North Macedonia issues vouchers to boost domestic travel, offers monetary support for local MICE tourism
North Macedonia’s Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi has said the country has outlined a set of measures to support tourism amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bekteshi declared that the support of local tourism, which is one of the most affected sectors by the coronavirus crisis, is the main priority for the Ministry of Economy.
“Given that the hotel industry is most affected by the crisis, we will encourage activities related to training, conferences, and seminars in hotels. Events and conferences will be co-financed by 50% of the costs or up to 30,000 Macedonian Denar (about 549 US dollars) per applicant,” Bekteshi said.
According to Bekteshi, for this measure the ministry envisages a total of 15 million Macedonian Denar (about 274,370 U.S. dollars), which will cover over 500 events.
The minister pointed out that a public call will be issued for the implementation of this measure, adding that it aims to support hoteliers during the coronavirus crisis.
The Ministry of Economy announced that it will distribute domestic tourism vouchers to be used by citizens in local tourism businesses from July 15 to December 15 this year.
North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a country in the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. It gained its independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia.
The picturesque Lake Ohrid and its historic town have etched out a place for North Macedonia on the tourist map. Quiet walking trails, lakes and riding opportunities and majestic mountains make Macedonia a tourist delight. The national parks of Mavrovo, Galičica and Pelister are cultivating some excellent cultural and culinary tourism initiatives. The capital Skopje’s centre has suffered from a building spree of grotesque faux-neoclassical monuments, buildings and fountains, funded by the previous government. Luckily, its Ottoman old town and buzzing modern areas still remain authentic.