Agency for Promotion and Support of Tourism director Ljupcho Janevski has told Bulgarian tourism website bgtourism.bg that North Macedonia aims to increase the number of nights spent by 15-20 percent and the number of tourists by 10-15 percent in 2022, MIA reports from Sofia.
Janevski hopes that the country will record over 2,5 million nights spent and increase tourism revenues compared to 2019. In 2020, the focus was put on domestic tourism, while 2021 to regional countries. According to him, the region will continue to be a priority in 2022, alongside activities of further opening of new markets.
Tourists from the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Great Britain will arrive through charter companies, as well as groups and individual guests from Turkey, Poland and other countries, depending on the global political and economic stability.
“Tourists coming to North Macedonia want to spend more and visit many attractions, and the tourism sector must ensure this,” notes Janevski.
The Agency is planning to improve North Macedonia-Bulgaria relations through an active campaign focused on that market, including more info-tours, invitation of tour-operators for B2B meetings in Skopje, as well as promotion of the tourism potential in Sofia, including through media coverage.
Janevski says Bulgarian tourists are among the top five visitors in North Macedonia but the potential is still not fully utilized, since bus transport is the only means of travel currently available.
Janevski hopes that the new Sofia-Skopje flight will ensure more tourist exchange, but this will depend on the capacities of both countries, “since the new flight will have to incorporate an added value, especially for ‘city break’ visits”.
