’s old apartment block. https://t.co/izvzXj0SUt pic.twitter.com/VGldgeYFph

— Patrick Kingsley (@PatrickKingsley) July 22, 2018

Trump, 48, left the town she grew up with about three decades ago. She pursued her modeling career in Milan and Paris and moved to New York City in 1996.

Trump has not made a public visit to Sevnica since entering the White House, prompting some people from the town to wonder why.

Some employees at Rondo restaurant, which serves a "Presidential Burger" with fried cheese resembling President Donald Trump's hair, have expressed indifference about the Trumps.

"I think at the time when he was elected, people were excited, but now it's kind of worn out," waitress Mia Podlesnik told the Times. "Marrying someone—I don't think that's really an accomplishment."

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


 A Los Angeles native, Jessica Kwong grew up speaking Spanish, Cantonese and English, in that order. Her journalism career started ... Read more

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