I was exited, trilled and delighted to accept the invitation for visiting the region of Kumanovo/Skopje and to create a strategy for cultural tourism for the North East region of Macedonia. (Why I insist of using the name of Macedonia instead of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is another story).
As a tourist myself, my journey was wonderful (except for few problems with transportation and hotel). As a consultant in the business of cultural tourism – it was frustrating, and instructive in the same time. Frustrating, because at this moment there was nothing I could do to help my hosts to create a strategy for their region – only 4 elements of the complex product called “cultural tourism” were there – great people, amazing cultural heritage and living culture, and acceptable road network. Everything else was missing – from the lack of understanding of hotel infrastructure to completely misunderstanding the tourist mind.
I was taken to 2 long journeys (7 AM to 4 PM or later) without the possibility to stop for coffee (until 1 PM) or lunch? until 5 PM. I was pushed to climb not secured rocks to the Kokino Observatory, one of the oldest in the world, without any security on the narrow 4 inches path and survive without water in the process. I was hold as hostage to my passport in a hotel that I disliked, in the outskirts of the city, without direct telephone in the room to call a taxi even. Thanks God, I left after one night, but it was after I threatened the owner that I will call my embassy to rescue my passport.
The next hotel was also outside of the city. Then I understood that inside of Kumanovo downtown there is only one hotel, of which I have seen the enormous and noisy restaurant. From the dirty floors leading to the restaurant and the smell of staled tobacco (I am smoker, so if I felt it, I cannot imagine how the non-smokers will feel), I only could figure out that no tour operator will risk putting his patrons in such a place.
And what about the cultural heritage marketing? Staro Nagorichene Church, is a gem of the picturesque style in Byzantine architecture, an amazing example of Eastern Orthodox church frescoes and art, and national heritage monument of Macedonia. Since of the light sensibility of the frescoes inside, it is officially prohibited to make photographs (I did pix anyway, without flash). I said: OK, then I want to buy an album, preferably in English or post cards with the frescoes. No such a luck. The only thing I could buy from the Church to support the local people were some hand-woven crosses made from cotton tread. It was the same story in Lesnovo Monastery, where there was an album, but even a 2 years old dog with a camera would make better pictures and design of the album, than the one I bought anyway, in addition to make illegal photos without flash. And did I tell you that there is a brochure and website of Kokino, but not a luxury album that you can buy? Of course not - the Macedonian government pays for the poor looking brochures (meaning the tax payer) and the tourist or tour operator is stuck with nothing decent to show or to publish in a cultural tour brochure or website.Macedonia has a plan to develop tourism. It even has a strategy (or almost – it should be ready any moment, as per the UNDP), Ohrid is a great place (see pictures that Stevan Olson took the last year there). An increadible virgin nature alters with millennial old monuments of culture. Result: quasi no tourists. Why? Lack of understanding what is needed to create a cultural tourism product, where are the markets for it and political apathy to follow up with already good decision making.
All this made me think of advising any region, before even considering cultural tourism product development, to apply these rules.
