TOURISM IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NORTH MACEDONIA: EXPERIENCES AND PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to analyze tourism in North Macedonia in Covid-19 pandemic conditions. Due to the restrictive conditions imposed by the Covid-19 crisis; both outbound and inbound tourism in North Macedonia experienced a decline and collapse. Given the role and importance of tourism in the Macedonian economy, a number of interventions and measures to stimulate domestic tourism were proposed and implemented by the government. The main goal of the paper is to analyze the level of success, but also the shortcomings of the proposed and implemented state measures, as well as the main characteristics of the tourist movements in the tourist season realized in crisis in North Macedonia. A variety of methods were used in the research: analysis, synthesis, comparative method, deductive reasoning and others. The results indicate positive and negative experiences, but both are seen as especially important in the formulation of strategies for tourism development in the future.