Foreign tourists increase in North Macedonia — most from Turkey and Germany

North Macedonia recorded 741,446 tourist visits in the first seven months of the year, with an increase in arrivals from abroad, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported on World Tourism Day.

The ministry said foreign visitors made up the strongest share of the growth, and listed the leading source markets as Turkey, Germany, Serbia, Romania and Albania.

Policy priorities and digital tools

The ministry stressed that, together with the Government, it recognises tourism as an important driver of the country’s economic and social development and that policy work will continue to focus on sustainable expansion and improvement of the offer.

In its statement the ministry added: "These results underscore the importance of continuous promotion of Macedonia, improving the quality of tourist services and developing an authentic, sustainable and competitive tourism offer, in line with the needs of modern tourists. Artificial intelligence and digitalisation open new opportunities for more efficient management of tourist destinations, better planning and the creation of more individualised, more inclusive and higher-quality tourist experiences. In cooperation with the private sector and all stakeholders in tourism, we continue to work devotedly to create conditions for the development of a modern and competitive tourism sector that will follow global trends, preserve our values and open new opportunities for citizens and the economy."

Officials said the positive movement in visitor numbers should serve as an incentive to maintain investment in marketing, service quality and capacity-building across the sector.

Photo: press material from the event