Before the forthcoming season, tourism workers expect more foreign visitors than last year, and it is estimated that the number will be higher by 10 percent.
The first tourists from Denmark arrived in Ohrid, and at the beginning of May are expect traditional guests from the Netherlands and Belgium.
Director of the Agency for Promotion and Support of Tourism Kristijan Dzhambazovski expects that we would have a successful tourist season, i.e. that there will be an increase of the number of foreign tourists from 10 to 13 percent.
For the construction of new hotels in Ohrid and Struga region, he says that the significance of such facilities is multiple, not only for the development of local tourism.
– The construction of hotel complexes contribute to shaping quality personnel, improve service and competitiveness of Macedonia’s tourism product. Tourism is a complex industry, there are many things that contribute to its development and conditions that can be improved – said Dzhambazovski on the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the group “Fibula”.
Infrastructure is one of the weaknesses of our tourism, and it is also emphasized as a flaw by foreign tourists as well. However, according to Dzhambazovski, infrastructure improvement is an endless process.
According to the State Statistical Office, the number of tourists in February 2015 was 29,743, and the number of nights spent is 62,297.
In comparison to February 2014, the number of tourists increased by 9 percent, and the number of nights spent by 2.8 percent.
The number of domestic tourists in February 2015 compared to February 2014 decreased by 11.6 percent, while the number of foreign tourists increased by 23.5 percent.
The number of nights spent by domestic tourists in February 2015 compared to February 2014 decreased by 13.1 percent, while the number of nights spent by foreign tourists increased by 16 percent.
In the period January-February 2015 compared to the same period last year, the number of tourists increased by 7.6 percent – number of domestic tourists decreased by 5.6 percent, while that of foreign tourists increased by 18.2 percent.
In the period January-February 2015 compared to the same period last year, the number of nights spent increased by 1.7 percent – nights spent by domestic tourists decreased by 12.1 percent, while nights spent by foreign tourists increased by 15 percent.
