From a town to an attraction: the transformation of Ohrid, North Macedonia

Abstract

<jats:p>This article assesses the different forces involved in shaping the city of Ohrid (North Macedonia) and demonstrates the manner in which the city has been transformed by tourism development. As a post-socialist city, the development of Ohrid has unique characters in terms of landscape, economic dynamics, and functional dimensions. The study's aim is also achieved by analyzing the validity and applicability of the Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) model with regard to the evolution of tourism development in Ohrid, specifically, and in other cities in general. The article emphasizes the connection between the city’s urban context and tourism development. The findings also indicate that Ohrid is currently in its Development stage and that its life cycle curve exhibits a double cycle sequence, meaning that Ohrid is attracting many visitors and has reached a state of tourism maturity. The article emphasizes the connection between the city’s urban context and tourism development. From a practical perspective, the study reveals a lack of urban planning and uncontrolled tourism development.</jats:p>

Tourism sustainability model for a world heritage destination: the case of residents’ perception of Ohrid

“…This is not uncommon for destinations that are still in the early stage of tourism development (Látková and Vogt, 2012) or in poor rural WH areas (Rasoolimanesh and Jaafar, 2016). Ohrid, on the other hand, is in a stage of tourism maturity (Petrevska and Collins-Kreiner, 2019), but with poor economic development, as demonstrated by respondents' low average personal income.…”

“…As a result, Ohrid has reached a critical point for the region's physical and social carrying capabilities (UNESCO, 2019a). This has 'seriously altered the original balance in the region' (UNESCO, 1998, 36), leading to traffic congestion, coastal exploitation, insufficient waste management, natural resource depletion, and so on (Petrevska and Collins-Kreiner, 2019).…”

Influence of Tripadvisor reviews on guest satisfaction with restaurants in major cities of former Yugoslavia

“…That is why North Macedonia has adopted several strategic documents in the field of tourism, such as the National Strategy for Regional Development 2009-2019, the National Strategy for Rural Tourism 2012-2017 and the National Strategy for Tourism 2016-2021 [13]. In 2017, the contribution of tourism to GDP was 6.6%, while the share in GDP and the number of tourists continue to grow in 2018 [32]. There are restaurant chains in Skopje that operate on a global level, but for the reasons of future catering industry development, the emphasis is on promoting national restaurants.…”