Covid19 consequences on tourism in North Macedonia –a destination perspective for domestic tourism

Nestoroska, Ivanka and Naumov, Kliment (2022) Covid19 consequences on tourism in North Macedonia –a destination perspective for domestic tourism. In: Reviving tourism, in the post-pandemic era. International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece, pp. 268-266. ISBN 978-618-5630-06-5

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Abstract

Purpose: Similar to many destinations, North Macedonia (N.Macedonia) registered a drastic decline in international tourist arrivals after the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic. On the other hand, recently there has been an increase in tourist visits to places and areas that had low performance in tourism activity in the previous period. In this context, the purpose of the paper is to present the perspectives of domestic tourism in the country, which showed that especially rural and mountainous areas are the most visited places, which had registered lower international tourist visits compared to domestic. Given that the new situation has created increased tourism opportunities for these places and areas as a result of increased attendance, our goal is to identify the challenges of destinations in this "new period" for tourism.
Research Methods: The design of the research aims to present findings related to the perspectives of domestic tourism in North Macedonia. The analysis is upon the assessment of current situation of the characteristics and relations relevant for tourism development during and after Covid19. It is based on incorporation of quantitative and qualitative information obtained through primary and secondary sources.
Therefore the research is applied to the rural and mountainous areas of the country with implementation of the regional analysis of the factors, attractors and support services for tourism of the existing eight planning regions. In this context, the method of comparative analysis is applied in order to deliver conclusions based on the assessment of the level of tourist visits of each region individually.
Results and Discussion: The research findings show that an increased promotion of outdoor activities with recreational, cultural and adventure contents contributes to increased visits in places that in the past period were not so much visited. Such increased interest in visiting less developed or yet undiscovered destinations whose attractiveness and potentials have yet to be promoted for leisure and recreation will contribute to the enrichment of the tourist offer of the country’s regions. Research results are a good basis for other research related to Macedonia's opportunities for domestic tourism development.
Implications: The findings show that domestic tourism helps to alleviate to some extent the negative consequences of the Covid19 pandemic even in such "impossible" situations. Furthermore, the research revealed possibilities for development of enriched tourist offer that may contribute to diversification of supply and dispersion of visitor flows to regions that are not sufficiently promoted for domestic tourists.
Keywords: Covid19; North Macedonia, destination perspective; domestic tourism

Item Type:	Book Section
Subjects:	Scientific Fields (Frascati) > Social Sciences > Economics and Business
Divisions:	Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality
Depositing User:	Prof. d-r Ivanka Nestoroska
Date Deposited:	09 Mar 2023 11:11
Last Modified:	09 Mar 2023 11:11
URI:	https://eprints.uklo.edu.mk/id/eprint/7790

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