Feasibility study on adventure tourism ENG by Center for development of Pelagonija region

CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE PELAGONIJA PLANNING REGION

STUDY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PELAGONIJA PLANNING REGION AS ADVENTURE TOURISM DESTINATION

Prepared by: PointPro Consulting August, 2015

Important data about the study Project title

Preparation of Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Adventure Tourism Destination

Data about the commissioning of the study Commissioned by

Centre for Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region

Address

ul. Tomaki Dimitrovski No. 7, Bitola

Website

http://pelagonijaregion.mk

Person in charge

Emilia Gjeroska, manager

Contact data

Telephone: +389 47 232 800 Fax:+389 47 203 818

Data about the preparation of the study Prepared by

PointPro Consulting DOO, Skopje

Address

St. Maksim Gorki No. 16 1000 Skopje, R.Macedonia

Website

http://www.pointpro.com.mk/

Person in charge

Simon Avramovski, Co-owner and director, manager of the practice "Management consulting and corporate finance"

Contact details

Telephone: +389 2 3120 556 Fax: +389 2 3115 800

Study on the Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Adventure Tourism Destination

CONTENT 1.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ 9 Strategic Context And Objectives Of The Study................................................................................. 9 Scope Of The Study........................................................................................................................ 10 General Conclusions And Recommendations Of The Study ............................................................. 10 Model Of Adventure Tourism, Trends And Profile Of Tourists..................................................... 10 Conclusions From The Mapping And Analysis Of The Potential In The Region ............................. 11 Proposal For Adventure Tours And Strategic Approach .............................................................. 12 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 14 Study Objectives ............................................................................................................................ 14 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 14 Members Of The Consultancy Team ............................................................................................... 15 Purpose Of The Study .................................................................................................................... 16 REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND MARKET POTENTIAL ....................................................................... 17 Geographical Position And Natural Wealth Of R. Macedonia .......................................................... 17 General Information About The Pelagonija Region ......................................................................... 18 History ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Geographic Position................................................................................................................... 19 Population And Municipalities ................................................................................................... 20 Demographic Characteristics ..................................................................................................... 21 Climate In The Pelagonija Region ............................................................................................... 21 Economy ................................................................................................................................... 21 General Information About Municipality Of Bitola.......................................................................... 22 Geographic Position................................................................................................................... 22 Significant Characteristics .......................................................................................................... 22 General Information About Municipality Of Prilep.......................................................................... 23 Geographic Position................................................................................................................... 23 Significant Characteristics .......................................................................................................... 23 General Information About Municipality Of Resen ......................................................................... 24 Geographic Position................................................................................................................... 24 Significant Characteristics .......................................................................................................... 24 General Information About Municipality Of Dolneni ....................................................................... 25 Geographic Position................................................................................................................... 25 Significant Characteristics .......................................................................................................... 25 General Information About Municipality Of Krusevo ...................................................................... 25 Geographic Position................................................................................................................... 25 Significant Characteristics .......................................................................................................... 26 General Information About Municipality Of Demir Hisar................................................................. 26 Geographic Position................................................................................................................... 26 Significant Characteristics .......................................................................................................... 26 General Information About Municipality Of Mogila ........................................................................ 27 Geographic Position................................................................................................................... 27 Significant Characteristics .......................................................................................................... 27 General Information About Municipality Of Krivogastani ................................................................ 27

Study on the Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Adventure Tourism Destination

Geographic Position .............................................................................................................. 27 Significant Characteristics ...................................................................................................... 28 General Information About Municipality Of Novaci ........................................................................ 28 Geographic Position .............................................................................................................. 28 Significant Characteristics ...................................................................................................... 28 DEFINING THE BASIC CHARACTERISTICS AND PARAMETERS OF THE FORMS OF ADVENTURE TOURISM 29 Basic Characteristics Of Adventure Tourism ................................................................................... 29 Types Of Adventure Tourism .......................................................................................................... 29 Differences Between Adventure And Other Forms Of Tourism ....................................................... 30 Adventure Versus Mass Tourism ................................................................................................ 31 Adventure Versus Other Types Of Responsible Tourism ............................................................. 31 Profile Of The Adventure Tourist .................................................................................................... 32 Supply Chain In Advanture Tourism................................................................................................ 33 FORMS OF ADVENTURE TOURISM WHICH CAN BE DEVELOPED ON THE TERRITORY OF THE PELAGONIJA REGION .......................................................................................................................................................... 35 Analysis Of The Current Tourism Offer In The Region ..................................................................... 35 Analysis Of The Capacities In The Region ........................................................................................ 36 Analysis Of Existing And Potential Mountain Tourist Guides ....................................................... 36 Analysis Of The Available Accomodation Capacities In The Region.............................................. 38 Analysis Of The Trends In Adventure Tourism ................................................................................ 41 Valorization Of The Natural Resources In The Region ..................................................................... 42 Sport And Traditional Climbing .................................................................................................. 42 Bouldering................................................................................................................................. 44 Paragliding ................................................................................................................................ 46 Mountain Hiking and Mountain Biking ....................................................................................... 48 Cross Country Cycling ................................................................................................................ 63 Caving ....................................................................................................................................... 63 Visiting Archeological Sites ........................................................................................................ 67 Visiting Churches And Monasteries ............................................................................................ 76 Off Road Jeep Riding.................................................................................................................. 86 Birdwatching And Wildlife Watching ...................................................................................... 87 Ski Touring ............................................................................................................................ 90 PROPOSED MEASURES FOR DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF CONDITIONS FOR ADVENTURE TOURISM ....................................................................................................................................................... 93 SWOT Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 93 Analysis Of The Required Resources And Infrastructure For Implementation Of Each Of The Possible Forms .................................................................................................................................................... 94 PROPOSED TOUR OFFERS FOR ADVENTURE TOURISM WITH SERIOUS POTENTIAL FOR IMPLEMENTATION 98 Analysis Of Potential Markets For Adventure Tourism .................................................................... 98 Proposed Illustrative Tour Offers ................................................................................................. 100 Offer 1 – Pelagonija The Land of Kings ..................................................................................... 103 Offer 2 - Pelagonija Wilderness Tour ........................................................................................ 107 Offer 3 – Multisport Tour ......................................................................................................... 110 Offer 4 – Paragliders’ Heaven................................................................................................... 116 Offer 5 - Two-day Biking Tour Prilep - Krusevo - Prilep.............................................................. 118

Study on the Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Adventure Tourism Destination

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SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR THE REGION .................................................................................... 120 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF ADVENTURE TOURISM ................................................... 122 Analysis And Assessment Of The Impact Of Adventure Tourism On The Environment ................... 122 Summary Of The Potential Negative Impact On The Environment And The Measures For Mitigation Of Consequences ................................................................................................................................. 122 Proposed Measures For Conservation Of The Environment .......................................................... 123 DEFINITION OF THE STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ADVENTURE TOURISM IN THE PELAGONIJA REGION ........................................................................................................................................................ 127 Summary Of Findings And Conclusions From The Research And Analyses ..................................... 127 Definition Of Strategic Objectives................................................................................................. 128 Implementation Plan ................................................................................................................... 130

Study on the Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Adventure Tourism Destination

LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Detailed presentation of the methodological approach to the development of the study................... 14 Table 2: Members of the consultancy team .................................................................................................... 15 Table 3: Structure of the population per municipalities in the Pelagonija region.............................................. 20 Table 4: Basic economic data of the population in the Pelagonija region ......................................................... 21 Table 5: Basic data about the activity of economic entities in the Pelagonija region ........................................ 22 Table 6: Adventure activities and their classification ....................................................................................... 30 Table 7: How did you prepare for your last trip? (Аdvanture tourists) ............................................................. 32 Table 8: Structure of marketing budget........................................................................................................... 33 Table 9: List of travel agencies with offers for adventure tourism in Macedonia .............................................. 35 Table 10: Tourists in Republic of Macedonia, per regions, per years (2006 - 2013)........................................... 38 Table 11: Tourism overnight stays in Republic of Macedonia, per regions, per years (2006 - 2014) .................. 39 Table 12: Number of rooms in R.Macedonia, per regions, per years (2006 - 2014)........................................... 39 Табела 13: Number of beds in R.Macedonia, per regions, per years (2006 - 2014) .......................................... 39 Table 14: Number of rooms and beds per municipality in the Pelagonija region ............................................. 40 Table 15: Comparative ranking of Macedonia with the countries in the region about the development index for adventure tourism.......................................................................................................................................... 41 Table 16: Institutions and organizations related to boldering in Macedonia .................................................... 44 Table 17: Identification and description of the most significant hiking trails on Baba mountain ....................... 49 Table 18: Identification and description of most significant hiking trails on Galicica......................................... 54 Table 19: Identification and description of most significant hiking trails in the surrounding of Krusevo ............ 58 Table 20: Identification and description of the most significant hiking trails in the surrounding area of Prilep.. 60 Table 21: List of churches and monasteries in the municipality of Mogila ........................................................ 86 Table 22: SWOT analysis for the Pelagonija region .......................................................................................... 93 Table 23: Summary of the measures for improvement of certain forms of adventure tourism ......................... 95 Table 24: Propossd tours (routes) for visiting Macedonia .............................................................................. 100 Table 25: Coverage of municipalities with the proposed tours....................................................................... 102 Table 26: Summary of the economic benefits for the region ......................................................................... 120 Table 27: Proposed measures to mitigate the negative environmental impact of the project ........................ 123 Table 28: Proposed Implementation plan for the Strategy for development of adventure tourism ................ 130

Study on the Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Adventure Tourism Destination

LIST OF DIAGRAMS/CHARTS Chart 1: Demography of the population in the Pelagonija region, estimate 31.12.2014 ................................... 21 Chart 2: Structure of adventure tourists based on the way they travel ............................................................ 32 Chart 3: Supply chain in adventure tourism..................................................................................................... 34 Chart 4: Number of tourists and overnight stays in Bitola, on monthly level (2011-2014) ................................ 40 Chart 5: Structure of arrivals according to the country of origin, 2014 ............................................................. 98 Chart 6: Arrival of tourists according to the country of origin .......................................................................... 98 Chart 7: Structure of overnight stays according to the country of origin, 2014................................................. 99 Chart 8: Arrival of tourists, according to the country of origin ......................................................................... 99 Chart 9: Strategic framework and activities for development of adventure tourism in Pelagonija .................. 128

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Geographic position of R.Macedonia in Europe ................................................................................ 17 Figure 2: Geographic position of the Pelagonija region.................................................................................... 19 Figure 3: Municipalities in Pelagonija region ................................................................................................... 20 Figure 4: Overview of the geographic position of the municipalities in the region............................................ 20 Figure 5: Geographic position of municipality of Bitola.................................................................................... 22 Figure 6: Geographic position of municipality of Prilep.................................................................................... 23 Figure 7: Geographic position of municipality of Resen ................................................................................... 24 Figure 8: Geographic position of municipality of Dolneni................................................................................. 25 Figure 9: Geographic position of municipality of Krusevo ................................................................................ 25 Figure 10: Geographic position of municipality of Demir Hisar ........................................................................ 26 Figure 11: Geographic position of municipality of Mogila ................................................................................ 27 Figure 12: Geographic position of municipality of Krivogastani ........................................................................ 27 Figure 13: Geographic position of municipality of Novaci ................................................................................ 28 Figure 14: Ten best destinations for adventure tourism, 2015, 2011, 2010 ..................................................... 41 Figure 15: Average country ranking by pillar (2011-2015)................................................................................ 42 Figure 16: Sport climbers ................................................................................................................................ 43 Figure 17: Traditional climber ......................................................................................................................... 43 Figure 18: Marked routes for sport climbing near Stenje ................................................................................. 43 Figure 19: Bolders in action ............................................................................................................................ 44 Figure 20: Panoramic view from one of the boldering locations near Prilep..................................................... 44 Figure 21: Boldering problem ......................................................................................................................... 45 Figure 22: Overview of the geographic position of the most favorable boldering zones in the Prilep surrounding ...................................................................................................................................................................... 45 Figure 23: Overview of the geographic position of some of the most favorable locations for boldering in the Prilep surroundings ........................................................................................................................................ 46 Figure 24: Overview of the geographic position of the possible paragliding locations in Pelagonija region ....... 47

Study on the Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Adventure Tourism Destination

Figure 25: Paragliding over Krusevo ................................................................................................................ 47 Figure 26: Hikers in action .............................................................................................................................. 48 Figure 27: Scenery of one of the hiking trails on Pelister ................................................................................. 49 Figure 28: Historic trail on Baba mountain ...................................................................................................... 51 Figure 29: Overview of the trail Nizepole - SC Kopanki .................................................................................... 51 Figure 30: Panoramic overview of Golemo Ezero on Pelister ........................................................................... 52 Figure 31: Overview of the Murato route, with elevation profile ..................................................................... 52 Figure 32: Overview of the route Nizepole - Golemo Ezero - Bitola, with elevation profile ............................... 53 Figure 33: Overview of the route Bitola - Golemo Ezero - v.Brajcino, with elevation profile ............................. 53 Figure 34: Overview of the routes Bitola - v.Slepce и Bitola - Gjavato .............................................................. 54 Figure 35: Biking trail Dolno Dupeni – h.Lake View .......................................................................................... 55 Figure 36: Biking trail: Resen, through the ridge of Galicica, Elen vrv, up to Resen ........................................... 56 Figure 37: View over Ohrid and Prespa Lake from Galicica .............................................................................. 56 Figure 38: Trail Konjsko - Elen Vrv ................................................................................................................... 57 Figure 39: Trails up to the peaks Magaro and Lako Signoj................................................................................ 57 Figure 40: Monument Meckin Kamen, Krusevo ............................................................................................... 58 Figure 41: Trail Krusevo - Meckin Kamen - Krusevo ......................................................................................... 58 Figure 42: Three trails in the Krusevo area ...................................................................................................... 59 Figure 43: Panoramic view of Krusevo ............................................................................................................ 59 Figure 44: Konjov Trn, monastery hospice in Bitino and cultural tour .............................................................. 60 Figure 45: Overview of the trail Prilep - Treskavec - Prilep ............................................................................... 61 Figure 46: View of Treskavec, Prilep................................................................................................................ 61 Figure 47: Potential for development of multi-day tour in Prilep area, 90km ................................................... 62 Figure 48: Cross country bikers in action ......................................................................................................... 63 Figure 49: Possible routes for cross country cycling in Bitola-Prespa region ..................................................... 63 Figure 50: Cave Ramniste ............................................................................................................................... 64 Figure 51: Duova cave .................................................................................................................................... 65 Figure 52: Cave Kamenolom ........................................................................................................................... 65 Figure 53: Pesti cave ....................................................................................................................................... 66 Figure 54: Samoska dupka cave ...................................................................................................................... 67 Figure 55: Zmeova cave .................................................................................................................................. 67 Figure 56: Хераклеа Линкестис ..................................................................................................................... 68 Figure 57: View of the remaining of Heraclea Lyncestis ................................................................................... 68 Figure 58: Artifact from Staro Bonce – early antique Roman lamp (lucerna) .................................................... 69 Figure 59: Маркови Кули ............................................................................................................................... 70 Figure 60: Stibera ........................................................................................................................................... 71 Figure 61: Reconstruction (model) of the potter’s workshop from Radoborska Tumba, 15th Century B.C. ....... 73 Figure 62: Church St. Dimitrija, Bitola.............................................................................................................. 76

Study on the Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Adventure Tourism Destination

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Figure 63: Yeni mosque, Bitola........................................................................................................................ 77 Figure 64: Yeni mosque, Bitola........................................................................................................................ 77 Figure 65: St. Nikola, Krusevo ......................................................................................................................... 79 Figure 66: St.Gorgji, v.Kurbinovo..................................................................................................................... 80 Figure 67: Monastery â&#x20AC;&#x153;St.Jovan Pretecaâ&#x20AC;&#x153;v.Slepce ........................................................................................... 81 Figure 68: View to the monastery Zrze............................................................................................................ 83 Figure 69: Iconostasis in the monastery Zrze ................................................................................................... 83 Figure 70: Overview of the jeep route Skocivir - Kajmakcalan, with elevation profile ...................................... 87 Figure 71: Wildlife watchers ........................................................................................................................... 87 Figure 72: Island Golem Grad, Prespa lake ...................................................................................................... 88 Figure 73: Ezerani Nature Park........................................................................................................................ 89 Figure 74: Pelicans in Ezerani, Prespa.............................................................................................................. 89 Figure 75: 3D model of the stork settlement in Krivogastani ........................................................................... 90 Figure 76: Tour skiers ..................................................................................................................................... 90 Figure 77: Ascent to the peak Pelister ............................................................................................................. 91 Figure 78: Ascent to Golemo Ezero from Nizepole and descent to SC Pelister .................................................. 91 Figure 79: Ascent to the peak Stiv from SC Kopanki and descend backwards ................................................... 92 Figure 80: Ascend to the peak Pelister from SC Kopanki and descend to the info centers ................................ 92 Figure 81: Map of the tour for the first day ................................................................................................... 118 Figure 82: Map of the tour for the second day .............................................................................................. 119

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY STRATEGIC CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The project is implemented by the Centre for development of the Pelagonija planning region. The main goal of the project is the development of the Pelagonija region as attractive and competitive destination for all forms of adventure tourism, which is further defined in wider context (Chapter 4). As far as competitiveness is concerned, it does not necessarily refer only to the national, but also to the regional competitiveness on the Balkan (many countries have an exceptionally attractive offer), as well as on global level, particularly with regard to countries that Macedonia has already established tradition to attract tourists (Netherlands, Germany, USA, United Kingdom, Poland, etc.). The project includes several inter-related activities and results, with the final goal to stimulate and directly support the key and priority activities that will motivate and encourage all local stakeholders in tourism sector, primarily private businesses as direct stakeholders and entrepreneurs, but also the local selfgovernment, sporting associations and federations, and national institutions and agencies. The second group of stakeholders have the function of supporting and strengthening the necessary environment (adequate infrastructure and quality public services), while the business sector is responsible for the design, quality and scope of tourism offer through the perspective of these adventure activities, and above all, avanturistic experiences. Direct goal of the project is to stimulate and directly support the start-up, but crucial and priority activities that will ensure quality initiation of the process for development of this exceptional region as attractive destination for adventure tourism. It is a matter of a long, but sustainable process which is continuously built and upgraded on certain initial successful results, which shall demonstrate the potential of the region. One of the key results of this project is the foreseen preparation of a comprehensive Study on Development of the Pelagonija Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism. The study is presented in this document, which main goal is to define the opportunities, resources and required mix of activities and experiences with the biggest potential for development of adventure tourism, and to enhance the competitiveness of the region as attractive destination for adventure tourism not only in Macedonia, but also on regional and global level. More specifically, the study is focused on the following objectives: •

Mapping the available resources, capacities, infrastructure and potential activities in the region for development of adventure tourism;

•

Analysis and assessment of the quality of resources, capacities and infrastructure;

•

Proposed measures for improvement of the conditions for development of different forms of adventure tourism;

•

Proposal for four multi-day offers/packages for adventure tourism in the region, as effective illustration of the possible tourism programs offered in Pelagonija.

In addition, as a higher strategic objective, this project aims to economically valuate the natural beauties of the region, through encouragement of the entrepreneurial spirit of the local stakeholders and contribution for consolidation of the existing tour operators that offer certain contents and activities in the region. At the same time, the implementation of the objectives of this study should contribute to the employment and self-employment of the local population, through strategic plans, increased marketing and introducing the potential tourists with the beauties of the region, and direct impact on the enhanced number of visits by foreign tourists to the region, who are lovers of adventure tourism. Off course, this needs to be based on a market business model which is already established in this industry (item 4.5).

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

SCOPE OF THE STUDY In general, the study is comprised of two crucial and interconnected parts: I.

Detailed analysis and mapping of all key resources which are the base for development of adventure tourism. It refers not only to the natural, i.e. geographic resources, but also the required specific infrastructure related to these activities, the required organizational and human resources and their capacities, as well as aspects of security, logistics and quality of public services and traditional and historic inheritance. This section provides a detailed analysis of the concrete opportunities and potential activities on basis of the natural configuration of the terrain in the region (and their qualities) divided per type of adventure activity. Essentially, this component of the study (chapter 3, 4 and 5) is more descriptive and factographic, but indispensable for detailed elaboration of the possibilities in the region vis-à-vis the development of optimal approach and strategy for implementation.

II.

Fundamental analysis of the potential and the strategic context of the region as well as illustration of a possible mix of multi-day adventure tour programs in Pelagonija. This component of the study includes its strategic part and offers – based on the strategic SWOT analysis (chapter 6), and the existing marketing trends in the adventure tourism both worldwide and in Macedonia in the last several years (item 7.1 of chapter 7) – a detailed design of four (4) multi-day tour packages (programs), and an additional transit two-day package, which are considered as balanced and optimal mix of adventure contents and experiences, and may be offered on the market to this segment of clients worldwide (item 7.2 of chapter 7). In order to ensure a real market and economic value for the Pelagonija region, these tours were developed with the support and cooperation of professional travel agencies and travel agents (listed in the study), with proved background and experience in receptive (incoming) adventure tourism in Macedonia. The external influences from the implementation of this project are elaborated in chapters 8 and 9 (socioeconomic effects and impact on the environment, successively) which analyze the side effects and risks, as well as economic benefits for the local population, in particular about the potential for generation of income and employment in the local economy in the region, given that the region is in great need of stimulus for growth (GDP in the region is on the level of USD 3,500 per capita).

GENERAL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STUDY MODEL OF ADVENTURE TOURISM, TRENDS AND PROFILE OF TOURISTS According to the report of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 1 , tourism as an industrial branch is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world with special focus on the adventure tourism as its constituent part. Increasing number of countries in the world, in all different phases of economic development, consider adventure tourism as one of the key priorities for growth of the tourism market, because they recognize its ecological, cultural and economic value. Despite the absence of generally accepted definition on adventure tourism according to UNWTO, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) defines adventure tourism as travel that includes at least two of the three of the following elements: (1) physical activity, (2) natural environment and (3) contact with local culture and population. Although the definition requires inclusion of only two components, including all three components however shall provide for complete adventure experience for tourists. We shall take into consideration the respective definition for the purposes of the study. There are two main categories of adventure activities, that is, hard adventure and soft adventure, for which there is still an ongoing vigorous debate about the groups to which respective activities belong. The easiest way for determination of hard or soft adventure travel is based on the primary activity around which the respective travel is organized (presented in the Table below).

1 World Tourism Organization (2014), Reports of member-states, Chapter nine – Global report on adventure tourism, UNWTO, Madrid.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

ACTIVITY Archeological expedition Attending local festival/fairs Backpacking Birdwatching Camping Canoening Caving Climbing (mountain/rock/ice) Cruise Cultural activities Eco-tourism Educational programs Environmentally sustainable activities Fishing/fly-fishing Getting to know the locals Hiking Horseback riding

TYPE No. ACTIVITY Лесна 18 Hunting Лесна 19 Kayaking/sea/whitewater Лесна 20 Learning a new languaje Лесна 21 Orienteering Лесна 22 Rafting Друго 23 Research expeditions Лесна 24 Safaris Лесна 25 Sailing Лесна 26 Scuba Diving Лесна 27 Snorkeling Лесна 28 Skiing/snowboarding Тешка 29 Surfing Друго 30 Trekking Друго 31 Walking tours Лесна 32 Visiting friends/family Лесна 33 Visiting historical sites Лесна 34 Volunteer Tourism Soft

TYPE Лесна Лесна Лесна Друго Лесна Лесна Друго Друго Друго Лесна Лесна Лесна Лесна Тешка Лесна Тешка Друго

The profile of an adventure tourist is primarily defined by educated persons, who do not travel alone most of the time (they travel with their family, friends or in couples). They list the following motivational factors as crucial: relaxation, exploration of new places, time spent with family as well as learning about different cultures as key factors that contribute to the quality of their experiences in the course of the travel. Over two thirds or 68% of adventure tourists planned their trip four or more months before departure, while 22% planned the trip one month before departure. This is an important fact for the preparation of the approach and the strategy for the region. Regardless of the category they belong to, adventure activities are highly profitable segments of the adventure tourism sector. On global level, commercial tour operators for adventure travel which offered soft adventure activities charged on average USD 477 a day in 2013 (USD 308 in 2012) with average length of the travel of 8.7 days (8.8 days in 2012), with generated average total costs for soft adventure travel of USD 4,150 per person (USD 2,710 in 2012), including the accommodation, but not the flight cost 2.

CONCLUSIONS FROM THE MAPPING AND ANALYSIS OF THE POTENTIAL IN THE REGION The general conclusion from the SWOT analysis (chapter 6) with regard to the potential of the Pelagonija region for sustainable development of adventure tourism is that, on one hand, there is a satisfactory potential for relatively fast development of offer based on (1) sound number of versatile natural resources with quite satisfactory quality, (2) quite sufficient number of аdventure activities which may be offered in combination (already offered), complemented with (3) excellent and available local cuisine, tradition and culture offered in authentic setting and warm Macedonian hospitality. This is the potential, however in order to ensure sustainable development of this tourism branch with exceptional potential, there is need for revival of the entrepreneurial spirit of all local stakeholders from the business sector (travel agencies, guides, catering facilities, professionals) for effective networking and continuous quality improvement of offered tours, packages and adventure experiences, and further assisted with quality resources of the local self-government (in the framework of the possibilities) for investments in the minimally required infrastructure and public communal services, as they are indispensable for decent welcoming of potential tourists in the region. For the purpose of ensuring the directions in the process of drafting the strategy for development of Pelagonija region as destination for adventure tourism, the following analysis (chapters 3 – 5) was conducted. It includes:

Situation in the industry 2014 | Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA)

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

•

Detailed analysis and mapping of each of the possible forms of adventure tourism, which have the potential for development in the region;

•

Identification of the key weaknesses for each of the forms, as they would have impact on the development of the concrete form as an attractive-motivational factor in the adventure offer; as well as

•

Definition of concrete proposals and measures that need to be taken for improvement of the conditions and quality of each of the possible forms of adventure tourism.

Pelagonija region has both natural resources and resources for adventure activities, i.e. resources which are relevant for the development of the adventure tourism in the region as they offer possibilities to attract tourists who are interested in3: •

Sport and traditional climbing (locations near Pelister and Prespa near Stenje);

•

Boldering (locations in the area around Prilep);

•

Paragliding (Krusevo near Meckin kamen, Treskavec near Prilep and initial stations on Galicica with possibility for flights towards Ohrid and Prespa lake);

•

Hiking and mountain biking (Baba mountain and National park Pelister near Bitola, mountain Galicica and National park Galicica and mountain Babuna near Prilep)

•

Cross-country biking (Bitola-Prespa region);

•

Caving (area around Prilep, on Galicica, Demir Hisar);

•

Visiting archeological sites (Bitola, Prilep, Demir Hisar, Novaci);

•

Visiting churches and monasteries (Bitola, Prilep, Krusevo, Resen, Demir Hisar, Dolneni, Krivogastani, Novaci and Mogila);

•

Jeep ride (Baba mountain- Pelister, Galicica- Magaro, Nidze- Kajmakcalan);

•

Bird watching and wildlife watching (Krivogashtani, National park Pelister and Galicica, island Golem ostrov and nature park Ezerani – Prespa Lake);

•

Ski touring (Baba mountain, peak Pelister).

Table 23 in item 6.2 (chapter 6) gives a summary of the potential, key weaknesses of each of the possible forms of adventure tourism in the region as well as proposals for improvement.

PROPOSAL FOR ADVENTURE TOURS AND STRATEGIC APPROACH There is an evident potential for development and structuring of large scale mixture of complementary adventure activities and experiences which are offered by the Pelagonija region. The illustration of this potential is elaborated in item 7.2 of this document, which elaborates in details the four (4) offered pilot touristic multi-day packages, which present different segments and aspects of a wide range of possibilities offered by Pelagonija. The tours are as follows: 1. Tour 1 – Pelagonija, Land of kings (6-day tour, price 587 Euro per person) 2. Tour 2 – Pelagonija, Wildnerness tour (7-day tour, price 597 Euro per person) 3. Tour 3 – Мultisport tour (9-day tour, price from 1108 to 1420 Euro per person depending on the number of tourists in a group) 4. Tour 4 – Paragliders’ heaven (5-7-day tour, price 70 Euro per person a day)

The list includes only the ones which can be currently utilized and are prepared to welcome tourists with minimal interventions, while chapter 5.4 provides detailed definition of all locations, including the potential locations that require significant investments in order to be utilized. 3

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

5. Tour 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Two-day Biking Tour (Prilep-Krusevo-Prilep) The offers were designed in cooperation with external experts in the field of adventure tourism in Republic of Macedonia, which are active with offers of this type of activities for domestic and foreign tourists on the territory of Macedonia. Based on the findings and conclusions of the research, as well as the potential socio-economic benefits for the local communities which are foreseen in the developed model, one can define three interrelated objectives of the strategy (developed as part of the study), as follows:

Objectives are mutually interrelated in a way that the creation of adventure offers is practically not feasible without parallel investments in conditions that precede the development of adventure tourism. In the best case scenario, tourists may be attracted through promotional activities, who will come for a transit tour and they would not come again or recommend the region as destination if they are not satisfied with the experience. The experience that will be offered to the tourists largely depends on the quality of local guides, accommodation capacities, safety and security in the course of adventure activities, and these are all preconditions which are required for the development of adventure tourism.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

INTRODUCTION STUDY OBJECTIVES This study was developed by the consultancy team of PointPro Consulting for the needs of the Centre for Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region in order to understand the potentials of the region for development of different forms and specific offers (packages) for adventure tourism. The general goal of the study is to define the possibilities for development of the capacities for adventure tourism, as well as to increase the competitiveness of the region as attractive destination for adventure forms of tourism. Furthermore, this study focuses on the following objectives: •

Mapping the resources, capacities and infrastructure in the region for development of adventure tourism;

•

Analysis and assessment of the quality of resources, capacities and infrastructure;

•

Proposed measures to improve the conditions for development of adventure tourism; and

•

Proposal for four multi-day offers for adventure tourism in the region, as an effective illustration of the possible tourist programs offered by Pelagonija.

Also, as a higher strategic goal, the study aims to valorize the natural beauties of the region, to stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit and to contribute to consolidation of the offer by the existing tour operators that offer certain contents and activities in the region. On the other hand, the implementation of this study should contribute to the employment and self-employment of the local population, through strategic plans, increased marketing and introduction of the potential tourists to the beauties of the region and will have direct impact on the increase in the number of visits by foreign tourists, adventure tourism lovers, to the region.

METHODOLOGY The following methodology was applied to the process of analyses and data collection for development of this study, as presented in details in the table below. Table 1: Detailed presentation of the methodological approach to the development of the study Objectives:

Activities:

To define the basic characteristics and parameters of the forms of adventure tourism

• Analysis and overview of the existing literature on adventure tourism

To determine certain forms of adventure tourism which may be developed on the territory of the Pelagonija planning region

• Analysis of the current tourism offer in the region • Analysis of the required resources and infrastructure for implementation of each of the possible forms • Analysis of the capacities in the region • Analysis of the trends in adventure tourism • Field visit in the region • Working meeting with tour operators and tourism workers in the region • Valorization of the natural resources in the region

To increase the tourists’ visits and enrich the stay with attractive contents

• Mapping the forms of adventure tourism which may develop on the territory of the region • SWOT analyses • Analysis of potential markets for adventure tourism

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Objectives:

Activities: • Linking the forms of adventure tourism and creation of tours and complete offers • Proposal for measures to involve the local population and businesses in the tourism offers

To develop and improve the tourism infrastructure

• • • •

To assess the impact of alternative tourism on the environment and proposals for sustainable forms of tourism

• Analysis and assessment of the impact of alternative tourism on the environment • Proposals and proposed measures for conservation of the environment

Social-economic benefits for the region

• Development of financial economic model to make projection of the extent of visits and assessment of the financial and economic impact of alternative tourism in the region

To define the strategy for adventure tourism in the Pelagonija region

• Summary of the research findings and analysis • Definition of strategic objectives • Implementation plan

Networking of the existing and potential tour operators and tourism workers in the region

• Organization of working meeting with tour operators and workers • Communicate the findings and conclusions of the study

Analysis of the existing tourism infrastructure Definition of crucial infrastructure elements in the region Proposal to improve the infrastructure in targeted areas Expected results from improved infrastructure

Source: PointPro Consulting

MEMBERS OF THE CONSULTANCY TEAM The table below presents the members of the consultancy team and short description of their responsibilities in the process of the development of the study. Table 2: Members of the consultancy team Person

Description of responsibility

Simon Avramovski

Degree in Mechanical engineering; Management consultant with over 20 years work experience. Responsible for the project, project strategic planning and realization of meetings and working groups for analysis of resources, capacities and infrastructure in the region.

Ivana Stankovik

Degree in Economy, with over 8 years work experience as management consultant. Responsible for mapping, valorization and diagnostic of resources, capacities and infrastructure in the region, as well as preparation of the study

Nenad Mladenovski

Degree in Economy, with over 5 years work experience as management consultant. Responsible for mapping, valorization and diagnostic of resources, capacities and infrastructure in the region, as well as preparation of the study. Source: PointPro Consulting

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Given that the study was commissioned by the Centre for Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region, it is aimed for numerous organizations and individuals that deal with adventure sporting activities or tourism, among which the following may be singled out: •

Centre for Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as institution that aims to bring together the municipalities in their efforts to develop projects on the level of the whole Pelagonija region;

•

Municipalities that comprise the Pelagonija planning region, as hosts of the adventure tourism destinations which have the biggest power in the support and realization of certain forms;

•

Other state and non-governmental institutions and organizations from the tourism sector which may utilize the findings in the further processes for development of the tourism capacities in the region and include them in the overall tourism offer of the country;

•

Domestic travel agencies that offer adventure tourism of this type to foreign tourists in order to be better informed about the offer in the region;

•

Domestic tour guides that conduct the tours in order to become familiar with the trends in the region;

•

Existing and new potential caterers and entrepreneurs that offer accommodation and catering capacities in order to be able to learn about the possible investments to improve and increase the scope of work, as well as

•

Local population from rural areas which may offer specific experience of cultural and gastronomic type to the tourists.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND MARKET POTENTIAL GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION AND NATURAL WEALTH OF R. MACEDONIA Republic of Macedonia is a country located in the central Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. A landlocked country, Republic of Macedonia borders Serbia (Kosovo) to the north with a 232 km long border, Greece to the south (262km), Bulgaria to the east (165km) and Albania to the west (191km). The geographic coordinates of Republic of Macedonia are between 40º51’16” and 42º22’21” north latitude and between 20º27’32” and 22º18’04” east longitude. The total territory of Republic of Macedonia is 25,713km2, which accounts for 6% on the EU-25 territory. Figure 1: Geographic position of R.Macedonia in Europe

Source: Internet research by the consultants

The average altitude in Republic of Macedonia is 850m. Hills and mountains cover about 80% of the territory of Republic of Macedonia, while plains cover 19% and natural lakes 2% of the total surface of the country. Highmountain regions (over 2,000m altitude) cover 1.38% of the territory, medium high-mountain regions (from 1,000 to 2,000m altitude) 29.28%, while the rest of the territory is below 1,000m. As result of the geographic position and relief, the influences of continental and Mediterranean climate may be felt on the territory of Republic of Macedonia. Temperatures, rainfall, atmospheric pressure, wind and humidity vary significantly. The average annual air temperature is 11, 5°C (July is the warmest month in the year with average temperature of 22°C, and January is the coldest month in the year with average temperature of -3°C). Rainfall is irregular, temporary and with little quantities throughout the country (average quantity of annual rainfall – 742mm2). During the last five decades of organized protection of natural rarities in Republic of Macedonia, 74 objects of nature (3 national parks, 4 nature parks, 3 landscapes with special natural characteristics, 14 different types of plants and animals beyond the nature parks, 33 protected nature parks) are included in the network of protected areas with total surface of 187,895 ha, or 7,30% of the national territory.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PELAGONIJA REGION HISTORY This southeastern corner of Macedonia, known as Pelagoniја in ancient times, is rich in history both natural and manmade. The Via Egnatia, a monumentally long Roman road linking the Adriatic crossing at Durres with Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey), traverses Pelagoniја, which has traditionally been rich in trading towns. Pelister National Park, on the Baba mountain range, is the oldest national park in Macedonia. It conserves some rare glacial lakes, the Pelister Eyes, and is a haven of hiking and hidden Vlach villages. From up in its hills you can see both major and minor Prespa lakes (the latter lies in Greece and Albania), as well as the mountain range of Galicica National Park on the other side of the lake. When Ohrid is heaving with tourists in the summer, genteel Lake Prespa beckons with its deserted sandy beaches at Konsko and Nakolec, as well as the newly urbanized beach in Stenje. It is believed that a tribe known by the name of Linkestris were the first to inhabit the area south of Bitola around 4500 BC. Just over 4,000 years later the first major town to be established in the rich Pelagoniја Valley was the ancient Macedonian town of Heraklea Lyncestis. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon (the father of Alexandar III of Macedon) in the middle of the 4th century and named in honour of Hercules, with whom the Macedoniali royal dynasty of the Argeads identified. The additional name ‘Lyncestis’ in turn honours the ancient tribe of Linkestris. Allthough Philip lived there for sometime, his son was eventually born in Pella over the present-day border in Greece. With the fall of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia, Heraklea came under Roman rule in the 2nd century BC and continued to grow as an important trading town. By this time the Via Egnatia passed through Heraklea where it crossed the Diagonal Way, another major north-south road joining Heraklea with Stobi, Stip, and then Kustendil (now in Bulgaria). Julius Caesar used Heraklea as a supply depot during his campaigns and many of his veterans settled there. Later, during the time of early Christianity in 4th century, Heraklea developed as the seat of the regional bishopric. By the Vth century, Roman rule was in decline and Heraklea was ransacked several times marauding Avars, Goths and Huns from the north. When a large earthquake struck in AD 5 18, the inhabitants of Heraklea abandoned the city. Later, in the 7th century the Dragovites, a Slavic tribe pushed down from north by the Avars, settled in the valley and gave the river its present name of Dragor. Eventually a new town was established immediately north of Heraklea, mentioned under the name Obitel in one of the charters of Tsar Samoil, showing that even then the town was closely associated with churches and monasteries (obitel means family chamber of a monastery). The town continued to prosper from trading and eventually became the third largest city in the Balkans after Constantinople and Thessaloniki. The surrounding area also thrived as a centre of Christian worship, so that by the time the Ottomans came at the end of the 14th century they named the town Monastir due to the number of monasteries in the surrounding hills, which served the monks of the 500 churches in the region. Soon, Monastir became so important that the French set up a consulate there. Eleven other countries followed suit. The influx of 18th- and 19th-century architecture can still be seen in Bitola today, despite artillery fire and bombing during the world wars. Mixed with the influence of Ottoman architecture in the form of mosques, covered markets and bathhouses, Bitola has a very cosmopolitan feel to it even today and its Inhabitants still pride themselves on their international heritage. At the beginning of the 19th century, Monastir was at the zenith of its trading history and the railway even came to town, linking southern Macedonia with Skopje, Belgrade and beyond. French was widely spoken in the town, which included a number of foreign and international schools as well as a military academy that was attended by Turkeys pro-reform leader, Kemal Ataturk. The town boasted 2,000 households, and every second one owned a piano, on which many a song about Bitola was composed. Allegedly there are over 200 songs about Bitola. The Manaki brothers famous for their pioneering work with the camera, opened their studio of art photography in Bitola in 1905. In honour of their work in photography and later cinematography, Bitola started the first international Manaki Film Camera Festival in the world in 1979, which continues every September. At the end of the 19th century, revolution against the Ottomans was taking hold all over Macedonia, and Bitola was no exception. The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation (IMRO) was very active in Bitola and there are those who say that some of the guerrilla warfare tactics developed in Bitola during those years were

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

even exported to other nations rising up against foreign rule, such as Ireland. The Ilinden Festival every 2 August (a national holiday) celebrates the Ilinden Uprising of 1903 against the Ottomans. The Republic of Krusevo which was proclaimed the next day in nearby Krusevo lasted only ten days before it and all other regions of dissent were sharply put down. The Balkan wars of 1912-13 put an end to Ottoman rule in Bitola and all of Macedonia, but many more years of foreign rule still followed. Reprisals against the Turkish community were high and over 40 of the 60 Turkish mosques in the town were destroyed. Beautiful Bitola was practically demolished by German shelling from Pelister Mountain during World War I, in which over 13,000 French soldiers died, almost as many Germans, and unrecorded numbers of Serbs and Macedonians. In addition, Nazi occupation in the early 1940s annihilated Bitola’s thriving Jewish scene when 3,011 Jews were deported on 11 March 1943 to Treblinka in Poland. Today, Macedonia’s entire Jewish community is only around a thousand. While Bitola has languished in Balkan obscurity during the 20th century, modern lines of communication and transport have bypassed the once important trading centre. To add insult to injury, the provincial town of Skopje was made capital of the Federal Yugoslav Socialist Republic of Macedonia. Since then, Bitola, far from the heart of Yugoslavia, has only ever been given secondary consideration. It has little chance now of regaining its importance in trade, but it may still become a prime cultural destination. This is the story of Krusevo: Just after midnight on the morning of August 2,1903 (this was the day that the general uprising was proclaimed),a rattle of rifles and a prolonged hurrahing broke the quiet ni Hie peaceful mountain town. Some three hundred insurgents under ‘Peto-the- Vlach’ and four other leaders had taken the town by surprise. Frederick Moore, The Balkan Trail, 1906

GEOGRAPHIC POSITION Pelagonija is the biggest valley in Macedonia in the south-western part of the country covering an area of around 4,000 km² and stretches in a meridian direction (north-south).

Figure 2: Geographic position of the Pelagonija region

Pelagonija consists of the Bitola and Prilep Field in the basin of river Crna and its tributaries. The valley is surrounded by the mountains Baba and Buseva to the west, Dautica and Babuna to the north, mountains Selechka and Nidze to the east, and to the south and south-west by the downhill of mountain Neredska in the northern part of Greece. The average altitude is from 710 to 615 meters in Prilep field and from 610 to 540 meters in Bitola field.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

POPULATION AND MUNICIPALITIES According to the estimates of the "State Statistical Office of R.M.â&#x20AC;?, Pelagonija region has population of about 232,000 inhabitants, i.e. about 11% of the total population in R.M., distributed in 343 populated places. In addition, the Office estimated that the region has negative population growth of about -590 inhabitants for 2013, i.e. 2,246 born and 2,836 deceased.

Pelagonija region consists of total of 9 municipalities: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Figure 3: Municipalities in Pelagonija region

Bitola; Prilep; Resen; Dolneni; Krusevo; Demir Hisar; Mogila; Krivogastani; and Novaci.

According to the 2002 census, there are total of 93,967 dwellings in the region. The average size of one household is 3.3 inhabitants. Table 3: Structure of the population per municipalities in the Pelagonija region Bitola 92,455 39.9%

Prilep 75,594 32.7%

Resen 16,352 7.1%

Dolneni

Krusevo

14,078 6.1%

9,529 4.1%

Demir Hisar 8,377 3.6%

Mogila

Krivogashtani

Novaci

6,286 2.7%

5,646 2.4%

3,183 1.4%

TOTAL 231,500

Source: State Statistical Office of R.Macedonia

Figure 4: Overview of the geographic position of the municipalities in the region

Source: Mapping by the consultants, Google Earth

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS With regard to the age structure, the working age population (over 15 years of age) accounts for 188,679 or over 80% of the total population in the region. According to the ethnicity structure, Macedonian population is dominant with over 85%, while among the minority groups most prevalent are Albanians with almost 5%, Roma and Turks with 3% respectively, Boshnjaks and Vlah with 1%, and others. Chart 1: Demography of the population in the Pelagonija region, estimate 31.12.2014 Unknown age 85 and more 80 - 84 75 - 79 70 - 74 65 - 69 60 - 64 55 -59 50 - 54 45 - 49 40 - 44 35 - 39 30 - 34 25 - 29 20 - 24 15 - 19 10 - 14 5-9 1-4 0

Female Male

10,000 8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000 10,000 12,000

Source: State Statistical Office of R.Macedonia

CLIMATE IN THE PELAGONIJA REGION Pelagonija has predominantly moderate-continental climate, however, sometimes during the winter months there are cold influences from the north that significantly lower the temperature and make it become continental climate. The rainfall on average is about 640 mm. The river Crna flows through the Pelagonija region with its confluents: Blata, Semnica, Dragor and Eleshka reka. The whole river and hydro network is part of the Aegean basin. In the past, during the tertiary period, Pelagonija used to have lakes. Therefore, nowadays there is a lot of humus soil and alluvial soil (especially in the Bitola field).

ECONOMY According to the data of the "State Statistical Office of R.M." for 2014, the activity rate of the population in the Pelagonija region accounts for 65, 3%, while the unemployment rate is 18, 7%. Table 4: Basic economic data of the population in the Pelagonija region Basic data Activity rate, 2014

65,3

Employment rate, 2014

53,1

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Unemployment rate, 2014

18,7

Paid gross salary per employee, on average, 2014

28,218

Paid net salary per employee, on average, 2014

19,591

Source: State Statistical Office of R.Macedonia

The paid monthly net salary in the region is average accounts for 19,591 MKD, which is below the average of the paid monthly net salary in Macedonia, which amounted to 21,394 MKD in 2014. Most of the regions in Macedonia have lower average monthly salaries than the Macedonian average, except for the Skopje region with the highest average of 25,260 MKD. The value added per capita (GDP per capita) for 2012 in the Pelagonija region amounted to 218,463 MKD. 4 Table 5: Basic data about the activity of economic entities in the Pelagonija region Basic data Number of active business entities, 2014

8,127

Number of newly opened enterprises, 2013

834

Number of closed enterprises, 2011

775

GDP per capita, 2012

218,463 Source: State Statistical Office of R.Macedonia

In 2014, there were 8,127 active business entities in the Pelagonija region, among which 834 are newly created in 2013.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MUNICIPALITY OF BITOLA GEOGRAPHIC POSITION Municipality of Bitola is situated in the south-western part of Republic of Macedonia. It borders the municipality of Resen to the west, and the border between the two municipalities crosses through Baba mountain. The south border is the state border with Greece. To the east and north-east, the municipality of Bitola borders the municipality of Novaci and municipality of Mogila, and the municipality of Demir Hisar to the north.

Figure 5: Geographic position of municipality of Bitola

The municipality is located in the Pelagonija valley with the highest peaks on the Baba mountain, i.e. the highest peak Pelister. The river Crna flows through the municipality. The town Bitola is the seat of the municipality of Bitola ans it is the main regional centre of the south-western region of Republic of Macedonia.

SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS Significant factor for the development of the economy in Bitola are the natural conditions that contribute to the accelerated prosperity of Bitola in the following period. These possibilities are primarily based in the natural

4 Reviewed data according to ECC 2010.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

factor, that is: agriculture, forest potential, mineral wealth, etc. According to the 2002 census, there are 95,385 inhabitants in the municipality. Main comparative advantages of the municipality: -

Bitola is 15km away from R.Greece, and the industrial zone Zabeni is located on the way towards the border crossing National park Pelister and numerous villages in the down hills with potential for rural development Bitola, town of consuls, with 11 honorary consular offices

Main economic branches in the municipality: -

Agriculture: agribusiness Production: textile, construction Services: restaurants, tourism, banks

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MUNICIPALITY OF PRILEP GEOGRAPHIC POSITION Municipality of Prilep is located in the western part of Central Macedonia and according to the surface, it is the biggest municipality in Republic of Macedonia. It stretches over the Prilep plain which is comprised of the northern part of the biggest valley in Macedonia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pelagonija, Trojachka kotlina and the town Prilep.

Figure 6: Geographic position of municipality of Prilep

The municipality borders the municipality Caska and Dolneni to the north, Kavadarci to the east, Krivogastani, Mogila and Novaci to the west and Greece to the south. According to the 2002 census, the municipality has 16,825 inhabitants. Administrative centre of the municipality is the town Prilep.

SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS The economic life in the municipality is comprised of several industrial branches, such as tobacco industry, industry of mineral raw materials (marble), metal industry, chemical, textile and wood industry. Prilep is a renowned center in the world for production of quality oriental tobacco of the brand "Prilep" which is especially famous on the global market. Prilep is a town where the mines with best quality marble in the world are located (sivec). Main comparative advantages of the municipality: -

Business climate Tourism â&#x20AC;&#x201C;urban and rural Available human resources

Main economic branches in the municipality: -

Agriculture: agribusiness, forestry, mining Production: textile, chemical industry, construction, engineering Services: transport and distribution, restaurants, media, tourism, insurance, banks, health care

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MUNICIPALITY OF RESEN GEOGRAPHIC POSITION Municipality of Resen is located in the Prespa valley, in the southwestern part of Republic of Macedonia and covers an area of 739 km2. Prespa valley is situated between two national parks, Pelister and Galicica.

Figure 7: Geographic position of municipality of Resen

Municipality of Resen borders the municipalities of Ohrid, Bitola and Demir Hisar. In the municipality of Resen there are 44 registered toponyms, out of which 43 are rural with 39 active and 4 inactive areas and 1 urban area. According to the 2002 census, there are 16,825 inhabitants in the municipality. Administrative centre of the municipality is the town Resen.

SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS Municipality of Resen has wide areas of orchards and annual production of over ~ 100.000 tones quality apples on 4.000 ha, with real possibilities for continuous increase in the arable land and production. At the same time, there is continuous work on the introduction of contemporary measures for storage and packaging of the Prespa apple, which is becoming a Macedonian brand. Main comparative advantages of the municipality: -

Production of apples Natural-cultural heritage, junction of three borders â&#x20AC;&#x201C; R.Macedonia, R.Albania and R.Greece (strictly protected areas (NP Pelister and NP Galicica, Nature park Ezerani, island Golem Ostrov), old city and village architecture) Development of alternative tourism

Main economic branches in the municipality: -

Agriculture: agribusiness, fishing Production: textile Services: transport and distribution, restaurants, tourism, insurance, banks

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MUNICIPALITY OF DOLNENI GEOGRAPHIC POSITION Municipality of Dolneni is located in the northwestern part of the Pelagonija valley, which is situated at 600 m altitude. The municipality stretches over an area of 430 km2 and is one of the biggest newly established municipalities in R.Macedonia. From the total surface, 2/3 is flatland, while 1/3 is high areas especially in the northern part of the municipality. Almost 90% of the flatland is arable land, and one half of the hilly area is pastures, and the other half are covered with forests.

Figure 8: Geographic position of municipality of Dolneni

According to the 2002 census, there are 13,568 inhabitants of different nationalities. Administrative centre of the municipality is the village Dolneni.

SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS Populated places in the municipality of Dolneni mainly deal with agriculture, tobacco, different crops and cattle breading. Main comparative advantages of the municipality: -

All ethnic communities in the municipality are included Cooperation of the municipality with the populated places Efficient administration

Main economic branches in the municipality: -

Agriculture: agribusiness

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MUNICIPALITY OF KRUSEVO GEOGRAPHIC POSITION Municipality of Krusevo stretches in the southwestern part of Macedonia. Its neighboring municipalities are Krivogastani and Dolneni to the east, Makedonski Brod and Plasnica to the north, Drugovo to the west, Demir Hisar to the south-west and Mogila to the south.

Figure 9: Geographic position of municipality of Krusevo

The municipality includes the southern branches of the mountain Busova, part of mountain Drevenichka and part of the Pelagonija plain with the flatland of river Crna. The highest point on the mountain Krusevo and the branches on the mountain Busova is the peak Golomanec- 1664 m. According to the 2002 census, the there are 9,684 inhabitants in the municipality. Administrative centre of the municipality is the town Krusevo.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS As predominantly mountainous territory, Krusevo is visited by both domestic and foreign tourists throughout the whole year. It is attractive for its skiing terrains and paths for winter running, and there are also terrains for any type of hiking. In the immediate proximity of the town there are places for picnic, which are adequately equipped, and also there are conditions for extreme sports (paragliding and sailplanes), whilenational auto-races are held every year. Main comparative advantages of the municipality: -

Tourism Craftwork Agriculture and cattle breading

Main economic branches in the municipality: -

Agriculture: agribusiness, forestry Production: textile Services: restaurants, tourism

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MUNICIPALITY OF DEMIR HISAR GEOGRAPHIC POSITION Demir Hisar or Zeleznik is called the hillymountainous area that stretches in the southwestern part of Macedonia or north-west of the Pelagonija valley, around the upper river basin of the river Crna. It is a peripheral area of Pelagonija. The eastern border of this area stretches over the mountain Busava, and the western over the top ridge of mountains Bigla, Plakenska and Ilinska. The mountain Drevenik is on the south-east side.

Figure 10: Geographic position of municipality of Demir Hisar

In most parts, the relief is hilly-mountainous, while small part along the river Crna is a flatland. According to the 2002 census, there are 9,497 inhabitants in the municipality. Administrative centre of the municipality is the town Demir Hisar.

SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS Mountains in Demir Hisar are rich with iron ore, and therefore this area is called Zeleznik. There are many old crafts, which still exist in the villages in the municipality of Demir Hisar such as rolling-mills, traditional weaving of carpets, blacksmith, traditional production of coal, production of limestone, traditional handicrafts with motives from the region, manual weaving of wool carpets, wooden and wickerwork, woodcarving (usually in the monasteries), masonry, cauldrons for making rakija (local brandy), making casks and vats. Main comparative advantages of the municipality: -

Geographic position and existing infrastructure Rich natural resources Rich and comprehensive cultural and ethno heritage

Main economic branches in the municipality: -

Agriculture: agribusiness, forestry Production: metallurgy, textile Services: transport and distribution, restaurants, health care

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MUNICIPALITY OF MOGILA GEOGRAPHIC POSITION Municipality of Mogila is located in the Pelagonija valley, at ten kilometers north-east of Bitola. Mogila is a rural municipality with medium size, which covers an area of 251,2 km2, at altitude of 583m. The total territory of the municipality covers an area of 22.363 ha and consists of 23 villages.

Figure 11: Geographic position of municipality of Mogila

The territory of the municipality covers an area in the middle parts of the Bitola plain, and the settlements are scattered in the river basin of river Crna and the lower flow of the right tributary Semnica. According to the 2002 census, there are 6,710 inhabitants in the municipality. Administrative centre of the municipality is the village Mogila.

SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS Municipality of Mogila is an agrarian municipality where mostly the inhabitants produce crops and vegetables, but there is also cattle breading. Among the industrial facilities, most significant is the factory for production of forage, which is located in the settlement of Radobor. ZK Pelagonija operates in the surroundings of municipality of Mogila, where the biggest farm with 800 milk cows is located. Main comparative advanatages of the municipality: -

Rich agricultural area Close to the towns Prilep and Bitola Close to regional roads and highways, and from this point it connects to the other part of RM

Main economic branches in the municipality: -

Agriculture: agribusiness Services: transport and distribution, restaurants, health care

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MUNICIPALITY OF KRIVOGASTANI GEOGRAPHIC POSITION Municipality of Krivogastani is located in the western part of the Prilep plain, which stretches over the north-western part of the Pelagonija valley. The municipality of Krivogastani covers a territory of 97.13 km2 and consists of 12 populated places of rural character.

Figure 12: Geographic position of municipality of Krivogastani

The mountain Busova stretches to the west, and Pelagonija stretches to the south, east and north. The municipality is situated at altitude of 610 m. According to the 2002 census, there are 6,150 inhabitants in the municipality. Administrative centre of the municipality is the village Krivogastani.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS Main agricultural branches in the municipality of Krivogastani are agriculture, especially production of papers, tobacco, onions and forestry. One of the most significant archeological sites in Macedonia, from the Neolithic period is the place Vrbjanska cuka, in the immediate proximity of the village Vrbjani. Main economic branches in the municipality: -

Agriculture: vegetable and industrial crops cultivation Services: insurance, banks, health care

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MUNICIPALITY OF NOVACI GEOGRAPHIC POSITION Municipality of Novaci is located in the southern part of RM, and stretches over the south-eastern part of the Pelagonija plain, central part of the riverbed of river Crna, the Bitola part of Mariovo and the part close to the border with Republic of Greece near the mountain Nidze. Municipality Novaci borders the municipality of Prilep to the north and municipality of Mogila with municipality of Bitola to the west, and with Republic Greece to the east and south.

Figure 13: Geographic position of municipality of Novaci

Municipality of Novaci may be conditionally divided to flatland and plain-hilly and borderland parts. According to the 2002 census, there are 3,549 inhabitants in the municipality. Administrative centre of the municipality is the village Novaci.

SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS Municipality of Novaci has an exceptional potential of natural wealth as precondition for development of economy. Namely, the biggest basin of coal – Suvodol, the three power stations of REK “Bitola”, eight current points for exploitation of mineral water and gas, two locations with sand, gravel, silica and non-metals are located in the central part of the municipality. Recently, breeding of big cattle has increased which is considered to be significant for the further development of the municipality, but due to the poor economic power of the population, this sector is not sufficiently utilized. Main comparative advanatages of the municipality: -

Favorable conditions for healthy food production – Mariovo (lamb, cheese, honey, red pepper, medical herbs) Hydro energy potentials Good conditions for production of medical herbs

Main economic branches in the municipality: -

Agriculture: agribusiness, mining Production: energy Services: health care

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

DEFINING THE BASIC CHARACTERISTICS AND PARAMETERS OF THE FORMS OF ADVENTURE TOURISM According to the report of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)5, tourism as an industrial branch is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world with special focus on the adventure tourism as its constituent part. An increasing number of countries in the world, in all different phases of economic development, consider adventure tourism as one of the key priorities for growth of the tourism market, because they recognize its ecological, cultural and economic value. Despite the absence of generally accepted definition on adventure tourism according to UNWTO, yet the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) defines adventure tourism as travel that includes at least two of the three of the following elements: (1) physical activity, (2) natural environment and (3) contact with local culture and population. Although the definition requires inclusion of only two components, including all three components however shall provide for complete adventure experience for tourists. We shall take into consideration the respective definition for the purposes of the study. Adventure tourism may be domestic or international, and like any other travel it should include an overnight stay, however it may not last longer than one year.

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ADVENTURE TOURISM The following characteristics may be singled out as the main characteristics of adventure tourism:  It is more resilient: Аdventure tourists are passionate and take more risks, hence they are willing to travel to places which are not considered as attractive tourism destinations from commercial point of view, in order to experience something different and authentic;  Attracts high value customers: Аdventure tourists are willing to pay premium for exciting and authentic experiences. On global level, tour operators reported the average spending per person in the amount of USD 3,000, with average duration of stay of 8 days;  Supports the development of the local economy: Direct income from tourism is the amount of the tourist expenditure that remains in the community (on local level) after deduction of taxes, profit and salaries which are paid outside of the local community as well as the procurement of imported products and services. For adventure tourism in comparison with the all-inclusive package arrangements for mass tourism, it is estimated that over 65% of the total costs of one travel remain in the visited destination, i.e. with the local population;  Encourages the development of sustainable practices: Those that offer this type of services as well as policy creators adhere to the practices for sustainable development, thus being aware that without pristine natural environments and meaningful cultural experiences, the destination may lose its competitiveness and tourists would travel to another place.

TYPES OF ADVENTURE TOURISM There are two main categories of adventure activities, that is, hard adventure and soft adventure, for which there is still an ongoing vigorous debate around which activities belong to each category. The easiest way to establish if it is a hard or soft adventure travel is by its primary activity around which the respective travel is organized (presented in the table below). Regardless of the respective category to which they belong, adventure activities represent highly profitable segments of the adventure tourism sector. On global level, commercial tour operators for adventure travel that offered soft adventure activities charged USD 477 on average on daily basis in 2013 (USD 308 in 2012) with an average trip length of 8.7 days (8.8 days in 2012), with generated average total costs for soft adventure travel of USD 4150 per person (2710 in 2012), including the accommodation, but not the costs for the flights 6.

World Tourism Organization (2014), Reports of member-states, Chapter nine – Global report on adventure tourism, UNWTO, Madrid. 6 The status of the industry 2014 | Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) 5

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

In addition to the hard or soft adventure activities, there are also different types of adventure tourists. For instance, adventure enthusiasts, such as passionate kayakers, bicyclists or birdwatchers, become progressively more skilled at a specific outdoor or athletic activity. These enthusiasts are described as passionate about a certain sport or activity, tending to pursue the same activity trip after trip, seeking new and exciting destinations in the process. Although enthusiasts spend as much as other types of adventure tourists, their more frequent international travels on average last one extra day. They spend more money on equipment because the brands that respond to their specific needs matter to them and they look for destinations which are difficutl to access or are upcoming but still not popular. On the other hand, extreme adventurers, such as base jumpers or those that run 100 km races, in fact, are not that much tourists but independent travelers and thrill-seakers. They spend less money as they have their own equipment, may not request support from travel agencies in order to practice the activity which is the purpose of their travel, seek out locations which are difficult to access, and often camp or provide the transportation themselves. Although they may be important for certain destination or company from a marketing point of view, extreme adventurers take very small part of the adventure tourism sector, and they are not the focus of the policymakers for development of tourism. However, regardless of the organization or categorization of the adventure travel by the tour operators, adventure tourism shall remain to be defined subjectively by the tourists themselves because it is mainly related to their personal experiences. The table below shows the activities and their classification based on the adventure they offer according to ATTA. Table 6: Adventure activities and their classification No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

TYPE Лесна Лесна Лесна Друго Лесна Лесна Друго Друго Друго Лесна Лесна Лесна Лесна Тешка Лесна Тешка Друго

Source: Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA)

From the table above, one can see that out of the 34 stated activities as adventurous, only three or less than 10% (boldering – mountain/rock/ice, caving and trekking) are classified as hard, while most of them (23 or 68%) belong to the group of soft activities. There is also a third category of activities classified as other (8 or 24%) which include the activities such as meeting the local population, sailing, various cultural activities, trekking, visiting cultural-historic monuments etc.. Hence, one can see that it is a matter of accompanying activities which may be done in parallel to the ones classified as soft/hard.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADVENTURE AND OTHER FORMS OF TOURISM Due to the numerous benefits for the environment, local population and local economy generated through adventure tourism, many governments worldwide increasingly identify it as a tool for sustainable and responsible economic growth. Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Additionaly, at many destinations, adventure tourism is developed without any significant investment in new infrastructure. Also, it can contribute to the rapid opening of new jobs on local level and relaying on traditional knowledge of the local population for guidelines and interpretations.

ADVENTURE VERSUS MASS TOURISM Adventure tourism may be also defined in terms of what it is not – that is, mass tourism. Mass tourism includes boat cruises, vacation with “sun and sandy beach” packages, bus tours through the centers of big cities that stop at big attractions, thematic parks such as Disneyland, or casino resorts. It relies on the economies of scale, replication of standardized products and cost reduction. Mass tourism includes very little cultural exposure or education about the local culture and often it happens in places with hot climate where tourists can enjoy the sun, water and sea. Mass tourism may be also classified according to the number of people present at one destination. For instance, the Mediterranean, as a well known tourist destination for mass tourism accepts 230 million tourists on average on annual level.

ADVENTURE VERSUS OTHER TYPES OF RESPONSIBLE TOURISM The differences between adventure and mass tourism are clear, however the differences between the adventure tourism and other types of tourism may be more subtle. Several definitions are offered about other popular types of tourism which have similar characteristics to adventure tourism such as minimization of negative influences and increasing the benefits for the local population and economy.  Sustainable Tourism is a tourism that takes care of all its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, thus meeting the needs of the visitors, industry, environment and local communities.  Conservation Tourism is defined as tourism that enables experiences that support the conservation of natural and cultural resources through: - Effect: creation of financial incentives for conservation; - Impact: raising the awareness of travelers, communities as well as interested parties about the importance of conservation of nature and culture; and - Investments: driving the financial support from the tourism sector and travelers for conservation.  Responsible Tourism is tourism that ‘creates better places for people to live in, and better places for people to visit“. It may be implemented at any place and in any environment. Numerous cities worldwide have adopted policies for responsible tourism.  Pro-poor Tourism is tourism that enables the realization of net benefits for the poor people in the community. It uses the term net benefits because it often happens that there is loss of opportunity to ensure funds for life related to the tourism, such as loss of sea coast and access to hunting, agricultural land or access to natural resources in the national parks.  Community Based Tourism – CBT is defined as interaction between the host and the guest which presupposes a significant participation by both sides, and which generates economic benefits for the local community as well as conservation of the environment.  Volunteer Tourism is a practice when individuals go for a working holiday and they voluntarily offer their labor for worthy causes.  Ecotourism is defined as purposeful travel to natural areas in order to understand the culture and natural history of the environment, hence taking care not to change the integrity of the eco-system and creating economic opportunities that make the conservation of natural resources bring benefits for the local population.  GeoTourism is defined as tourism that maintains or strengthens the geographic character of certain place – its environment, culture, esthetics, cultural inheritance and wellbeing of its citizens. It is worth noting that none of these types of tourism, including the adventure tourism, are mutually exclusive and the definitions may overlap. These so-called tourism brands have a specific, and even a niche market value, because they resonate with a particular segment of consumers.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

PROFILE OF THE ADVENTURE TOURIST According to the ATTA Adventure Tourism Market Study of 2013, the majority of the adventure tourists were men (57%) and single/never married (48% in comparison with 43% who were married). However, if one looks at the market analysis for 20137, one can notice change in the structure in terms of the female population with 53% participation of women in the total number of adventure tourists which indicates that the demographic structure is a variable category. Furthermore, the same research reveals that 37% of the adventure tourists have at least a four-year degree, including the 11% who have a professional degree, while the average income amounted to USD 46,800 annually. Adventure tourists continue to value international travel, whereby 71% of the total number of adventure tourists had a valid passport (while 79% of hard adventurers had a passport). Very small percentage of adventure tourists travel alone, 21% travel with friends, 37% with a spouse or partner, and 30% with their family (including children). Adventure tourists listed relaxation, exploring new places, time spent with family and learning about different cultures as most important factors that contribute to the quality of their experiences during the travel. This indicates that although they go for more adventurous activities in comparison to those who are not adventure lovers, their motivation factors for travelling are similar.

Chart 2: Structure of adventure tourists based on the way they travel

Solos 12%

Families 30%

Friends 21%

Couples 37%

Source: ATTA 2013

Adventure tourists rank areas of natural beauty as the most important factor in choosing their most recent destination, followed by the activities available and the climate. On the other hand, non-adventure tourists ranked having friends and family at the destination as the most important factor, followed by areas of natural beauty and climate. A significant characteristic that distinguishes the adventure tourists from other tourists is that they have greater chances to use professional services, such as guides, tour operators and other services. On the other hand, by analyzing only the adventure tourist segment, one can establish that 56% of them organize the travel themselves. Increased use of professional services among the adventure tourists may be a reflection of the need for training and special equipment for many adventure tourism activities. It also means that people try new destinations and activities and ask for professional guidance and safety. This should strengthen the growth of the adventure tourism market and provide opportunities for operators and guides who will be able to attract and redirect the nonadventure tourists who are open for new experiences.

Table 7: How did you prepare for your last trip? (Аdvanture tourists) Researched Online Consulted Friends & Family Booked Airfare or Hotel Online Watched a Travel Program About the Destination Consulted Newspapers & Magazines Visited a Travel Agent Purchased a Guide Book Booked Through a Tour Operator Booked Through a Travel Agent Visited a DMO or Tourism Promotion Organization

69% 64% 36% 28% 26% 2 % 25% 17% 17% 12%

Did Not Prepare Prior to Going on the Trip

12%

Other

9% Source: ATTA 2013

2014 АТТА Current situation in the industry

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Adventure tourists are usually prepared tourists who spend time searching and planning their ideal experiences. They have greater predisposition to get prepared for the trip before departure. The most frequent ways of preparation before the trip for the adventure tourists were online search and consulting friends and family, as shown in the previous table. Only 12% of the total number of respondents stated that they did not make preparation before the trip at all, in comparison with 23% non-adventure tourists that stated the same. 68% of the adventure tourists planned their trip four months or less prior departure, while 22% planned their trip less than one month prior departure. Table 8: Structure of marketing budget

Content creation and social media outreach (photos, videos, social sharing) Trade events

PERCENTAGE OF MARKETING BUDGET

PERCENTAGE OF 2013 GROSS REVENUE

19.2%

0.6%

13.4%

0.4%

Search engine optimization

11.5%

0.4%

Online advertising and sponsored content

10.8%

0.3%

Print advertising

9.4%

0.3%

Email campaigns

9.3%

0.3%

Public relations

8.2%

0.3%

Other

6.2%

0.2%

Consumer events

5.6%

0.2%

Direct mail

5.3%

0.2%

Smartphones and mobile apps

1.1%

0.0%

Source: АТТА 2014

The high share of adventure tourists that make online searches before the trip indicates the importance of maintaining a significant web presence and online marketing strategy. This can also be confirmed by the size of the marketing budget allocated by the most successful companies 8 in 2013. Namely, while all adventure tour operators on average spent only 3% of their total income on marketing, the most successful ones reserved almost 8% of their annual income for marketing activities on average. Biggest part of the funds in the marketing budgets of the companies were allocated for content creation and social media outreach (19.2%), for fairs and other trade events (13.4%), search engine optimization (11.5%) and online advertising and sponsored content (10.8%) which all together account for 55% of the total budget allocated for marketing activities as shown in the previous table. With regard to the effectiveness of the strategies used for increasing the number of bookings, the most effective were the following (1) Unpaid optimization (website optimization), (2) Increased dedication to creating offers which are adjusted to the needs of clients, (3) More/better tools for client relations management (CRM), (4) Increased personal approach with clients, (5) Publication of new media contents, and (6) Publication of contents generated by clients.

SUPPLY CHAIN IN ADVANTURE TOURISM Although tourism is a complex sector with many stakeholders and participants who contribute to the creation of the final product which is offered to the consumers, this section pays special attention to the supply chain as one of its most important components that also illustrates its complexity. The supply chain in tourism is the system of people, products, activities and materials which are responsible for the delivery of the product or service from its raw form through production and distribution to the final consumer. As any other industry, the quantity rebate influences the creation of the price policy, so big distributors are primarily focused on the large scale sale of selected trips. Such supply chains for mass tourism products are often very simple and consist mainly of transportation and accommodation.

Most successful companies are defined as companies that generated net profit margin higher than the average

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

On the other hand, adventure tourism is far more complex. Niche products often require specialized knowledge and operations. Linkages in the supply chain for adventure tourism go much deeper, and this is one of the main reasons why adventure tourism delivers greater benefits on local level. Although supply chains differ from destination to destination, in adventure tourism they largely consist of the following: Chart 3: Supply chain in adventure tourism

Local suppliers

Inbound tour operators Outbound

Local consumer (client)

Tour operators Travel agencies Wholesale

Source: UNWTO â&#x20AC;˘ Global report on adventure tourism

However, supply chain in adventure tourism does not necessarily take this order. The chain may be shortened depending on the product, the size of the companies which are local suppliers and the distance between the client and the destination. For instance, if a client from Denmark wants to go skiing in Austria, most probably s/he will make a direct contact with the ski centre instead of hiring a travel agency. However, if a client from North America wants to go rafting in Zimbabwe, most probably s/he will contact the tour operator whose services were used in the past for similar adventure trips, who will work with a ground operator from Zimbabwe, who will then book the hotel and transportation with the local suppliers and provide the suppot of trained and experienced local guides. While the outbound operator is located in the country from which the client comes, the inbound operator and suppliers are located at the destination of travel. In developing markets, the majority of adventure tourism is delivered through a chain as outlined above, and the customer is only in contact with the outbound operator.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

FORMS OF ADVENTURE TOURISM WHICH CAN BE DEVELOPED ON THE TERRITORY OF THE PELAGONIJA REGION This section deals with the current status of the conditions in which adventure tourism is conducted in the Pelagonija region. Several detailed analyses and researches were conducted. They cover the following segments: •

Analysis of the current tourism offer, which identifies the travel agencies in R. Macedonia which have offers for adventure tourism;

•

Analysis of the capacities in the region, with accent on the identification of the existing and potential tour guides, as well as accommodation and catering capacities with overview of the their service quality;

•

Analyses of the recent trends in adventure tourism;

•

Detailed analysis of the natural and other resources which may be used for the development of the individual forms of adventure tourism, with detailed explanations of the characteristics of each form; as well as

•

Analysis of required resources and investments in infrastructure for development of each of the possible forms of adventure tourism.

The purpose of this section is to present the real state of adventure tourism in the region, and provide proposals and directions for its optimal development, as well as improve the current conditions and context in order to ensure better quality of services, and ultimately strengthen the so-called attraction and motivation factors for end consumers thus increasing the demand for these services in the long run.

ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT TOURISM OFFER IN THE REGION The analysis of the tourism offer for adventure tourism in Macedonia is conducted through working meetings with tour operators and guides, as well as internet conducted reasearch. The analyses and research identified several operators that also have tours with adventure components in their offers, as presented in the table below. Table 9: List of travel agencies with offers for adventure tourism in Macedonia Travel agency Balojani Simonium travel Macedonia Experience ТА Kompas АТАМ/ТА Turist Visit Macedonia Go Macedonia Macedonia Travel

Town Bitola Skopje Skopje Skopje Bitola Skopje Skopje Skopje

Website http://www.balojani.com.mk/ http://www.simoniumtravel.com.mk/ http://www.macedoniaexperience.com/ http://www.kompas-skopje.com/ http://www.turist.com.mk/ http://www.visitmacedonia.mk/ http://www.gomacedonia.com/ http://www.macedoniatravel.com/

Source: Research by consultants

Most of the travel agencies that offer adventure tourism in Macedonia are from Skopje, however, from the communication with tourism workers in the region, one may expect increased activity by the local population in this field. This is partially due to the increased demand for such services from foreign tourists that visit the destinations in the region as they offer conditions for sporting and adrenaline experiences. It is partly due to the increased awareness of the population about the natural beauties of the region and the conditions it offers for adventure tourism. Currently, travel agencies that offer adventure tourism have a diverse spectrum of tourism forms, whereas the most prevalent are mountain activities such as trekking, hiking, biking, free ride and ski touring as well as offroad jeep tours.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Also, one can notice sportsmen and tourists visiting the region for sporting activities such as rock climbing, boldering and paragliding for which there is lack of tourism offers that would include gastronomic and cultural experiences for them and their families.

ANALYSIS OF THE CAPACITIES IN THE REGION Similarly to the analysis adventure tourism offer in the region, the analysis of the capacities was also conducted through working meetings with tour operators and through internet based research. The summary of the main findings is presented below.

ANALYSIS OF EXISTING AND POTENTIAL MOUNTAIN TOURIST GUIDES Given that most of the adventure activities take place in the mountains, mountain leaders have a crucial role in the quality of experience. The main characteristics that mountain leaders should have are as follows: •

To be fully familiar with the mountain trail that they lead, including all possible optional trails;

•

To be trained for treating injuries and dealing with injured individuals, as well as plan for transportation of injured individuals from any point on the trail;

•

To be good communicators and to know how to convey interesting stories and experiences related to the region, history and culture of local villages and settlements as well as archeological and religious sites.

The Macedonian association of international mountain leaders (http://www.maiml.mk) is the only institutions in Macedonia that provides training, testing and certification of mountain leaders, according to the UIMLA standards, accepted everywhere in the world. In Macedonia, there are about 150 licensed mountain leaders who possess a license from UIMLA. Based on the quality, leaders differ according to the experience and only some are high quality leaders. The majority of the leaders are based in Skopje and other regions, while the Pelagoniја region has one certified mountain leader and four currently in training.

Мacedonian association of international mountain leaders (MAIML) The IML (International mountain leader) standard is an international standard for professional mountain leaders that deal with leading clients on mountain hiking tours, i.e. hiking tours on “non-technical terrain‘‘ that does not require knowledge of special hiking techniques and skills, such as alpinism or caving and no need for use of mountaineering equipment9. Due to the technical features of these types of activities, this category of hiking tours is also called mountain walking tours. The training program refers to training for mountain leaders according to IML (International mountain leader mountain walking tours) and it must be adjusted to the standards of UIMLA – Union of International Mountain Leader Associations. The standards of this organization are recommended by the EU -"European Union Directive for development of common standards for professional mountain leaders throughout Europe". The Macedonian Association of International Mountain Leaders - MAIML is a national organization of professional mountain leaders in Macedonia. MAIML is a member of the Union of Professional Mountain Leader Associations - UIMLA. Based on the membership in an international organization, the licenses issued by MAIML have international validity, but on the other hand, this also creates obligations for adherence to the international standards for training and licensing the leaders and respect for the norms for future professional work. The training standards for mountain leaders that were recommended by UIMLA are defined in a relatively fixed framework and have been accepted in the European legislation. In most of the member-states of UIMLA, training and licensing are done at specialized training centers in the association of leaders or similar organizations. At the final exam, the Government, i.e. the line ministry participates with one member in the examination commission.

Source: Macedonian Association of International Mountain Leaders, link

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

The purpose of the training for mountain leaders is to enable the candidates, future mountain leaders, to do the following activities: 1.

To be capable to accompany clients and safely guide groups on the mountain, in winter and summer conditions;

To be capable to assess the level of preparedness of the clients in correlation with the level of difficulty of the hiking tour;

To be able to make accurate planning of the hiking tour and to safely realize the tour, adhering to the basic principles for mountain safety;

To know how to properly handle the personal and collective hiking equipment and to know the principles of storing and maintaining the respective equipment, and to provide the necessary advice to individuals they are entrusted with guiding on the mountain;

To be familiar with the basic principles of meteorology and weather forecasting;

To be familiar with the principles of orientation in the mountain under different weather conditions and in areas with different terrain configuration;

To take care of the mountaineering infrastructure;

To inform the participants in the hiking tour of the natural characteristics of the mountain locality, as well as the cultural and historical facts of the visited places;

To be capable to provide first aid on a mountain;

10. To know how to successfully lead the group they guide, including the prevention and resolution of potential internal conflicts; 11. To know the basic principles of tourism, both on the domestic and international market; 12. To be familiar with the basic norms for insurance and security in tourism, with focus on mountaineering tourism; 13. To be familiar with the principles of ecology and ecological mountain actions; and 14. To be familiar with the principles and to be active in the field of protection of the natural and cultural heritage.

Federation of Mountain Sports in Macedonia The Federation of Mountain Sports of Macedonia is a non-government organization that consists of sporting clubs for mountain sports for the purpose of realization and harmonization of their common goals and interests and for the purpose of conducting mountaineering activities 10. The goals of the FMSM are:

•

To actively engage all its members and all citizens, particularly the youth, to spend time and have activities in the nature, especially in the mountains;

•

To introduce its members and citizens with the natural beauties of the country, and particularly the mountains and their treasures;

•

To develop the love for mountains among its members and citizens;

•

To work on bringing together and building networks with other nations worldwide through cooperation with mountaineering and other related organizations in the world;

•

To nourish the traditions from the historical past;

•

To nourish and develop the feeling of living together and cooperation among the Macedonian nation and other nationalities;

•

To develop and nourish a competitive spirit in the recreational and professional sports;

Source: Statute of the Federation of mountain sports of Macedonia, link

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

•

To train the membership in special skills of mountaineering such as: caving, mountain hiking, first aid and rescuing in the mountains, winter mountaineering, etc.;

•

To stimulate the achievement of top results in all areas of mountaineering;

•

To create conditions for preparation and organization of mountaineering expeditions on the mountain ranges in R. Macedonia and abroad; and

•

To stimulate the environmental awareness of the members.

As part of its activities, FMSM organizes trainings and licensing for mountain leaders, which are explained in details in the “Rulebook on mountain leaders 11" of FMSM. A mountain leader (ML) can be anyone who successfully completes the professional program as part of FMSM. A ML is a trained professional worker for sport in the field of mountaineering and s/he is reffered to with the professional title Mountain leader, regardless of the gender and the category of leader. All MLs are entered in the Register of ML which is kept by the Centre for professional training at FMSM (CPT).

ANALYSIS OF THE AVAILABLE ACCOMODATION CAPACITIES IN THE REGION In 2014, R. Macedonia was visited by around 735,000 tourists, which is around 5% growth in comparison with the previous year, or a weighted average growth rate of 5% annually, for the period from 2006 to 2014. Most of the tourists, about 270,000 or 37% of the total number of tourists visited the Southwestern region, while the Pelagonija region is the fifth ranked region according to the number of visits. In 2014, there were about 66,000 tourists in the Pelagonija region or about 9% of the total number of tourists. In the previous years, the share of this region was from 9% to 12% in the total number of tourists, or 10% on average in the monitored period. The biggest number of tourists in R.Macedonia in 2014 were foreign tourists, i.e. about 425,000 or 58% of the total number of tourists. This trend is prevalent in the last four years, while in the period from 2006 - 2010 the biggest part was comprised of domestic tourists, which ranged from 59% in 2006, and gradually reduced to 55% in 2010 and below 50% in 2011. Table 10: Tourists in Republic of Macedonia, per regions, per years (2006 - 2013) Total number of tourists R. Macedonia Vardar Eastern Southwestern Southeastern Pelagonija Polog Northeastern Skopje

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

499,473 8,221 12,021 233,218 58,577 51,970 21,890 2,433 111,143

536,212 8,419 10,813 255,257 66,043 51,715 17,188 3,657 123,120

605,320 7,799 13,739 276,669 84,031 62,325 19,153 3,395 138,209

587,770 9,448 12,680 257,480 90,998 50,740 31,596 3,560 131,268

586,241 10,572 13,054 234,665 84,856 69,712 31,828 3,098 138,456

647,568 12,064 13,615 249,746 108,555 76,469 29,153 3,803 154,163

663,633 15,867 18,865 251,462 106,978 72,054 29,884 4,446 164,077

701,794 17,196 20,747 264,826 109,982 70,312 30,823 5,584 182,324

2014 735,650 20,667 23,035 269,547 124,707 65,527 29,143 6,937 196,087

Source: State Statistical Office of R.Macedonia

In 2014, there were 2.2 million overnight stays or 3.0 overnight stays per tourist in R.Macedonia, on average. In comparison with the previous years, one can notice the trend of increase in the number of overnight stays realized in R.Macedonia, whereby the weighted average annual growth rate accounts for 1,7% for the period 2006 - 2014. The biggest share in the number of overnight stays is of the South-western region which accounted for 50% in 2014, while Pelagonija region with 7% share is ranked on the fourth place, behind the South-eastern and Skopje region (both with 18%). The increase in the number of overnight stays in R.Macedonia is due to the increased number of realized overnight stays by foreign tourists, which increased from 443,000 in 2006 for almost 100% until 2014, and reached the number of 922,500. Despite this trend, domestic overnight stays still domineer with

Rulebook on mountain leaders, Federation of mountain sports of Macedonia, link

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

58% of the total number of overnight stays in 2014, however this share has drastically reduced from 2006 when it accounted for 77%. Table 11: Tourism overnight stays in Republic of Macedonia, per regions, per years (2006 - 2014) Total No. of overnight stays R. Macedonia Vardar Eastern Southwestern Southeastern Pelagonija Polog Northeastern Skopje

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2014

2013

1,917,395 2,019,712 2,235,520 2,101,606 2,020,217 2,173,034 2,151,692 2,157,175 2,195,883 16,935 15,530 13,861 17,228 20,137 21,139 25,989 30,840 39,662 28,934 21,694 28,449 27,509 25,687 28,852 37,358 42,222 49,221 1,244,487 1,351,806 1,452,205 1,326,192 1,168,824 1,209,187 1,198,260 1,152,651 1,095,452 218,077 211,619 260,351 277,030 262,787 312,377 305,163 327,279 401,065 155,461 152,726 171,928 139,699 170,354 208,918 174,304 162,752 154,595 53,824 37,986 45,345 61,146 61,455 54,787 56,055 61,652 54,419 4,003 5,677 5,130 6,247 5,628 6,807 7,920 8,244 10,671 195,674 222,674 258,251 246,555 305,345 330,967 346,643 371,535 390,798 Source: State Statistical Office of R.Macedonia

Given the accommodation capacities, R. Macedonia has around 26-27,500 rooms at disposal, whereby the biggest part or 59% are located in the South-western region, while the Pelagonija region has around 3-3,500 rooms or 13% of the total number of rooms. Therefore it is ranked second in terms of the biggest number of rooms in the country. Table 12: Number of rooms in R.Macedonia, per regions, per years (2006 - 2014) Number of rooms Republic of Macedonia Vardar Eastern Southwestern Southeastern Pelagonija Polog Northeastern Skopje

2006 26,503 553 716 16,400 2,095 3,502 987 276 1,974

2007 26,246 553 670 16,166 2,062 3,452 990 289 2,064

2008 25,952 550 588 16,154 2,095 3,053 1,020 291 2,201

2009 26,390 508 598 16,369 2,152 3,102 1,080 297 2,284

2010 26,189 554 533 16,013 2,105 3,390 1,011 292 2,291

2011 26,448 589 544 16,033 2,277 3,330 1,018 302 2,355

2013 26,887 690 620 16,050 2,346 3,322 1,072 300 2,487

2014 27,422 666 637 16,304 2,374 3,431 1,111 298 2,601

Source: State Statistical Office of R.Macedonia

From the aspect of number of beds, R.Macedonia has 70,000 beds, and identical to the number of rooms, the Southeastern region has dominant place about the number of beds or 59%, while Pelagonija region is second ranked with 14% share or total of 10,000 beds. The average number of beds in a room in R.Macedonia is 2.6, while the highest average in the country is in the Pelagonija region with 3 beds per room in 2014. Табела 13: Number of beds in R.Macedonia, per regions, per years (2006 - 2014) . Number of beds Republic of Macedonia Vardar Eastern Southwestern Southeastern Pelagonija Polog Northeastern Skopje

2006 71,021 1,647 1,973 42,425 5,937 10,231 3,069 734 5,005

2007 70,898 1,647 1,876 42,451 5,910 10,012 3,039 803 5,160

2008 69,097 1,504 1,729 41,703 5,893 8,993 3,046 800 5,429

2009 69,561 1,360 1,718 42,103 5,750 8,999 3,182 805 5,644

2010 69,102 1,496 1,591 41,458 5,724 10,229 3,057 633 4,914

2011 69,737 1,701 1,606 41,454 6,069 10,165 3,058 645 5,039

2012 70,287 1,829 1,721 41,458 6,088 10,310 3,059 653 5,169

2013 70,297 1,819 1,826 41,411 6,298 10,001 3,153 647 5,142

2014 71,225 1,677 1,869 42,025 6,277 10,055 3,330 648 5,344

Source: State Statistical Office of R.Macedonia

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

On the other hand, in order to be able to establish the status of the accommodation capacities in the Pelagonija region, a detailed mapping of the accommodation capacities was undertaken per municipalities. The mapping provided data about a far lower capacity in the region than the one stated in the statistics of the State Statistical Office. As opposed to the information from the State statistical office of about 3,300 rooms and 10,000 beds, the detailed mapping provided three times lower numbers, or 1,150 rooms and almost 3,700 beds. Table 14: Number of rooms and beds per municipality in the Pelagonija region No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Municipality

Rooms

BITOLA PRILEP KRUSEVO RESEN DEMIR HISAR DOLNENI KRIVOGASTANI NOVACI MOGILA TOTAL

Beds/room

569 74 199 280 31 0 0 0 0 1,153

Beds

2.6 3.2 3.1 4.5 2.1

1,503 235 617 1,273 64 0 0 0 0 3,692

3.2

Structure of beds 40.7% 6.4% 16.7% 34.5% 1.7% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 100%

Source: Study "Mapping the tourism potentials of the Pelagonija statistical-planning region"

In 2014, about 26,000 tourists stayed in Bitola, which accounts for 4% of the total number of tourists that visited the country, or 40% of the tourists that visited the Pelagonija region in that year. Otherwise, there is a growth in the number of tourists from 21,000 in 2006 to the highest number of 27,000 in 2013 and minor decline in 2014 with 26,000 tourists in Bitola on annual level. Chart 4: Number of tourists and overnight stays in Bitola, on monthly level (2011-2014) 10,000 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0

2011

9 11 1

2012

9 11 1

2013

9 11 1

9 11

2014

Source: State Statistical Office of R.Macedonia

The data illustrate that on a monthly basis, there are 2,150 to 2,250 tourists in Bitola, on average. The seasonality per month is presented in the chart above. With regard to the structure of tourists, foreign tourists dominĐ°ted in 2013 and 2014 with 53% i.e. 52%, as a result of the greater growth of foreign tourists in comparison with the domestic tourists. With regard to the number of overnight stays, in 2014, there were over 58,500 overnight stays in Bitola, which is 3% of the total number of overnight stays in the country or 38% of the overnight stays in the Pelagonija region in that year. On average, every tourist realized around 2.2 overnight stays per visit. Similarly to the number of tourists, there is an increasing trend in the number of overnight stays in Bitola in the last years, that is, from 48,000 overnight stays in 2011 to 58,000 in 2014. Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

ANALYSIS OF THE TRENDS IN ADVENTURE TOURISM The Adventure Travel Trade Association (АТТА) in cooperation with the university "George Washington" prepares reports on the development indexes of the countries for adventure tourism. The report ranks the countries according to the principles of sustainable development and uses a combination of survey data and quantitative data from international indexes to make the calculations. In order to promote sustainable development of adventure tourism, this report is prepared to support organizations, entrepreneurs and governments that want to develop and sell sustainable products and services in this area, with benefits for the local population and the environment. The report distinguishes between developed and developing countries. The ten best destinations in 2015, 2011 and 2010 are presented below. Figure 14: Ten best destinations for adventure tourism, 2015, 2011, 2010 DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

2015

2011

2010

2015

2011

2010

Switzerland

Czech Republic

Chile

Israel

Iceland

New Zealand

Iceland

Slovakia

Czech Republic

Slovakia

Germany

Canada

New Zealand

Bulgaria

Slovakia

Chile

Norway

Germany

Canada

Estonia

Israel

Estonia

New Zealand

Iceland

Germany

Chile

Estonia

Czech Republic

Austria

Norway

Sweden

Poland

Bulgaria

Canada

Finland

Ireland

Israel

Slovenia

Finland

Austria

Norway

Slovenia

Poland

Jordan

Sweden

Finland

Korea Rep.

Romania

France

Japan

Austria

Costa Rica

Hungary

Latvia

Source: Adventure Tourism Development Index, The 2015 Report, АТТА

Furthermore, the adventure tourism development index for Macedonia was compared to the countries in the region, and Macedonia ranked 71st among 191 countries. The table of comparisons is presented below and shows the factors and results on which the ranking was based. Table 15: Comparative ranking of Macedonia with the countries in the region about the development index for adventure tourism Country Ranking HDI GDP OCDE UNDP Sustainable development Security Health Natural resources Security and hospitality Resources for adventure activities Entrepreneurship

Czech Republic

Slovakia

Bulgaria

Slovenia

Croatia

Romania

Serbia

Macedonia

BiH

1 1 2 1 0

2 1 2 1 0

3 2 2 0 0

8 1 2 0 0

12 2 2 0 0

13 2 2 0 0

33 2 2 0 0

71 2 2 0 0

93 2 3 0 0

7.74

7.33

6.98

7.51

7.20

6.88

5.89

5.07

4.71

6.26 5.42 6.27

6.32 4.86 6.23

5.75 5.36 6.55

6.81 3.95 6.00

6.12 4.40 6.37

5.66 4.53 5.96

5.64 3.98 6.00

5.64 3.98 5.79

5.10 3.07 5.79

118

8.79

8.77

9.20

8.67

8.62

8.88

9.39

8.82

8.70

8.22

7.99

7.61

7.26

7.22

7.62

6.94

7.94

6.81

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Country

Czech Republic

Slovakia

Bulgaria

Slovenia

Croatia

Romania

Serbia

Macedonia

BiH

4.75 6.05 6.52 6.59

4.27 6.06 6.57 7.62

4.01 6.20 6.69 7.27

4.79 6.55 7.16 7.42

4.37 5.19 6.98 7.54

4.45 5.32 6.46 6.91

3.70 4.38 6.00 6.29

3.07 3.90 5.39 5.57

3.57 4.22 5.47 6.22

116

37 29.41

43 29.08

46 29.01

67 28.48

87 27.89

87 28.04

154 26.80

206 26.36

264 25.05

Factor of adventure Humanitarian Cultural resources Infrastructure Image Factor of preparedness ADTI result RAW

Source: Report on the development index for adventure tourism (2015), АТТА

In order to be able to get an idea of the average scores of the countries regarding the main pillars a table is presented below summarizing the average realized scores for all countries, as well as the two main groups of countries: developed and developing countries. It is understood that the main objective of each country is the achievement and eventual overrunning of the results of the developed countries. Figure 15: Average country ranking by pillar (2011-2015) Year

ALL

DEVELOPED

DEVELOPING

Sustainable Natural Safety Health development Resources

Resources for adventure activities

Entrepreneurship

Humanitarian

Cultural Resources

Infrastructure

Image 6.13

2015

6.93

5.2

2.94

5.94

8.39

6.32

3.6

4.7

5.63

2015

6.93

5.22

2.16

6.04

8.36

6.65

3.01

4.79

5.89

6.37

Change

0.01

-0.02

0.77

-0.11

0.03

-0.32

0.59

-0.09

-0.26

-0.24

2015

7.6

7.55

4.57

6.6

8.45

7.52

5.63

5.92

6.91

6.61

2011

7.63

7.78

2.96

6.63

8.48

7.7

4.33

5.93

7.19

6.88

Change

-0.03

-0.23

1.6

-0.02

-0.04

-0.18

1.29

-0.29

-0.27

2015

6.82

4.81

2.66

5.82

8.38

6.12

3.25

4.49

5.42

6.05

2011

6.8

4.78

2.03

5.94

8.33

6.47

2.79

4.59

5.66

6.28

Change

0.02

0.03

0.64

-0.12

0.05

-0.34

0.46

-0.1

-0.24

-0.23

Извор: Извештај за развојниот индекс за авантуристички туризам (2015), АТТА

Compared to the average score achieved by developing countries for 2015, Macedonia has scored relatively lower regarding the following pillars: •

Sustainable development,

•

Humanitarian

•

Cultural resources,

•

Infrastructure, and

•

Image.

VALORIZATION OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE REGION SPORT AND TRADITIONAL CLIMBING Sport climbing is a sporting recreational activity that includes rock climbing on previously marked routes and relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock, while traditional climbing includes rock climbing with placement of removable nuts in the natural cracks of the rock, which are removed once the climber leaves the route and the rock is left in its natural state.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 16: Sport climbers

Figure 17: Traditional climber

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Although sport and traditional climbing are mainly sporting activities, they might also be included in the adventure tourism offers of the travel organizations as part of the multi-sport adrenaline tours. Beginners with minimal physical preparation can also do these activities in tandem with experienced leaders. Sport climbing is largely safe, given that the routes are previously marked with safety bolts. Traditional climbing is more risky as the safety and security depend on the leaderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience that places the bolts. There are many attractive rocks for climbing in the Pelagonija region and most important are the locations near Prilep and the Prespa area near Stenje. Figure 18: Marked routes for sport climbing near Stenje

Source: Internet research by the consultants, Link

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

BOULDERING Bouldering is the youngest sport climbing discipline that includes climbing rocks at the height of 2 to 6 meters, without any aids. Usually it is done in nature on marked rocks which are not modified or adjusted, but used in their natural form. The necessary equipment usually includes special climbing shoes, chalk or magnesium for dry palms, as well as crash pads.

Figure 19: Bolders in action

Also, one can notice the trend of development of artificial climbing rocks, most often in closed premises which are used as training and practice centers. Source: PETZL RocTrip, Prilep 2014

The beginnings of this sporting discipline are recorded as a method of training used by rope climbers, for practicing certain moves and maneuvers at safe heights. In addition, the purpose of those trainings was to increase the endurance and stamina of the climbers, and to strengthen their fingers. In the course of time, this sport evolved in a special sporting discipline that became part of sport climbing. Figure 20: Panoramic view from one of the boldering locations near Prilep

Source: Boldering guide for Prilep, link

Like any other sport, there are sporting competitions for boldering, which can be organized both on open natural and artificial locations, as well as artificial rocks. One of the more significant competitions that is organized in the region is the "Krali Marko boldering festival" which had its 5th edition in 2015. Also, it is worth noting that in the course of 2014, the boldering zone around Prilep was included in the agenda of the "PETZL RocTrip 2014 festival", which is renown in the field of sport climbing. Table 16: Institutions and organizations related to boldering in Macedonia Institution/organization

Municipality

Activity

Website

Macedonian sport climbing federation

Skopje

Federation

SCC Zlatovrv

Prilep

Sport climbing club

Facebook page

SCC Vertical Bitola

Bitola

Sport climbing club

http://www.verticalbitola.com/

Krali Marko Bolder Fest

Prilep

Boldering

http://www.climbing.mk/

Facebook page

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Institution/organization

Municipality

Activity

Website

Petzl RocTrip

Prilep

Boldering

http://www.petzlroctrip.com/en/basecamp/prilep-boulder-fest-buffet

Prilep bolder

Prilep

Boldering

http://prilep-bouldering.com/

SCC Ekstrem

Skopje

Sport climbing club

Facebook page

Source: Internet research by the consultants, PointPro Consulting

The development of boldering in Macedonia started with the discovery and development of boldering zones in the proximity of Prilep, in 2003. These zones were discovered by several climbers and enthusiasts from Bitola, who encouraged the Macedonian sport climbing federation to get engaged in this activity. Together with climbers from Skopje and Slovenia, in the period until 2011, they developed and did the mapping of numerous zones and detailed boldering problems (climbing routes).

Figure 21: Boldering problem

Source: Boldering guide for Prilep, link

Figure 22: Overview of the geographic position of the most favorable boldering zones in the Prilep surrounding

Source: Mapping by the consultants, Google Earth

In the course of 2015, in the surrounding area of Prilep, 10 zones rich with numerous boldering problems (climbing routes) were identified. Over 500 routes used for boldering were identified and marked, although the potential of the region is much greater and it is considered that only 10% of all available boldering problems have been marked.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 23: Overview of the geographic position of some of the most favorable locations for boldering in the Prilep surroundings

Source: Internet research by the consultants, Link This sport adventure activity attracts many foreign lovers of this sport who stay in the region for a week or two, and some of them travel with their families. The main factors that attract them are the natural beauties and landscapes, as well as the rocks themselves, which in their natural condition present a true climbing challenge. Tourism offers may be developed for those tourists that would include visiting cultural events as well as contacts with the local population and culture, gastronomic experiences, entertainment and recreation, given that these sport tourists primarily come for boldering. The main disadvantages of this tourism attractive-motivating factor are: •

Poor road infrastructure to some of the boldering zones,

•

Lack of infrastructure for a camp zone where these tourists can be accommodated,

•

Insufficient number of accommodation capacities in the region,

•

Lack of tourism offers that target these tourists or their families, etc.

Due to the natural beauties of the region and its well nourished tradition for boldering, an increasing number of both foreign and domestic tourists will be attracted. They will come to visit the region, and we believe it is a matter of time when a tour operator will offer the tourism services on a professional level. Furthermore, the public institutions may contribute to the development of this tourism branch through investments in infrastructure, as well as the cleaning of the landfills in the area around the road that leads to the boldering zones.

PARAGLIDING Pelagonija region has over 10 potential locations for paragliding, which are located in several municipalities as presented in details on the figure below. Unfortunately, many of these locations are not used, most often because of the bad access, poor roads or inexistence of any road infrastructure to the locations.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 24: Overview of the geographic position of the possible paragliding locations in Pelagonija region

Source: Mapping by the consultants, Google Earth

The most famous and utilized paragliding locations in the region are located in Krusevo in the proximity of Mechkin Kamen, Treskavec near Prilep and the take-off spots at Galicica with possibility for flights over Ohrid and Prespa Lake. Different spots offer the most favorable flying conditions in different periods of the year, so the whole region has conditions for paragliding over the course of 9 months of the year. Krusevo may be singled out as particularly interesting takeoff spot and in recent years it hosts numerous national and regional championships. It is visited by around 1,500 foreign paragliders annually. An extremely important feature of this site is the proximity to urban centers at both the takeoff â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Krusevo and landing spot - Prilep, which is rare in paragliding locations worldwide. This location is most visited because the thermals in this area are constant and it offers conditions for easy launching and soaring a paraglide, as well as cozy and relaxed landing without turbulences and cold air mass pockets and currents. Flights may last more than 4 hours, and Prilep may serve as the landing spot which is on a 25 km air distance from Krusevo. Figure 25: Paragliding over Krusevo

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

In the context of adventure tourism, paragliding as attractive-motivating factor may be used in two ways: •

It can be offered as tandem flight to tourists who are interested for adrenaline or multisport tours; and

•

Arrangement packages can be prepared for paragliders and their families, who come to this region for competitions.

The main disadvantages of paragliding as a factor in adventure tourism are: •

Nonexistent and inadequate road infrastructure to most of the takeoff spots;

•

Insufficient supporting infrastructure at the most utilized paragliding locations, such as toilets, food and drinks stands; as well as

•

Insufficient and poor quality accommodation capacity in certain parts of the region.

MOUNTAIN HIKING AND MOUNTAIN BIKING Pelagonija region offers excellent conditions for development of tourism offers for hiking due to the big number of mountains and peaks that offer excellent conditions and have natural types of beauty for all kinds of tourists. Figure 26: Hikers in action

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Given the physical strength of the tourists, the region offers a range of hiking tours for all tastes. For tourists with less physical strength, the most interesting are the one-day tours that last several hours, that don’t involve over 400 m altitude gain, which are not too long and have trails that offer interesting natural and cultural sites on the way. For physically fit tourists, the region may offer multi-day hiking tours with more than 1,000m altitude gain and longer distances, with rest stations and overnight stay in ountain huts. The following destinations in the region may be singled out as having the greatest potential which can be utilized for hiking and biking activities: •

Baba mountain and National park Pelister near Bitola;

•

Mountain Galicica and National park Galicica;

•

Krusevo; and

•

Mountain Nidze near Prilep.

The mapping done for the purposes of this study includes the analysis of the existing trails with electronic record of the respective trail in KML format, as well as short description of the main characteristics of the trail, length, altitude, level of difficulty and necessary time to master it.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

The following are descriptions of some of the mountain trails that are best known and most used in Pelagonia, divided according to their geographical position. The majority of the trails are intended for hiking, whereas over half of them can at the same time be used for mountain biking.

Trails on Baba mountain Baba mountain is in the immediate proximity of Bitola, and is situated in the National park Pelister, named after the highest peak Pelister at 2,601Đź. Pelister was proclaimed a national park in 1948, with total area of 12,500 ha. This mountain range covers an area of 436km2 and has numerous hiking and trekking trails and natural beauties, such as Golemo and Malo lake, as well as magnificent biodiversity, most notably the pine (molika) with five fascicles (bundles) - (Pinus peuce) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a species of pine native only on several mountains on the Balkan peninsula. Among other peaks, one can single out Ilinden (2,542m), Stiv (2,468m), Muza (2,351m), Visoka Cuka (2,182m), Skrkovo (2,140m), Babin Zab (1,850m) and many others. Figure 27: Scenery of one of the hiking trails on Pelister

Source: Internet research by the consultants

The Table below shows the most utilized hiking trails on the Baba mountain. Most of these trails are with medium or high difficulty and can be used by tourists with greater physical strength, however, there are several easy trails rich with wonderful natural beauties that hide rich historic and cultural contents. Table 17: Identification and description of the most significant hiking trails on Baba mountain No. 1

Trail (tour) Nizepole - Golemo EzeroPelister - SC Kopanki Day 1: Nizepole - Golemo Ezero Day 2: Golemo EzeroPelister - SC Kopanki

2 3 4

Educational tour on a historic trail The Murato route (h. Molika - peak Pelister - h. Molika) Nizepole, Golemo Ezero, Muza, Skrkovo, Neolica, v.Lavci, Bitola

Time (hours)

Start

End

Altitude

Length

Difficulty

Nizepole

SC Kopanki

1,310

Nizepole

MH Golemo Ezero

Mediumdifficult

900

Medium

SC Kopanki

410

Difficult

1,300

Easy

MH Golemo Ezero hotel Molika

hotel Molika

1,260

Mediumdifficult

Nizepole

Bitola

1,200

Difficult

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

No. 5

Trail (tour) Bukovo, Neolica, Golemo Ezero, Pelister, Molika Day 1: Bukovo - v.LavciMH Neolica Day 2: MH Neolica Neolica, Crna Strena, Skrkovo, Musa, Orlovi Bari - MH Golemo Ezero Day 3: Golemo Ezero, Male ezero, Siroko stopalo, Pelister, Ilinden, Stiv, Kopanki,h. Molika Bitola - v.Trnovo, Malo Ezero, Golemo Ezero, Orlovi Bari, Brajcanska reka, v.Brajcino Day 1: Bitola - v.Trnovo, v.Brajcino, Malo Ezero, Golemo Ezero Day 2: Golemo Ezero, Orlovi Bari, Brajcanska reka, v.Brajcino Molika, Pelister, Malo and Golemo Ezero, Orlovi Bari, Golemo Vrvce, v.Brajcino Day 1: Molika, Pelister, Malo and Golemo Ezero

8 9 10 11

Day 2: Golemo Ezero, Orlovi Bari, Golemo Vrvce, v.Brajcino Brajcino, Ljubojno, Arvati Etno Selo SC Pelister - Golemo Vrvce SC Pelister MTB: Pelisterski Vodi (Nizepole, Bukovo, Gorno Orehovo, Bistrica, v.Kisava MTB: Bitola, Đ&#x2022;-65, Kazani, St.Bogorodica - Gjavato Bitola MTB: Bitola, Kukurecani, Semnica, Lopatica, Demir Hisar, v.Slepce, St.Jovan Preteca

Start

End

Altitude

Length

Difficulty

Time (hours)

Bukovo

Molika

2,000

Difficult

Bukovo

MH Neolica

840

Easy

MH Neolica

MH Golemo Ezero

800

Difficult

MH Golemo Ezero

Molika

360

Mediumdifficult

Bitola

v.Brajcino

1,930

Difficult

Bitola

1,930

Difficult

MH Golemo Ezero

MH Golemo Ezero v.Brajcino

Mediumdifficult

Molika

v.Brajcino

1,260

Mediumdifficult

Molika

MH Golemo Ezero

1,260

Mediumdifficult

v.Brajcino

Medium

v.Brajcino

Arvati Etno Selo

200

Easy

SC Pelister

850

Mediumdifficult

Nizepole

v.Kisava

100

Medium

Bitola

600

Difficult

Bitola

v.Slepce, Demir Hisar

340

Difficult

MH Golemo Ezero

Source: Mapping by the consultants

One of the most visited and most interesting trails on Baba mountain is the historic trail (ordinal number 2 in the Table below) which offers several hours adventure through beautiful mountainous scenery and remnants and relicts of the First World War. It belongs to the group of easier trails and it takes around 3 hours to master.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 28: Historic trail on Baba mountain

Source: National park Pelister, link

Given the vast area upon which Baba mountain stretches, it offers possibilities for numerous trails, both for hiking and mountain biking. Some of them are presented below. One of the more interesting hiking trails is the trail from Nizepole to SC Kopanki, (ordinal number 1 in the previous Table) which spreads along the Golemo and Malo ezero, and also includes hiking to the peak Pelister. This tour is usually a two-day tour with overnight stay at the mountain hut at Golemo ezero "Dimitar IlievskiMurato" and can be used by physically fit tourists given that the total length is 20km and the altitude gain is around 1,300 meters. Figure 29: Overview of the trail Nizepole - SC Kopanki

Source: Mapping by the consultants

For tourists who are less fit, this trail can be modified and shortened to a walk from Nizepole to Golemo and Malo Ezero, which is a trail of medium difficulty due to the altitude gain of 900 meters, and length in one direction of around 5km. Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 30: Panoramic overview of Golemo Ezero on Pelister

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Among the presented trails in the previous Table, one can single out the "The Murato route" (ordinal number 3) which is 24km long and belongs to the group of medium to difficult trails, and includes the climbing of the peak Pelister from SC Kopanki at a height of over 1,200 meters and requires around 10 hours of climbing. In its original form, this trail foresees returning on the same route, which may be modified (shown on the Figure below). Figure 31: Overview of the Murato route, with elevation profile

Source: Mapping by the consultants

The trail under ordinal number 4 in the previous Table includes the route from Nizepole to Bitola, through Golemo Ezero and peaks Muza and Skrkovo and Neolica and descending through v.Lavci. It is 22 km long with Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

an altitude gain of 1,200m and requires about 12 hours of climbing. Therefore, it is a difficult trail, aimed for tourists that love adrenaline tours. Figure 32: Overview of the route Nizepole - Golemo Ezero - Bitola, with elevation profile

Source: Mapping by the consultants

The trail from Bitola through Golemo Ezero up to the village Brajcino (ordinal number 6 in the previous Table) is another very interesting two-day tour for fit tourists. It is 41 km long, at height of around 1,900m and requires 2 days or about 14 hours active hiking. Figure 33: Overview of the route Bitola - Golemo Ezero - v.Brajcino, with elevation profile

Source: Mapping by the consultants

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Among the biking routes, one can single out the following: •

Bitola - Gjavato - St.Bogorodica (ordinal number 11 in the previous Table) which is around 47km long with altitude gain of about 600m and requires around 5 hours of biking, and

•

Bitola - v. Slepce - St.Jovan Preteca (ordinal number 12 in the previous Table) which is around 65 km long with altitude gain of around 340m and requires around 6 hours of biking. This path is not on the Baba Mountain, but it has been singled out because of the starting point in the city of Bitola. Figure 34: Overview of the routes Bitola - v.Slepce и Bitola - Gjavato

Source: Mapping by the consultants

Trails on Galicica The mountain Galicica is situated between the Ohrid and Prespa Lake. The national park Galicica that covers an area of 227 km2 is located on this mountain. The NP Galicica has over 1,000 species of flora, whereby most of them are endemic species, while 11 of them are local endemic species which can be found only on Galicica. The highest peak is Magaro with 2,254 m, followed by Lako Signoj (1,984m), the peak Goga (1,735m), the peak Tri Mazi (1,611m) and Elen Vrv (1,166m). All the peaks technically belong to the municipality of Ohrid, but one can get access from the side of Prespa. Some of the hiking and biking trails presented in the following Table also stretch on the territory of the municipality of Ohrid, but they can be also interesting, not only for their beauty, but also as connecting trails between the Prespa and Ohrid areas. Table 18: Identification and description of most significant hiking trails on Galicica No. 1

2 3 4

Trail (tour) Dolno Dupeni, Krani, Pretor, Podmocani, Kozjak, Carev Dvor, Drmeni, Ezerani, Lake View hotel Biking: Ohrid, Е-65, Resen, Carev Dvor,lake View, v. Stenje, peak Lako Signoj, Trpejca, Gradiste, Ohrid Resen, v.Bolno, Gorno Leniste, v.Petrino, Resen Biking: Resen, Drmeni, Lake View, Stenje, peak Lako Signoj, by the ridge of Galicica, Elen Vrv, Resen

Start

End

Altitude

Length

Difficulty

Time (hour)

Beach, Dolno Dupeni

h.Lake View

100

medium

Ohrid

956

106

difficult

Resen

470

medium

Resen

740

difficult

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

No.

Trail (tour)

Start

End

Altitude

Length

Difficulty

Time (hour)

Otesevo – peak Goga - Otesevo

Otesevo

700

6 7 8 9

Konjsko Stenje Ohrid Trpejca

Elen vrv Konjsko Trpejca St.Naum

750 80 460 230

40 10 25 13

Trpejca

Ljubanista

1,500

medium

11 12 13 14

Konjsko - Stenje - Elen vrv Stenje – Konjsko Ohrid – Trpejca Trpejca - St.Naum Trpejca - peak Magaro – Ljubanista Ohrid - Elen Vrv – Ohrid Ramne - Peak Tri Mazi- Velestovo Ohrid - Galicica - Ramne - Ohrid Velestovo - Elen vrv

Mediumdifficult medium Easy difficult Easy

Ohrid Ramne Ohrid Velestovo

500 450 750 500

20 17 21 6

Easy medium medium Easy

6 5 6 2

Pestani – peak Lako Signoj

Pestani

1,200

medium

Pestani - peak Magaro

Pestani

900

medium

Road above Trpejca – peak Magaro - F10 - above Trpejca

Ohrid Velestovo Ohrid Elen vrv Vrv Lako Signoj peak Magaro

Trpejca

670

medium

Trpejca

7 7 4 6 4

Source: Mapping by the consultants

One of the more interesting biking trails is the route from the beach in Dolno Dupeni, near the Greek border, to the hotel Lake View (ordinal number 1 in the previous Table), which is located on the opposite side of Prespa Lake. This route goes along the lake shore, and it can also serve as a connection route to the v.Brajcino. It is around 40km long with only 100 m altitutde gain and takes about 4 hours of biking and therefore it is mediumdifficult trail. Figure 35: Biking trail Dolno Dupeni – h.Lake View

Source: Mapping by the consultants

One has to mention the round biking trail from Resen through the ridge of Galicica and the peaks Elen Vrv and Tri Mazi up to Resen (ordinal number 4 in the previous Table) which is around 65km long, with 740m altitude gain and requires 7 hours biking.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 36: Biking trail: Resen, through the ridge of Galicica, Elen vrv, up to Resen

Source: Mapping by the consultants

The trails that pass by the ridge of Galicica are especially interesting because of the unique view over the two natural lakes, Ohrid and Prespa lake. Figure 37: View over Ohrid and Prespa Lake from Galicica

Source: Internet research by the consultants

The trail Konjsko - Elen vrv (ordinal number 7 in the Table) is around 40km long with 750m altitude gain and takes around 7 hours of biking. It has the character of medium difficult trail and requires good physical strength.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 38: Trail Konjsko - Elen Vrv

Source: Internet research by the consultants

On the Ohrid side of Galicica, many interesting trails can be utilized, such as climbing the peaks Magaro and Lako Signoj, shown on the next Figure. Figure 39: Trails up to the peaks Magaro and Lako Signoj

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Trails in Krusevo Krusevo is considered a typical mountainous town, with average altitude of 1,350m, and therefore it is the highest town on the Balkan Peninsula. Except for its beauty, Krusevo is abundant with rich culture and history which can be translated in magical stories for tourists, accompanied with the specific contacts with the local population and the new extraordinary experiences for this region. Unlike Pelister and Galicica which have relatively difficult hiking trails, Krusevo offers easier trails, trekking on mountain trails of smaller length and altitude gain. The most interesting ones are presented in the Table below.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Table 19: Identification and description of most significant hiking trails in the surrounding of Krusevo No.

Trail (tour)

Start

End

Altitude

Length

Difficulty

Hotel Montana Hotel Montana

The Cross

Time (hour)

400

Easy

St.Spas

320

Easy

246

Easy

193

Easy

189

medium

188

20 16

medium medium

5 4

726

difficult

Krusevo - The Cross

Krusevo - St. Spas

Krusevo - Meckin Kamen

Krusevo

Krusevo - Cable Car

Krusevo

Krusevo - Kojov Trn

Krusevo

6 7

Krusevo - Birino (Конаци) Krusevo - St.Preobrazenie Krusevo cultural tour (the Cross, St.Preobrazenie, v.Divjaci, St.Gorgji)

Krusevo Krusevo

Meckin Kamen Cable Car Kojov Trn Birino Krusevo

Krusevo

Source: Mapping by the consultants

The route to Meckin Kamen (ordinal number 3 in the previous Table) is the most known route which is around 8km long at around 250m altitude gain and requires 2 hours of hiking.

Figure 40: Monument Meckin Kamen, Krusevo

Meckin Kamen is a monument in the vicinity of Krusevo which represents a rebel with a raised stone rock high above his head and depicts the last desperate moment in the fight of the rebels from the brigade of the legendary vojvoda Pity Guli, who sacrificed their lives defending the Krusevo Republic. The legendary “Meckin Kamen” is an epopee in itself. Figure 41: Trail Krusevo - Meckin Kamen - Krusevo

Source: Mapping by the consultants

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

In the opposite direction of Krusevo, there are routes that lead: •

To the Cross (ordinal number 1 in the previous Table, marked in blue on the next Figure);

•

To the church St.Spas (ordinal number 2 in the previous Table, marked in red on the next Figure); and

•

To the Cable Car (ordinal number 4 in the previous Table, marked in green on the next Figure). Figure 42: Three trails in the Krusevo area

Source: Mapping by the consultants

Besides the enjoying of natural beauties of the region, these trails offer beautiful panoramic views of Krusevo. Figure 43: Panoramic view of Krusevo

Source: Internet research by the consultants

In addition to the well-known trails presented so far, there is a possibility for more difficult trails in Krusevo, such as: •

The trekking route to Konjov Trn (ordinal number 5 in the previous Table,marked in green color on the next Figure), which is 28km long at around 200m altitude gain and takes about 6 hours of walking;

•

Biking trail to the monastery hospice in Birino (ordinal number 6 in the previous Table, marked in blue color on the next Figure), which is 20km long at 200m altitude gain; as well as

•

Cultural tour in the vicinity of Krusevo, which includes the visit to the monasteries St.Preobrazenie and St.Gorgji (ordinal number 8 in the previous Table, marked in orange color on the next Figure). It is 45km long with about 700m altitude gain and it takes about 10 hours to reach the place. Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 44: Konjov Trn, monastery hospice in Bitino and cultural tour

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Trails in Prilep Mountain Babuna is situated in the immediate proximity of Prilep, with the highest peak Kozjak (1,746m), and then extends to the mountain Zlato with the highest peak Zlatovrv (1,422m). This area is rich with sporting activities and biking and mountain trail running competitions. The monastery Treskavec is most prominent among the cultural landmarks. The Table below shows the most frequently utilized trails in this region. Most of them belong in the group of medium and difficult trails, which may be divided to multi-day tours in order to be adjusted to the needs of the less prepared tourists. Table 20: Identification and description of the most significant hiking trails in the surrounding area of Prilep No.

Trail (tour)

Start

End

Altitude

Length

Difficulty

KMU trail

Krali Marko race

Prilep Prilep

1,009

Prilep Prilep

970

3 4 5

Prilep lake – race Prilep – Treskavec КМТ 90

Prilep Prilep Prilep

567 564 1,027

31 16 90

Pletvar - Kozjak – Prilep

Pletvar

Prilep

1,027

Krstec – Dreven

Krstec

Dreven

425

Difficult Mediumdifficult Medium Medium Difficult Mediumdifficult Easy

Prilep transverzala (short version)

564

Medium

Village Prilepec

Treskavec Monastery

Time (hour) 11 12 7 4 20 6 2 8

Source: Mapping by the consultants

Most known and utilized is the trail from Prilep to the monastery Treskavec (ordinary number 4 in the previous Table) which is around 16km long in the two directions at 570m altitude gain, and takes around 4 hours of walking.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 45: Overview of the trail Prilep - Treskavec - Prilep

Source: Mapping by the consultants

Treskavec is located at 1,280 meters above sea level among the rocks under the peak Zlatovrv (1,422м). The church „Uspenie na Presveta Bogorodica” (Ascension of Virgin Mary) is part of the monastery complex. The monastery has its own hospice that has been burnt down and is currently in the process of refurbishing, as well as a refectory. Rising high above the mountain rocks, it provides a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains Baba, Babuna and Kajmakcalan, Pelagonija plain as well as the towns of Prilep, Bitola and Krusevo. It is said that the monastery Treskavec is the least accessible and most hidden sanctuary because one can reach the monastery only by taking the narrow, curved path that goes by incredible rocks and different boulds. In recent years, a paved road has been build offering access to the monastery by car. The monastery Treskavec is one of the most beautiful monasteries in Macedonia and significant monastic and spiritual centre of the Archbishopric of Ohrid. Figure 46: View of Treskavec, Prilep

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Among the other trails, one can single out the 90 km trail which is foreseen for ultra marathon race and can be also adjusted to a multi-day hiking tour (ordinal number 5 in the previous Table). This trail is still not marked. It includes numerous historic and cultural landmarks and is conceptualized in the following context. The first part of the trail goes through the town –several signposts may be installed for the trail – towards the village Selce which is 3km away from the centre of Prilep. Then the trail continues on the wide off-road towards the village Volkovo and then to the village of Prilepec. The monastery St.Nikola - big and beautiful monastery is very close above the village. Then a narrow path takes you to the village Stavica – where scenes of the Milco Mancevski film “Dust” were filmed and the specially constructed church for the needs of the film is still there. Figure 47: Potential for development of multi-day tour in Prilep area, 90km

Source: Association Trex, Link The trail leads through the villages Marul and Podmol. Above the village Podmol, the trail goes through the archeological site from the 4th century BC, Staro Bonce- an impressive antique necropolis. Then the trail leads to the village Bonce. From there it rises to the curve Sliva and continues up to the peak Dve Steni. A narrow path that comes out of the major path, which needs to be cleared up from branches and thorn bushes, leads back to the monastery St. Nikola and from another path it descends to the village Selce.The way takes you to the monastery St. Gjorgji which is above the village. The trail continues by the downhills of mountain Selechka – with little curved contour line to the village Lenishta and in the immediate proximity of the village is the monastery St.Petka.Then, the trail goes to the village Pletvar (the paved regional road is crossed). The climbing to the peak Kozjak (1,747 m) – highest peak in the surrounding – on the mountain Babuna, starts from the village Pletvar. The trail continues on the ridge of Babuna few more kilometers further and then descends at the village Krstec. At this section - around Kozjak and Krstec there are several interesting caves that need to be marked and visited. From Krstec, the trail descends on a wide road to the village Oreovec. Then one has to cross a small stream and start climbing the steep and rocky hill Kjave. Then the trail descends to the Prilep ezero, and from the fountain to the lake one can get to a several kilometers beautiful path through pine forest – on the hill Kukul. The famous hiking locality – Kamena Baba is in the vicinity. The trail leads to the village Dabnica, and from there one can start climbing towards the monastery Treskavec. One can also climb the attractive peak Zlatovrv. Descending starts fromTreskavec – by very well marked trail to Varos - Prilep. The trail can be crossed all at once, as a race – for the ones who are most hardy and fastest, or it can be done in 3-4 phases, as it is done in Italy and France on similar trails, e.g.. Alta Via which runs through the Dolomites.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

CROSS COUNTRY CYCLING Cross country cycling as attractive-motivation factor for adventure tourism in the Pelagonija region may be utilized for development of attractive tours that will attract the lovers of this sport. The region may offer excellent combination of biking tours, both on flat trails as well as in mountainous and hilly areas. In addition, there are numerous historic, cultural and religious events, stories and buildings which can make biking even more interesting.

Figure 48: Cross country bikers in action

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Several geographic images with possible routes for mountain and cross country cycling are presented below. Figure 49: Possible routes for cross country cycling in Bitola-Prespa region

Source: Mapping by the consultants

CAVING Caves in Macedonia are one of the many hidden natural treasures with great tourism potential. There are 346 caves in Macedonia, out of which hundreds are caverns or so-called propasti (abyss). Others are horizontal objects. Solunska Glava is considered the deepest object with depth of 450 meters. This object is also the biggest on the Balkan. It features extraordinary ornaments of green ice and stalagmites high up to 2 m. The cave Zmejovec is also special, which according to the legend by Marko Cepenkov, people from all sides used to come to visit this cave because of the healing water inside the cave. The renown American newspaper „New York Times“ writes that the cave Peshna near Makedonski Brod is identical to the imagined magical caves that were made for the filming of the most popular film of magic and sorcery – Lord of the Rings. However, the most famous and deepest cave in Macedonia is Vrelo.

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Caves in the surrounding of Prilep The locality Markovi Kuli is situated in the central part of Republic of Macedonia, in immediate proximity of the town Prilep. The rocky mass are composed of numerous, diverse small denudation forms representing exceptionally fine sculpture of the relief. This phenomenal wealth of shapes is due, mainly, to the geological composition of the terrain composed of metamorphic rocks (gneiss) broken through by younger granitesÂŹgranodiorites (ademelites), climate, relief and plant cover. According to the results from modern geochronological research, granites intruded about 300 million of years ago into the older gneisses, the age of which was estimated at about 720 million of years. The whole area above Markovi Kuli consists of numerous impressive piles which are linked in two parallel lines and stretch to the north-northwest, south-southeast, and their altitude gradually increases from south to the north. The two lines of piles in the northern part are connected with the highest peaks: Zlatovrv (1422 m) and Lipa (1392 m). The entire massif of gneiss and granodiorite is characterized by most diverse forms of peaks and bare rocks, columns and spurs, mashrooms, balls, cavern and passage recesses and many other forms. Natural structures of granodiorite rocks date back in the period of the hot granite magma solidification and cooling, which resulted in spherical and parallelopiped rocky blocks.

Cave Ramniste The cave Ramniste lies between the villages of Krstec and Oreovec at altitude of 1100m. It is formed in Pliocene lake carbonate conglomerate and breccias. There are two holes, total depth of 22m and total channelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; length of 115m which makes it the longest of the caves in the surrounding area of Prilep. It consists of three halls with numerous cave ornaments mostly white and black. The Brideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hall is especially impressive with the white ornaments. A characteristic sign is the stalagmite "Cake" placed at the end of the cave.

Figure 50: Cave Ramniste

, Source: Speleological association "Zlatovrv"

Pesterica Pesterica is situated by the Prilep lake. It is made of Pliocene clay and limestone. There are who holes and total length of 35 meters. No cave ornaments. The PSK Zlatovrv Prilep explored it on 30.09.2007.

Duova cave It is located to the south-east of the mountain Kozjak (1745), on the right side of the dry ravine immediately below the peak Kozjak at altitude of 1670m. It is formed in calcite marble. It is characteristic for the total length of 81m, and among the few ornaments one can single out the basins in the form of balls. The PSK Zlatovrv Prilep expolored it on 09.04.2006.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 51: Duova cave

Source: Speleological association "Zlatovrv"

Kamenolom The cave Kamenolom is situated in the proximity of the quarry of the construction company “Mavrovo” near village Trojaci. The entry way was artificially carved during the extension of the road Pletvar - Gradsko. The cave channels have been almost completely discovered, however, the exploration was not completed due to technical problems. It is characteristic that almost the whole cave is full of cave corals.The total length is around 70m, and the depth is around 30 m. It was explored by the PSK Zlatovrv Prilep on 15.10.2007. Figure 52: Cave Kamenolom

Source: Speleological association "Zlatovrv"

Lekovita pestera (cave) It is situated on the eastern side of mountain Suva – branch location of the mountain Dren. The entrance is at the deepest part of an asymmetric sinkhole on the ridge of the hill, hidden by the oak tree vegetation at altitude of 1150m. The total length of the channels is 79m, and depth of -41m, which makes it the deepest of all the caves in the surrounding area of Prilep. Lekovita (healing) or Drenska cave, as its other name, is rich with ornaments of different types and colors. The characteristic of this cave is the stalagmite Spinx, which is found in the middle of the cave. The PSK Zlatovrv Prilep explored it on 05.08.2007.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Pesti It is located on the southern side of the mountain Dren in the proximity of the village Gugjakovo. The total length of the channels is around 200m, and depth of more than 30m. The cave is specific for its high ceiling and abundance of ornaments, especially in the second upper part. It was explored by PSK Zlatovrv Prilep and ID Ursus Speleos Skopje on 24 and 25.05.2007. Figure 53: Pesti cave

Source: Speleological association "Zlatovrv"

Gulabinka The Gulabinka is located in the central part of the Mariovo area, 3 km south-west from the village Vitolishte. The cave is situated at around 1km before the point where the river Polcishka flows into the river Buturica that flows from the western downhills of the mountain Kozjak (1,822m). The cave Gulabninka is on the left side of the valley of Buturica, 250 m above the riverbed, i.e. at 825m altitude. From geological aspect, the area where the cave Gulabinka is located, belongs to the southern part of Pelagonija as one larger geological-geotectonic unit.

Caves on Galicica The caves on Galicica, which are more than dozen, have been explored in the middle of the fifties. The caves "Volja", "Samoska Dupka" and "Naumova pestera" dominate. The sections "Magaro", "Lako Signoj" and "Golem Vrv", the two crater lakes under the peak "Magaro", endemic flora, etc. enrich the mosaic of natural beauties in the national park Galicica.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Samoska Dupka It is located on the right side of the dry ravine Studino on the mountain Galicica at altitude of 1.430m. It consists of one dominant meandered channel which is 279 m long.

Figure 54: Samoska dupka cave

The total length of the cave is 301 m. Cave ornaments can be noticed in some part of the main cave channel, such as salives and stalactites. The cave is in fact fossil river cave, from which an underground watercourse leaked out. The whole bottom is covered with accumulated sediments, while in certain parts there are very interesting cave ornaments. Source: Internet research by the consultants

Leskovechka cave It is situated on the eastern downhills of the mountain Galicica in the proximity of the village Leskovec (Prespa area). The cave entrance is at 1.090 m altitude. The cave, which is 47 m long in total, has also three major extensions (cave halls). In certain parts of the cave there are cave ornaments such as salives and stalactites. Inside the cave there is a colony of flittermouses.

Zmeova cave, Demir Hisar This cave is situated on the right side of the river Crna, on the downhills of the Pavlev hill at 780 m altitude. There is an oak forest around the cave, and easy access to the entrance.

Figure 55: Zmeova cave

A complex road leads to the cave from Babino through Tri Dabje and takes 20 minutes walk to reach the cave. On the bottom, there is a 11-20 meters hall in irregular shape. In the western part of the hall, there are two big stalagmites with 60cm diameter that look like human figures. People believe that they are the petrified Dragon and the girl.

Source: Speleologial association "Zlatovrv"

VISITING ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES According to the most recent data, Macedonia has 7,081 immovable monuments, among which 4,293 are archeological sites, 992 churches and monasteries with over 150,000 square meters of fresco (mural) painting, over 22,855 icons and 240 iconostasis, canopies and bishop thrones made of woodcarving, rural (220) and urban (379) architectural buildings, 47 towers, walls and bridges, 12 urban and rural ensembles, 188 economic buildings, 1.000 monuments and memorials, 228 buildings of the Ottoman architecture (mosques, inns, hamams, old bazaars etc). Museum and gallery collections include over 500,000 exhibits (archeological and ethnological items, items of historical importance, as well as applied art items). In 1980, the region of Ohrid

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

along with the lake and cultural heritage of the town and the immediate surrounding were included in the List of monuments protected by UNESCO. On the territory of Prespa region, there are 130 registered archeological sites from different periods of the development of the material culture, 1000 archeological exhibits, 500 coins and 450 exhibits of the ethnological heritage. Prespa used to be one of the capitals of the powerful Samoil kingdom, founded in the X century. Many rich Old Roman and Early Christian testimonies have been preserved, which is witnessed by the archeological site on the island Golem Grad. Given the old architecture, one can single out the villages Brajcino, Ljubojno, Dolno Dupeni, Konjsko, which are separate architectural wholes, with stone houses, furnaces and wicker fence. From the city architecture with its architectural aesthetic values, most prominent is the building, the so-called “Saraj“ – cultural monument in Republic of Macedoni, built in the ХХ century during the Young Turk Revolution, in neoclassical style following the example of the French architecture, where the Cultural home “Dragi Tozija“ is located.

Heraclea Lyncestis, Bitola Heraclea Lyncestis is an ancient town on the southern outskirts of Bitola, in the downhills of the Baba mountain. The town was named in honor of the mythological hero, Heracles, who was the progenitor of the Macedonian dynasty Argeadis, while the epithet Lincestis with the meaning “The land of the Lynx”, comes from the name of the region Lynchestia where the town was located. The town was founded in the pre-Roman period (in the period of IV century B.C.), by the Macedonian king Philip II Macedonian. Nowadays, in Heraclea one can find numerous remains of sacred buildings decorated with floor mosaics made of opus sectile and opus tessalatum, which date back to the 5th and 6th century.

Figure 56: Хераклеа Линкестис

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Figure 57: View of the remaining of Heraclea Lyncestis

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

It is a matter of the Small basilica (А), Civil basilica (B), Great basilica (C) and Grave (funeral) basilica (D) – situated at around 250 meters from the central area of Heraclea, besides which there are many discovered Early Christian and medieval tombs, then portico of a courtroom from Roman times (2 century B.C.), thermae (baths) from Roman time (2 century B.C.), theatre from Roman times (2 century B.C.), episcopal seat from the Early Christian time (4 to 6 century), town fountain from the time of Justinian (562). Nowadays, various cultural manifestations are held at this place. It is open for visitors every day from 08:00 – 19:00 hours, with previous announcement.

Bonce, Prilep Spanica, lonely findings from the Hellenic and late antique times. Coins of Alexander the Great and Jovan II Komnen were found in the vicinity of the village. These coins are kept at the Institute and museum in Prilep.

Figure 58: Artifact from Staro Bonce – early antique Roman lamp (lucerna)

Staro Bonce, necropolis from Hellenic and Roman times. Crkviste, settlement from Hellenic and Roman times. Marble sacrificial altar with Greek inscription, rounded bricks also with Greek inscriptions, antique coins and small bronze statues were found in the immediate proximity of the village. On the surface there are remains from buildings and a lot of construction materials. The found items are kept in the Institute and museum in Prilep.

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Krusevica Prilep Babo – Cobblestone, settlement and necropolis from Roman times. At 1km south of the village, on a small hill with smooth plateau one can see big craggy blocks of stone, construction ceramics and fragments of ceramic pots, mostly in beautiful red color. Near the terrain, there are grooves deep in the rocks, that most probably used to be graves. Gradishte, refigium from late antique. In the immediate proximity of the village, on the south-western side, on a small hill one can see ruined walls and fragments of tiles, as well as ceramic pots. Buklo Gramagje, settlement from Roman times. 2km south of the village on a small hill there are big craggy blocks of stone, scattered construction materials and fragments of ceramic pots. Next to the village, necropolis from Roman times. In the immediate proximity of the village, in the fields between the locality Stragata and the road to the village Chanista there are remains of a necropolis. Before the World War II, steles, bronze statue of the god Mercury, lamps and other items were found in the fields. The items are kept in the Museum of Macedonia in Skopje and the Institute and museum in Prilep. Kave, settlement and necropolis from Hellenic and Roman times. 2,5 km west from the village, in the areas around the spot at height of 1.472 one can see remaining of ruined walls, blocks of stone and one covered up well. At the same space there is a big concentration of tombs – grooves incurved in the rocks. Monastery St.Nedela (Holy Sunday), sacred building from the old Christian times. On the east side of the village, near the road towards the village Canista, there is a new church, which according to the sayings of the inhabitants, was built on the grounds of the old church. In the alter, near the honorable dining table there is profiled marble base. Padarnica, tumulus from Iron Age. At 2,5 km distance south of the village, besides the road to the village Chanista there is a small tumuls with irregular base of 8 x 5 m and retained height of 1-1,5 m, fenced with blocks of stones on the edge of the base and on the top.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Stragata, tumulus from Iron Age. Immediately next to the village, on the eastern side there is 2-3 m high tumulus with diameter of 15 m in the base, which has been destroyed in the middle part because of illegal digging. Church St.Archangel, lonely remaining from Roman times. Part of the marble chair with oval shape is found in the church, and partially destroyed stela in the church yard with relief illustration of a woman and child. Crkviste, sacred building from old Christian times. At 3 km north-west of the village, on the left side of the road towards the village Chanista there is a small hill with flat plateau sized 10 x 10 м, where one can see parts of walls of a building made of crushed stone and limestone plaster, while best preserved are the parts in the northwestern corner. Around the building, there are many scattered stone plates, and sacrificial altar made of local stone was found in the immediate vicinity.

Markovi kuli (Marco’s towers), Prilep Markovi Kuli or Marko's Towers is situated to the northwest of Prilep, above the village of Varos. The towers are located on a 120-180 m high hill, surrounded by steep slopes covered with minute granite stones. Oldest remnants – during the longyears excavations (since 1959 almost continuously until nowadays), were discovered which indicate the existence of prehistoric settlement; Keramija which was developed here in the early antique and restored in the late antique. Medieval remnants – the rampart of this terrain dates back to the 13 and mainly the 14 century. Markovi Kuli, situated in the granite-mountainous complex, is a locality with cultural layers from the late Neolithic era until the XIV century. In its natural wholeness comprised of four peaks (Cardak, Krupnik, Tapance and Grebnik), with several terraces, slopes and saddles, one can find remnants of walls and towers of an exceptionally big fortress complex. According to some research, Markovi Kuli, based on the area they cover, can be placed on the list of the five biggest fortresses on the Balkan peninsula.

Figure 59: Маркови Кули

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Locality “Kale”, Prilep The locality “Kale” (some researchers wrongly named it “Gradiste”) is situated 1,5km south-east of Debreste, on the north-western edge of Pelagonija plain. It is a 2—3 m high hillock in the middle of a marshy plain. Oldest remnants. Small remnants from prehistoric times, from Hellenic and Roman times were discovered during longyear excavations. Middle Age remnants. The order of residential layers in the excavated space indicates that the citadel was demolished in the late 6th century (Avaro-Slavs invasions); however, later it was restored and used.

Locality “Kale, Leska”, Prilep The locality “Kale,Leska” is situated 4 km north-east of Desovo and 2,5km north-east of Brailovo. It is rocky hill on the mountain Leska, 270 m high above the northern edge of the Field. There are many steep slopes and it is accessible only from a narrow saddle on the north-west side. Oldest remnants. In the late antique, a rampart made of plaster was constructed around the peak, and the remnants up to 3 m heights are preserved nowadays. The wall relied on the rocky sections and closed a space with dimensions of 180 х 90 m (1,5 ha). The two towers of the southern wall are retained, while on the northwestern corner there are remaining of an older wall as evidence for the restoration of the fortress (from late 4 and 6 century). Excavated items: ceramics, small bronze and iron items, part of arrows, coins from the late 4 and 6 century. Middle Age remnants. In the western part of the fortress one can see an “internal” fortification that was built later. It has an unusual form of a rounded wreath, with dimensions of 60 х 50 м. and made of handy material without plaster. On the east side, it was laid on some late antique buildings with different orientation and Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

partially covered them. Pieces of Slav earthenware lids, pieces of arrows — from Nomad-steppe types with 3 ribs and for penetrating a breastplates; one buckle with Middle age form etc, were also found from the Middle Ages.

Locality “Kale, St.Spas”, Prilep The locality “Kale, St.Spas” is situated 1,2km northwest of Zrze. It is a small terrace of mountain slopes at 220— 250 m height above the field (1020 meters above the sea level.). Oldest remnants. In the late antique, a rampart was constructed of stone with plaster around the terrace. The square space sized 150 х 120 m (1,5 ha) was used by the local stockbreeders as shelter and later as a permanent dwelling — fortified village. An early Christian church was constructed on the eastern part, and the asunder marble ornaments can be found scattered around even nowadays (6 century). Most of the coins discovered there date back to the late 4/6 century. Middle Age remnants. In the late Middle Ages, the terrace was again settled by people. A new church (St.Preobrazenie or St.Spas was built on the ruins of the old basilica in the middle of the 14 century. Other supporting monastery buildings were constructed around the church: quarters, granary and other economic buildings. The old rampart was restored.

Stibera, Prilep Stibera, or Macedonian Pompei as archeologist love to name it, is one of the biggest antique towns in Macedonia and one of the most attractive antique town settlements.

Figure 60: Stibera

It is located in the proximity of the Prilep village of Cepigovo, and the remnants lie on the southern downhills of the hill Bedem where in its base the small river Blato flows in river Crna (Erigon). Different marble ornaments, statues and busts, among which the bust of the goddess is Tithe on a pedestal with inscription were found in this area.

Source: Internet research by the consultants

The temple consisted of naos and entrance. The walls were made of crushed stone and solid plaster, and grounds were strong and massive. The manner in which the naos was constructed is typically Roman. Among the discovered architectural buildings, one can single out the antique gymnasium. It consists of two separate buildings: Heroon (heroum) and Peristil with entrance and exedra.

Locality “Kale”, Demir Hisar The locality “Kale” is the name of the peak of a volcano, 1,5 km south of Bucin and 240 m high above the surrounding area (845 meters above the sea level). Oldest remnants. In the late antique, a rampart of plaster was built on the top, strengthened with 3 towers on the corners and closed a space with dimensions 200 х 125 m (1,8 ha). The traces form the houses can be seen in the eastern part. Excavated items: late antique ceramics, coins from late 4/6 century. Middle Age remnants. There are no traces of the restored rampart. Some rare pieces of medieval earthenware, iron parts of arrows and small tools; as well as one coin (folis) of John Tzimiskes (late 10 century), however changed and used as pendant-ornament, were found at this place.

“Gradiste”, Demir Hisar “Gradiste” is the name of the long and narrow hill rising above the southern part of Zeleznec, above the river mouth of Kusnica in the river Crna. It is 130 m high (847 meters above the sea level), with steep sides and flat peak. On the mountain downhills south of Gradiste there are numerous iron mines from the antique and Middle Ages. Therefore, the Middle Ages name and the new name: Zeleznec, Byzantine — Siderokastron, Turkish — Demir Hisar. Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Oldest remnants. In the Hellenic time, a fortified settlement was constructed on the top of Gradiste, with dates back to Macedonian coins from the 4.—1. century. In the late antique, a rampart was constructed with plaster, and stretched on an area of 4 ha. Excavated items: late antique ceramics, coins from the late 4/6 century, small pieces of items of wrought iron, tools, iron slag. Middle Age remnants. In the late Middle Age the life in the fortress was restored.The lower part of the town was not fortified. The western wall was completely restored and a small acropolis was constructed with strong plaster technique in the north-western corner. Nowadays, on this terrain, the restored parts are visible (unlike the parts from the late antique): one front tower, one circular and one semi-circular tower, and the central tower (13/14 century.).

Town Zeleznec (Siderokastron), Demir Hisar The town Zeleznec (Siderokastron) covered an area of 2,8 ha and was the regional economic and administrative seat in the 13 and 14 century. It was noted in connection with the battles that were held round this region between Byzantine Empire and Serbia (Siderokastron); and then during the rule of Stefan Decanski or Dusan it was known as the “town Zelezn’c".

Fortress “Pesta”, v. Gradeshnica, Novaci It is situated at 1100 m altitude on a hill in the immediate proximity of the village Gradeshnica, where one can find remaining from Roman times. The fortress is known for the first uprising on the Balkan against the Turks.

Ossuary of the First World War - Doctor "Rice" Kajmakcalan Like many other Macedonian villages, Skocivir has also been affected by the storm of the First and Second World War. During the First World War, especially in 1916 many bloody battles were fought in the region. In the attack on the Macedonian front of mountain peak Kajmakcalan in 1916 many soulders were killed on both sides of the front. According to several authors, each square meter there was one dead soldier no matter which side he belonged to. In gratitude for their courage and in memory of the fallen soldiers, the Church St. Peter was built on the Kajmakcalan summit. Within the composition of the church complex, a Memorial ossuary and the church bell tower can be found. During World War II in the period from 1941 to 1945 many battles for the liberation of Macedonia were fought in these areas. In gratitude for the courage of the soldiers that gave their lives, near the Military Hospital, the citizens of Bitola placed a plaque with the names of the fallen soldiers in the region.

Radoborska Tumba, Mogila Pelagonija has many archeological settlements in the villages of Karamani (Tumba), Kravari (Tumba), Bareshani (Tumba), Kanino (Tumba), Kremenica (Visok Rid - Bukri), among which the most famous is the archeological excavation site of Radoborska Tumba (between the villages of Radobor and Mogila), where excavations revealed a potter's workshop with unexpected size for that time that gives evidence of an advanced culture with welldeveloped craftsmanship and trade. Up till now, a larger part of an architectural wooden construction, earth and rocks were excavated. In some parts it is up to two stories high (a ground floor and 2 stories) with a roof of stone tiles for protection from fires and snow, and floors covered with boards. On the ground floor the clay was prepared, on the first floor the pots were made and at the attic the second floor the pottery products were dried. The yard was covered (roofed) and it served for working in winter conditions. The furnace for ceramics was huge, round in diameter of 6m, made of earth and covered with stone tiles above the earthen sector [calotte). According to the concentration of the excavated ceramics and the size of the object, it is presumed that twenty workers were working there.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 61: Reconstruction (model) of the potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workshop from Radoborska Tumba, 15th Century B.C.

Source: NI Institute and Museum Bitola

Trap village, Mogila 1. Trap, necropolis from the iron age. 2. Tumba, a Neolithic settlement. 3. Tumba â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Crkvishte, a settlement from the Neolithic and the late antique period. 4. The Church St. Petka, isolated findings from the early Christian period. Inside the church built in 1835 there are marble spalls.

Mogila 1. Rekovchanska tumba. 2. Ronjevska tumba 3. Tumba - village church. 4. Tumba in the field, a Neolithic settlement. 5. Tumba Trnsko-Mogilska. 6. Tumba 1 - middle of the village, a Neolithic settlement. 7. Tumba 2 - school Tumba, Neolithic settlement.

Alinci, Mogila 1. Tepidzhik-Bank settlement from the Neolithic Age. At approximately 400m west of the village (elevation 604) on the surface of the field a Neolithic material is found.

Beranci, Mogila 1. Visoi, tumuli necropolis of the Iron Age. 2. Voden dol, a necropolis from Roman times. 3. Grabechka reka, settlement Macedonian-Hellenic and Roman times. 4. Gradishte, fortified settlement from the late antique period. 5. Zhenski dol, a necropolis from the late antique period. 6. Plochi - Natselo, settlement and necropolis from Roman times. Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

7. Ristov kladenec, a necropolis from the late antique period. 8. Crkvishte, necropolis from the early antique and Macedonian-Hellenic time. 9. Shukalovec, a settlement from the Roman times.

Budakovo, Mogila 1. Arabian cemetary, necropolis from Roman and medieval times. 2. Burnuica, settlement from Roman times. 3. Gorno maalo, settlement from Roman and medieval times. 4. Slatin vir, settlement from Roman times.

Vasharejca, Mogila 1. Tumba, settlement from the late antique period.

Gorno Charlija, Mogila 1. Ogragje, settlement and necropolis from late antique period. 2. Tumba, Neolithic settlemnt.

Dolno Charlija, Mogila 1. In the village, isolated findings from Roman times. 2. Tumba, a settlement from the Bronze Age. 3. Charliski tumbi, a Neolithic settlement.

Dedebalci, Mogila 1. Armatush, a settlement from the late antique period. 2. Gradiste, settlement and necropolis from Roman times. 3. Ludej, settlement and necropolis from the late antique period. 4. Ritche, settlement of the late antique period. 5. Tumba, a Neolithic settlement. 6. Shiroka padina, settlement from the late antique period. 7. Shupuro, a settlement from the late antique period.

Dobrusevo, Mogila 1. Erekovski livadi, settlement from Roman times. 2. Plochi, settlement since Roman times. 3. Selishte, medieval necropolis.

Dolno Srpci, Mogila 1. Beli kamenja, necropolis from Roman times. 2. Selishte, settlement of the Macedonian-Hellenic time.

Crnicani, Mogila 1. Klepac, medieval settlement. 2. Rupka, settlement and necropolis from Roman times. 4. Tvrdi grad, fortified settlement from the late antique period.

Trnovci, Mogila 1. Geramidnica a settlement from the late antique period. Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

2. Dapche, medieval necropolis. 3. Selishte, a settlement from the Roman period. 4. Trnovsko kale, fortified settlement of Macedonian time.

Sv.Todori, Mogila 1. Vasilichini cemetery, medieval necropolis 2. Kale, fortified settlement of Macedonian time. 3. Krchin, sanctuary and necropolis from the late antique period. 4. Kuchkina leska - Kuchkino village, medieval settlement. 5. Crkvishte, a settlement from the Roman times. 6. Cheshmina, a settlement from the late antique period.

Ivanjevci, Mogila 1. Tumba, a Neolithic settlementнаселба од неолитско време.

Mojno, Mogila 1. Bel kamen, settlement from the Iron and late antique period. 2. Elenik-Gradiste-Marin town, fortified settlement of Macedonian and late antique period. 3. Liljak, an established settlement from the Iron Age. 4. Rupa, a settlement from the late antique period. 5. Shipur a settlement from the Roman period basilica and the old Christian period.

Musinci, Mogila 1. Ogragje, settlement from the late antique period. 2. Salija Cheshma -Tumba (Old River), settlement from the late antique period.

Noshpal, Mogila 1. Bela crkva, old Christian basilica and necropolis. 2. Tumba, a settlement from the Neolithic and Roman times. 3. Tumba Gajtanica, a Neolithic settlement and the late antique period. 4. Tumba upper meadows, settlement of the late antique period.

Gradishte, Dolneni There is a historical and archaeological site "Gradishte" from the Greco-Roman period in Debreste.

Krajni Zid of Krajni Rid, Krivogastani Archeological site in the village Krivogastani. Located in the vicinity of the village, in the fields of a local farmer, where they found a bronze statue with a lead pedestal and coins.

Manastirishte, Krivogashtani Archeological site in the village Krivogastani. The site is not dated becase it has not been excavated and is categorized as a locality of unknown type. In the 1951-1957 period, Macedonian anthropologist Jovan F. Trifunoski in his research noted that it is located west of the village where there was an old Christian temple that was torn down by gangs as early as the 18th century.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

VISITING CHURCHES AND MONASTERIES Catholic church “Sveto Srce Isusovo” (Sacred Heart of Jesus), Bitola The French missioners Lazarists, from the congregation of St. Vinko Pavelski, began their duty in the region during the 18th century. In 1909, they constructed today’s Catholic church in the new-gothic French style. The interior of the church consists of three altars, a large number of icons and statues with a various size, baptisteries as well as sitting benches for the believers. The most dominant statue of all is the statue of Holy Heart of Jesus, placed in the centre of the main altar. The church bell tower was built in 1938 - 1940, and it is a gift from the Slovenian believers. The church, nowadays, possesses a large library and archive fund about the mission and the opened schools in Bitola about the spreading of Catholicism.

Crurch St.Dimitrija, Bitola The church was built in 1830, and the church bell toll in 1936. The church is built in the form of a three-nave basilica with side galleries. The iconostasis was made in golden plated carving by the skilled hands of unknown group of craftsmen, but certainly by Macedonian craftsmen. Open for visitors every day from 06:00 to 19:00 hrs. Figure 62: Church St. Dimitrija, Bitola

Source: Internet research by the consultants

St.Bogorodica (Holy Mary), Bitola Constructed in 1870 and consecrated in 1876. This temple is famous for its iconostasis and woodcarving. One can see icons from the 19 and 20 century from different donors, and mostly by the Bitola guilds. Open for visitors every day from 06:00-19:00 hrs.

St. Konstantin and Elena, Bitola Most famous Vlah church in Macedonia that was consecrated in 1905. Visitors from the whole country visit the church, not only Vlahs but all Christian believers.

St. Nedela (Holy Sunday), Bitola It was built in 1863 and it is three nave basilica with an iconostasis made of wood in the middle. Icons date back to the 19 century, and most of them were gifted by the Bitola guilds.The dome of the church was painted in 1864. Open for visitors every day from 06:00-19:00 hrs.

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St.Pantelejmon, Bitola The church St.Pantelejmon is located in Bitola under the student dormitory. 9 August is the Day of St.Kliment and the holy seven students, and in the traditional legends besides the religious features of the day, it is also the first day when vineyard owners pick the grapes and as they say “taste“ the first grapes. On this day, the local population visits the church to light a candle for health of the closest people, to drink and take home some of the holy water from the spring inside the church. On this day, the church “St.Pantelejmon“ organizes a small fair with several counters with toys for children.

Monastery St. Argangel Mihail, Bitola The monastery is located in the village of Bukovo. It is a small monastery built in recent times. Not active, but can be opened for tourists.

Art gallery –Yeni mosque, Bitola The name in Turkish means New Mosque. It is located in the centre of the town. It has a square ground and a dome on the top. Near the mosque, there is a minaret of 40 m height. Nowadays, the mosque premises are used for exhibitions. Recent archeological excavations disclosed that it was built on the ruins of an old church in 1558/59. This mosque is one of the most impressive and most valuable buildings in Bitola. Figure 63: Yeni mosque, Bitola

Figure 64: Yeni mosque, Bitola

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Isak Celebi mosque, Bitola This mosque is the legacy of the well-known cadi Isak Celebi. In the yard there are several tombs which are attractive because of the beautiful forms of the sarcophagus. Isak Celebi Ibn Isa mosque was built in 1506 and it is one of the oldest and most preserved mosques in Bitola. Its minaret is about 50 m high and has dominant position. Visits must be first announced to the mufti of the Muslim Community in Bitola.

Gazi Hajdar Kadi mosque, Bitola Hajdar-Kadi mosque (Turkish court) is one of the most attractive monuments of Islam architecture in Bitola. It was built in the period from 1561 to 1562 as a project of the renowned architect Mimar Sinan. The mosque was ordered by the cadi from Bitola- Ajdar Kadi, and the mosque was named after him. In the course of time, the mosque was damaged and currently it is in process of restoration of its original look.

St. Atanas, Prilep Breathtaking because of the icon painting and frescoes made by the craftsmen.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

St. Nikola, v. Varos Prilep The church St. Nikola was constructed in 1298 in the village Varos and is one of the most beautiful buildings on the territory of Macedonia. The frescoes inside are exceptional, colorful and well preserved. The church is open in the morning hours during the weekends, and can be opened on other days if requested.

Sveto Blagovestenie, Prilep The cathedral “Sveto Blagovestenie” in Prilep was consecrated on 8 September according to the Julian calendar. It was constructed by the masters Kosta Lauc and Riste Taslamice and consecrated by the Pelagonija bishop Gerasim, thanks to the edict received from the sultan by Hadzi Risto Logotet.

St. Arhangel Mihail, v.Varos, Prilep The church St. Arhangel Mihail is part of the monastery complex built in the XII century and restored in the XIX century.

St. Dimitrija, v. Varos,Prilep The church St. Dimitrija is the biggest church in the village Varos, built in the late 13 century. It is the biggest church in the village.

Sveta Bogorodica (Treskavec), Prilep The monastery Treskavec with the monastery church Uspenie Bogorodichno is located 10 km away from Prilep, under the peak Zlatovrv. It is believed that the monastery Treskavec was built in the 13 century, but it seems that the monastery was demolished and relinquished during the beginning of the 15 century, and later it was restored. It was restored several times, especially in the second half of the 19 century by the well-known fresco painter Mihael from Samarina together with his partner Zisi from Krusevo. Important Byzantine frescoes have been preserved in the church, as well as the kitchen and the refectory from the 14 century. The hiking trail starts from Prilep and takes to the monastery through rocky area and short vegetation. The monastery is often visited by tourists and hikers. It is most visited on the 28 August – the Holy Mother of God day. Many people from Varos and Prilep gather in the monastery to celebrate the holy day.

Monastery St. Arhangel Mihail, Prilep The monastery complex with the church St.Arhangel and the old monastery hospice from the 19 century is located above the village Varos, Prilep. The church had undergone several repairs, constructions and reconstructions starting from the 11 century until the last restoration in 1861. The oldest genuine data witness the existence of the church in the 11 century. Those are the discovered frescoes of St. Arhangel Mihail and a figure of an unidentified saint, preserved over the big blocks of rocks. The two rocks were plastered and painted as the church of that time, and later in unknown period they were demolished and exist until nowadays with the mentioned frescoes in the naos of the today’s church under the floor. Nowadays, the church has the form of a one nave building with emphasized eastern and western part. The southern façade of the western part of the church is preserved in its original appearance, while the eastern part of the façade underwent some restorations. The original western façade is preserved in the lower parts, while the upper parts have been reconstructed.

Carsi mosque, Prilep Carsi mosque is a cultural monument protected by the state. It was built in the second half of the 15 century (1475) and it is the only mosque in Europe with two balconies on the minaret. Its reconstruction is still awaited.

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St. Nikola, Krusevo The church ‘St.Nikola’’ was built in 1832, however, during the Ilinden uprising in 1903 it was set on fire and burnt down. One of the biggest and most beautiful iconostasis made by the woodcarver Petre Filipovski Garkata was also burnt down. The church was reconstructed in the period 1905 – 1907, but it was a small church with central position in the centre of the town. It has a central position and it is situated in the bazaar, so it domineers with its size and monumentality in the space. The church is a three nave basilica, and the middle nave is raised. The church bell toll is constructed on the southern side of the church, where the city clock is also placed.

Figure 65: St. Nikola, Krusevo

Source: Internet research by the consultants

The oldest icons exhibited in the church, date back to 1884. The sacred buildings host some very carefully kept and rarely seen masterpieces, which witness certain historical and artistic period of the Orthodox culture.

St. Jovan, Krusevo Citizens of Krusevo know the church St. Jovan as the “Vlah “ church. It was constructed in 1904, and it is the most preserved sacred building in the centre of the town. There are no frescoes inside the church. The beautiful wooden iconostasis made of narrow carving by the brothers Nestorovi had dominant place inside the church. They worked steadily with great love and skillfulness for more than 4 years. There, one can also see the books with drawings- the outline of the details for the iconostasis as well as the tools that were used to make the iconostasis, and the icons made by the masters from Krusevo –icon painters from the 19 century. At the entrance of the church St. Jovan one can also see frescoes that were brought from the church St. Atanasie in village Lokveni, and date back to 1627. They are illustrations of St. Arhierei, Holy Mother of Jesus, etc.

St.Bogorodica, Krusevo The church St.Bogorodica, 1867, is a big one nave town church, made of treated stone. The roof is on two waters, and a high octagonal tambour rises in the middle. The interior of the church is divided in three aisles with columns, three columns on both the northern and southern side. The monumental iconostasis has dominant position inside the church. It was made in the 19 century and icons from the same period can be seen on it. Stunning frescoes can be seen in the interior of the church, i.e. in the calotte and in the tambour in the middle of the church, as well as in the calotte on the western side. The fresco paintings above the portal date back to 1870 and are located on the western facade of the church.

St. Vasilie, Krusevo The monastery "St. Vasilie" is eight kilometers away from the town in the proximity of the former village Trstenik which used to have around 80 houses in the past. The construction of this monastery was started on the grounds of the church on 11 October 1995.

St.Preobrazenie, Krusevo The monastery complex St.Preobrazenie is located on the vast southern downhills of the mountain Busava, gifted with natural beauties at 1662 m altitude on the hill Golomanica, 8 km north-west of the town. The monastery was vandalized and destroyed in the beginning of the 19 century, and the restoration started in 1986. During the preparations of the ground, the grounds of one nave and three nave basilica were discovered. There is a beautiful view of the whole Prilep plain from the monastery. Citizens of Krusevo are still building the monastery complex with a lot of love and inspiring enthusiasm. Major role in the restoration of the monastery had Tose Proeski, who tragically lost his life. He donated many funds for the restoration of the monastery.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

St.Gorgji, v. Kurbinovo, Resen The church was constructed at the end of the 12 century, i.e. in 1192. Because of the significance of the fresco paintings, the church St.Gorgji is known far beyond the borders of Republic of Macedonia and is listed among the biggest wealth of humankind. The illustration of Arhangel Mihail is the main landmark of the church, along with the frescoes of St. Ana and her daughter St. Bogoridica (Holy Mother of Jesus), the portraits of the Slavic spreaders of enlightment Saints Cyril and Methodius. The church is located one kilometer away from the village.

Figure 66: St.Gorgji, v.Kurbinovo

Source: Internet research by the consultants

St. Sava, village Pretor, Resen The village is located half kilometer to the west of the village Pretor. It was constructed in the 14 century and used to be metochion of the Slivnik monastery. The church lies on the grounds of an older church dedicated to St. Nikola. The famous icon of St. Jovan Krstitel (John the Baptist) used to be kept in this church, but now it is kept in Resen. The church is nowadays in a very poor condition.

St. Petka, village Brajcino, Resen The church St. Petka is a one nave church, with modest dimensions and tripartite apsis. The fresco paintings in the church were made in two phases, i.e. the first phase in the sixteenth and the second phase in the eighteenth century.

St. Atanas, village Slivnica, Resen The church is located to the west of the village Slivnica and it is a one nave church with modest dimensions. The period of its construction is unknown.

St. Nikola, village Slivnica, Resen The church is located above the village Slivnica and it is a newly constructed church on the old cult place. There is also a necropolis.

St. Dimitrija, village Slivnica, Resen The church is located to the north of the village Slivnica and it is a cemetery church, but the iconostasis is from recent times.

St. Petka, village Slivnica, Resen The church is located three kilometers north from the village Slivnica. It is a one nave church built on a cult place. There are visible remains from a necropolis from the past.

St. Arhangel, village Pretor, Resen The church is located to the west of the village Pretor and it is a cemetery church. It was built in 1923, there are no frescos and the icons are from recent times.

Numerous churches in the village Ljubojno, Resen Many churches are located in this village, such as St. Petar and Pavle, St. Jovan- St. Atanasie, St.Bogorodica, St. Marena, St.Bogorodica (Precista), St. Nikola, St. Dimitrija and St. Ilija.

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Numerous churches in the village Brajcino, Resen Many churches are located in this village such as St. Nikola, St. Arhangel, St. Ilija, St. Petka (Paraskeva), St. Atanas and St.Bogorodica.

Numerous churches in the village Dolno Dupeni, Resen Many churches are located in this village such as St. Atanasie, St.Bogorodica, St. Arhangel Mihail, St. Ilija, St. Vraci, St. Nikola, St. Dimitrija, St. Petka, St. Philip, St. Cyril and Methodius and St. Atanas.

St.Bogorodica, village Slivnica, Resen At five kilometers distance, above the village Slivnica, lays the Slinica monastery dedicated to the Holy Mother of Jesus - Bogorodica. The monastery complex consists of a church dedicated to St. Bogorodica, monastery hospice, etc. According to the church inscription, it was built in 1607. The wooden bell tower and the closed portico were made in the 19 century. The monastery quarters are used by hikers and other visitors for overnight stay.

St.Bogorodica, village Jankovec, Resen The monastery "Uspenie na Presveta Bogorodica" in Jankovec, Resen is a women’s monastery. In the peace and tranquility of the monastery quarters, the nuns create master pieces – painting icons, making mosaics, weaving covers and making embroidery. The nuns hold a service five times a day, during summer time in the church, and in winter time in the chapel. The service is done in Church Slavonic language. The chapel is a small semi dark room where the voices of the nuns, who look at the holy book, get a supernatural sound.

St. Spas, village Evla, Resen The monastery St. Spas is found after six kilometers drive from the village Evla. The monastery can be reached either on foot or by a vehicle because it is constructed in a cave. People from all over the region of Prespa and people from the surrounding villages that belong to the Ohrid region, come for the celebration of the St. Spas day, which is celebrated on different date every year. The monastery has excellent location with beautiful view.

Hadzi Ramadan’s mosque, Resen The mosque was constructed by the bey Hadzi Ramadan from Bitola in 1592. It has been restored several times and the form has been preserved, i.e. opus cloisine.

St. Dimitrija, village Zurce, Demir Hisar The church St. Dimitrija is located in the village Zvan, northwest from Demir Hisar. It was built in the first half of the 17 century.

Monastery St.Jovan Preteca, v.Slepce, Demir Hisar Active male monastery. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the village Slepce. It is assumed that it was built in the 14 century with direct assistance from the Archbishopric of Ohrid. The monastery used to be a very important fresco-painting centre, but it is also famous for its literature activity for translating and making transcripts of the liturgical books for the churches in the Demir Hisar region and other. Nowadays, there are many important art pieces inside the church, such as the Big Cross with Crucified Jesus from the 16 century, the Royal doors (damaged in the fire from 1972) as well as the interesting choir stalls made of carving. Father Seraphim runs the monastery.

Figure 67: Monastery “St.Jovan Preteca“v.Slepce

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Monastery “St. Atanasij Aleksandriski“ v. Zurce, Demir Hisar Active women’s monastery. The monastery “St. Atanasij Aleksandrinski” is located between Demir Hisar and Krusevo, three kilometers above the village Zurce, in the heart of the mountain. It is known that the monastery church was constructed in 1121 and was completely painted with frescoes in 1617. Given the architectural form, the monastery church is a small one with square ground and pentagonal altar apse on the eastern side. It is one of the rare monasteries in Macedonia and the Balkan. The monastery complex consists of old hospices that were most probably constructed in the first decades of the 19 century. They were ruined in 1895 and the new hospices were constructed in recent times, that is, after the First World War. Throughout the centuries the library and the reading room were functioning successfully.

Monastery “St.Ilija“, v. Golemo Ilino, Demir Hisar The monastery complex “St. Ilija“ near the village Golemo Ilino is also used for accommodation and has capacity of 26 beds.

Monastery “St. Bogorodica“, village Suvodol, Demir Hisar Starting from old times when the Christianity was brought from Asia to Macedonia, the church “St. Bogorodica” village Suvodol was one of the oldest churches in the area. However, in the course of time and due to the frequent wars in the area, the church was destroyed, however, the testimony for St.Bogorodica was passed from generation to generation and few years ago the monastery was restored. The monastery was constructed in a Byzantine style. Many visitors come to visit the monastery also because of the two lakes near the monastery and the stunning natural beauties.

Monastery “St. Toma“ village Graishte, Demir Hisar The monastery “St. Toma” belongs to the monasteries of local character. It was destroyed in the 18 century and reconstructed in 2002. It is raised on the old grounds, and has the form of a four-leaf clover. According to the building, it belongs among the oldest monastery churches in the Demir Hisar region and Macedonia. The building is a real rarity. From the monastery yard, one can see as clear as crystal the villages in Demir Hisar and the plain.

“St. Nikola“ (Toplichki), village Sloestica, Demir Hisar Among the numerous churches and monasteries, the monastery ‘St. Nikola Toplicki” is distinguished for its age, functioning and frescos. It is located in the region between the villages Zvan and Sloestica and was constructed in the 14 century. It is certain that the frescos painting in the interior of the church was once again made in 1537. The church St. Nikola is a one nave church, with larger dimensions that the churches of the same type in Macedonia. The ground has the format of an inscribed narrow cross, and it is covered with semicircular dome. The remains of the then two-storey hospices are scattered around the church, and they used to surround the church from the northern, southern and western side. The monastery is protected by the Institute for monuments conservation of R.Macedonia. Throughout the centuries, the monastery was not only a religious centre, but also a cultural, educational and literature centre. Fruitful translation, transcript and original literary work were done in the monastery quarters.

Monastery “St. Petar“, village Smilevo, Demir Hisar The monastery “St. Petar” is located near the village of Smilevo on the mountain Bigla. This monastery shared the destiny of the monasteries in south-west Macedonia as it was frequently plundered and demolished, but then restored. The monastery was restored in the second half of the 19 century by the famous Smilevski masters. The monastery quarters fenced by thick forest are 20 meters away of the monastery.

St.Preobrazenie (Zrze), village Zrze, Dolneni The church is a constituent part of the monastery complex St.Preobrazenie in the village Zrze. It has rare icons and frescos which can be found in all encyclopedia editions of the world icon painting.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 68: View to the monastery Zrze

Figure 69: Iconostasis in the monastery Zrze

Source: Internet research by the consultants

One of the icons is the “Jesus Christ” icon, made in 1393 by the icon painter Bishop Jovan, and the other “Bogorodica Pelagonitisa“, work of the icon painter hieromonk Makarie, made in 1422, one of the most fascinating medieval works. From stylish-iconographic aspect, the icons are extremely valuable examples of our medieval tradition. The first one is monumental, while the second one is more lyric and subtle. They were created at the end of the medieval period and show the strength and the perseverance of the Byzantine tradition continuity in our country.

Monastery St.Preobrazenie (Zrze), village Zrze, Dolneni The monastery Sveto preobrazenie is located 34 kilometers north-west of Prilep, at 1,000 m altitude in the downhills of the mountain massif Dautica. In the past, the monastery complex used to stretch on a bigger surface than nowadays (7,000m²). Although it used to be believed that the monastery dates back to the 14 century, the most recent archeological research from 2008 established that the monkhood in Zrze dates back to the 9 century. The monastic settlement of eremitic cells carved in vertical notch of a limestone rock on the northern, eastern and southern border of the monastery complex date back to that period. On this locality, one can see remnants from prehistory, Bronze Age, Eneolithic Age, early and late antique, Middle Ages and the Ottoman period. It consists of the temple “Sveto Ppreobrazenie“ (14 century) , the temple “Svetite Petar and Pavle“ (from 17 century), bell tower, monastic quarters and other supporting buildings. Nowadays, the monastery Sveto Preobrazenie – Zrze is the Episcopal seat of the secretary of Holy Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the episcope of Herakleja, Mr. Kliment.

St. Dimitrija, village. Krivogastani, Krivogastani Besides beautiful frescos and icons, St. Dimitrija is characteristic for the oak tree in its surrounding or the wellknown DABO CRKVARSKI (the church oak tree). It is interesting that the oak tree is very old and none of the living people knows when and who planted it. There are beliefs that the one who tried to cut it ended dead because the roots are fed from the spirit of the deceased people in the church.

Monastery St. Dimitrija, St. Cyril and Methodious, St.Bogorodica, St. Precista, village Obrsani, Krivogastani This monastery was built in recent times in the 21 century in the village Obrsani, and it is dedicated and named after four saints – St. Dimitrija, St. Cyril and Methodius, St.Bogorodica and St. Precista. The monastery is visited both by the local population and tourists.

St.”Dimitrija”, village Gradeshnica, Novaci It is believed that this temple dates back to the time of tsar Dusan (16 century). It is built at the entrance of the village Gradeshnica. It is of small dimensions and is also mentioned as St. Nikola but people recognize it as the church dedicated to the holy martyr Dimitrij. The temple is made of stone, one navy, with semicircular dome, decorated with frescos and icons of saints illustrated as girdled figures. It is believed that it is the only altar made of stone.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

St.”Nikola”, village Gradeshnica, Novaci The temple St. Nikola (St. Nikolaj the Wonderworker) is dedicated to the saint Nikola, known among the people as healer after washing with the holy water. The church portico is on the southern side, while the rounded bell tower is on the western side. It is built with stone, covered with tiles, plastered and decorated with white plaster. Two valuable religious books are kept in the church: Caslav, written in Greek language and Razlichno poucenie, written in old Slavic language. They date back to 1894.

St. Spas, village Grumazi, Novaci The church is built sometime in 1864 of stone, with a semicircular dome and one nave, and portico from the southern side near the altar, decorated with frescos and icons among which most prominent is the icon of Jesus Christ. It was demolished in the First World War, restored in 1927 and extended in 1980. In 2006, the temple was completely reconstructed.

St. Dimitrij, village Grunista, Novaci It is a one nave church, built sometime in 1860 and demolished in the First World War and then restored in 1926, painted with frescos, with 6 meters width and 12 meters length, situated in the church yard in front of the cemetery. The temple and the bell tower are covered with stone tiles and the outside walls are plastered in white around the stones.

St.Bogorodica, village Bach, Novaci The church was constructed in the 19 century, and then restored by the exarchates and consecrated on 21.09.1912 at village celebration. During the First World War, the church was demolished and restored in 1921. The women’s church has the form of a balcony. It is a one nave church without frescoes, and with icons of saints and apostles. The apsis is semicircular with small space overlooking the village. Metal thuribles chandeliers hang in the main part of the church. They date back to a period before the restoration.

St. Nikolaj, village Brod, Novaci The church was constructed in 1840 and demolished in the First World War. It was restored in 1996. It is a new church, but there are icons from the 19 century placed on the iconostasis. It is a one nave church, with 12 x 7 meters dimensions and 5-6 meters height. On the northern wall there is one row of chairs, and two rows of chairs on the southern wall.

St. Georgij Pobedonosec, village Germijan, Novaci The church was constructed in 1860. It is a one nave church made of stone with semicircular dome, with portico on the southern side and decorated with frescoes and icons. In the First World War it was demolished, and constructed and painted with frescoes in 1925. At the end of 1990 it was restored again.

St. Petar and Pavle, village Gorno Algarci and village Dolno Algarci, Novaci The building started in 1980 on the grounds of the church that was demolished in the First World War. The facade is made of red decorative bricks. It is a two nave church with entry on the southern side and decorated with frescoes and icons. Besides the church there are two porticos constructed – one for the inhabitants of the village Gorno Algarci and the other for the inhabitants of Dolno Algarci. The church belongs to the two villages and the space is divided among the villagers. One village celebrates Petrov Day on 12 July and the other village celebrates Pavlov Day on 13 July.

St. Voznesenie Hristovo, village Dalbegovci, Novaci The church was constructed in recent time. The church which is in the immediate vicinity of the village was constructed in 2005 on the church’s land with facade red bricks. It is a contemporary church with three towers and semicircular dome, two naves with portico on the southern side, decorated with frescoes and icons. Most important holiday is Easter.

Sv. Nikolaj Miriklijski, village Dobromiri, Novaci The church was built in 1886 on the church’s land in a cemetery complex with portico and bell tower. It was demolished in the First World War and then rebuilt in 1926 and renovated in 1941. In 2001 it was painted with frescoes, the walls were whitewashed and electricity was installed. It is a one nave church made of stone, with entry on the southern side and decorated with frescoes and icons. Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

St. Spas, village Zivojno, Novaci Built in the memory of the Christ resurrection. The celebration of Feast of Ascension coincides with the time when the pagans in pre-Christian period celebrated the holiday of the god Spas (salvation), which among the other gods had the role of protector and savior of people. The church was built in 1885, painted with frescoes and enriched with icons and books. It is made of stone with a semicircular dome, one nave and entry on the southern side. After the Second World War, the villagers restored it and renovated it again in 1990.

Sv. Nikolaj Cudotvorec (Wonderworker), village Zovik, Novaci The church was built in 1868. It is a one nave church with semicircular dome and made of stone, It is decorated with frescoes and icons. In 1920/21, when people returned from internment (during the First World War they were displaced to other villages), they built the church. In 1958 the church was plastered, and the roof and the refectory were repaired.

St. Arhangel Mihail, village Makovo, Novaci The church was built in 1860 and completely demolished during the First World War, and built in 1926 under the name of St. Voskresenie (Resurrection). People from Makovo celebrate Easter. The village, renovated the church sometime in 1997 with donation from the association “Makovo” from Melbourne – Australia.

St. Atanasij Veliki (Aleksandriski), village Novaci, Novaci The church is dedicated to St. Atanasij. It was built of stone in 1868 with a semicircular dome, three naves, decorated with frescoes and icons, situated in the middle of the village in the church yard and fenced. On the left side of the entrance is the priest house that accommodated the priests. On the west side of the church, in the same paved part there is a refectory with rooms: office and refectory for sharing food. There is a telephone connection in the church. The bell tower is on the left side- a square 10 meter high tower, with a bell that was procured in 1926. It was renovated in 1998.

St. Paraskeva and St. Dimitrij, village Rapes, Novaci One church was built for the two saints. It was built for the first time around 1860 with entry on the southern and western side and decorated with frescoes and icons. In 1918 it was bombarded and destroyed. After the war, in 1919 the displaced people from village Rapes returned in their homes. In 2006, the church was repaired.

Sv. Georgij, Pobedonosec (Victorious), village Ribarci, Novaci It is located on the highest point in the village on the small hill and surrounded with iron fence. The graveyard is around the church and the refectory is on the southern side. The church was built for the first time in 1862 and demolished in 1918 and then rebuilt in 1936. It was restored in 1971. The date of construction is inscribed above the door – 1862.

St.Bogorodica, village Staravina, Novaci The church was constructed in 1860 and painted with frescoes in 1887. The signs on the frescoes are written in Greek language, and after the restoration in Old Slavic language. The church is painted with frescoes. The saints are illustrated up to waistline in the first zone of the church. In 1918, the village and the churches were demolished.

Sv. Nikolaj Cudotvorec (Wonderworker), village Staravina, Novaci The church is located in the immediate vicinity of the village in the upper part. It is built but not painted with frescoes.

Monastery St. Ilija (1826), village Gradeshnica, Novaci The monastery is in the immediate proximity of the village Gradeshnica. It was built in 1826. It is a solid construction made of stone, facade with limestone and sand. It is a one nave monastery decorated with frescoes. In the First World War it was damaged and restored in 1926. The Breshka fountain is located in the monastery, famous for the clean and healing water.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Churches and monasteries in the municipality of Mogila The following table provides a summary overview of the numerous churches and monasteries present within the municipality of Mogila. Table 21: List of churches and monasteries in the municipality of Mogila Religious building Churches

Monastery

Name St. Arhangel Mihail St.Gorgjiј Rozdenstvo na Sveta Bogorodica (Nativity of the Virgin Mary) St. Teodor Rozdenstvo na Sveta Bogorodica (Nativity of the Virgin Mary) St. Atanasie St. Martyr Gjorgi St. Voznesenie (Assumption) St. Voznesenie (Assumption) St. Petka Rozdenstvo na Sveta Bogorodica (Nativity of the Virgin Mary) St. Dimitrija Rozdenstvo na Sveta Bogorodica (Nativity of the Virgin Mary) St. Atanasie St. Martyr Dimitrija St. Ap. Petar and Pavle St. Atanasie St. Teodor Tiron St. Nikola St. Martyr Gjorgji St. Teodor St. Cyril and Methodius Sv. Jovan Krstitel (John the Baptist)

Location

Description

v. Mogila v. Ivanjevci v. Trnovci

Built in18 century Built in 1847 Built in 1983

v. Sveto Todori v. Podino v. Loznani v. Novoselani v. Dobrusevo v. Dedebalci v. Trap v. Crnicani

Built in 1840 Dates back to Roman times, restored in 1916 Built in 1900 Built in 1935 . Restored in 1924 Built in 1903 Built in 1830 Built in 18 century

v. Puturus v. Musunci

Built in 1880 Building started in 1992

v. Mojno v. Dolna Carlija v. Radobor v. Beranci v. Dolno Srpci v. Noshpal v. Vasarejca v. Sveto Todori v. Loznani v. Beranci

Built in 1871 Built in 1877 Built in 1891 Built in 1878 Built in 1970 Built in 1865 Building started in 1863 Built in 1974 Built in 1900 Building started in 1847

Source: Study “Mapping of the tourism potential in the Pelagonija Statistical-Planning Region”

OFF ROAD JEEP RIDING Given that Macedonia and Pelagonija region are abundant with hilly mountainous areas, there are many possibilities to organize off road or safari jeep tours. For this offer as adventure possibility, it is important to have solid 4x4 jeeps in good working order or possibility for renting. There are a few such possibilities in the region, and therefore this activity may be interesting for development of own businesses by people with entrepreneurial spirit. Most interesting destinations for organization of such jeep tours would be the mountainous area around the Baba mountain with visits to the Golemo Ezero and the peak Pelister, and tours in the area of Galicica with visit to the peak Magaro.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 70: Overview of the jeep route Skocivir - Kajmakcalan, with elevation profile

Source: Mapping by the consultants

Another interesting tour is the jeep tour on the mountain Nidze from Skocivir to the peak Kajmakcalan, which is about 31km long and at height of about 2,000m, and would require 2 hours drive in one direction.

BIRDWATCHING AND WILDLIFE WATCHING Pelagonija region has numerous endemic species and wildlife which is interesting for watching. The national parks and other protected areas have preconditions for development of these localities as adventure tourism destinations for tourists who are lovers of bird watching and wildlife watching. Figure 71: Wildlife watchers

Source: Internet research by the consultants

The development of this tourism discipline requires the construction of watching stations, which is a relatively small investment, as well as training for the guides. The training for the guides might be a long process given Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

that each of them should be trained in details and familiarized with the birds and wildlife which is going to be the subject of watching. The following destinations may be adequate for the development of this type of tourism.

National park Pelister The national park “Pelister” covers an area of 12.500ha, at altitude of 700-2601 meters, with 24 mountain peaks above 2000 meters, such as: Pelister, Stiv, Golemo Stapalo, Mrazarnik, Kozji Kamen, Golema Cesma, Skrkovo, Vrteska, etc. Due to the natural beauties of the pine Molika forests, as relict of the tertiary flora, granite masses of Pelister and its morphological relief, and especially the glacial relief in the alpine part of the mountain, in 1948, with a special law, Pelister was proclaimed as the first National park in Republic of Macedonia and former Yugoslavia, which has significant importance in the cultural history of the Macedonian nation. The National park Pelister is 15 km away from Bitola, 65 км, it covers an area of – 12.500 ha with altitude of 700 to 2.600 m.

National park Galicica The National park Galicica was proclaimed as national park in 1958 in order to protect its natural beauty and diverse flora and fauna. The park is situated on the mountain massif between the Prespa lake to the east and Ohrid lake to the west, and covers an area of 22 750 ha of the mountain Galicica, with huge wealth of relic and endemic flora, classical habitat of 20 species of plants, out of which 12 are local endemic species, and there are also 26 endemic fauna species. The mountain “Galicica“ is part of the national park “Galicica“, registered in UNESCO. Usually, the climbing of Galicica ends at the peak „Magaro“ which is the highest peak on the mountain. The highest spot on Galicica is at 2265 meters above the sea level, and it can be reached from “Magaro“ in thirty minutes, and it is located on the border with Albania. The pass can be reached in 3,5 hours, and from that point to “Magaro“ it takes 1,5 hours. There is a fantastic view of the two lakes, Prespa and Ohrid lake, from the peak.

Island Golem Grad The island Golem Grad is an attraction and natural rarity with an area of 1 km². It is overgrown with luxuriant forest vegetation, mostly with spruce, which is rare on the Balkan. There used to be 7 churches on the island, and only one was preserved, St. Peter from the XIV century. The island is an archeological site with remains from dwellings, churches and necropolis from the Roman times and Middle Ages, rich reserve with endemic plants. As a natural rarity, it is protected by law and it is an isolated habitat with minimal human impact. It is part of the National park Galicica.

Figure 72: Island Golem Grad, Prespa lake

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Nature park Ezerani Figure 73: Ezerani Nature Park The nature park Ezerani stretches over the northern shore of Prespa lake at 855 m altitude. The protected area stretches on 2080 ha. In 1995, it was appointed as Ramsar place, and in 1996 it was proclaimed as strictly protected nature park. It was again declared, this time with the Law on declaring the site Ezerani on the Prespa Lake Park of Nature on 17.02.2012, and in accordance with the Law on Protection of Nature. Source: Management Plan for Nature Park "Ezerani"

Almost all species of birds that live in the Prespa lake, build their nests, feed themselves and look for shelter here. There are around 200 species of birds, out of which 104 are water birds. 62 species of birds are placed on the list of protected species in accordance with the Bern Convention, while three are placed on the European Red list of world threatened species. Figure 74: Pelicans in Ezerani, Prespa

Source: Internet research by the consultants

Stork settlement in Krivogastani Krivogastani municipality is planning to build a unique project, which canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be seen anywhere else in Macedonia, with the intent to become a real tourist attraction. The project is a Stork settlement, which would be governed as a major horticultural park.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 75: 3D model of the stork settlement in Krivogastani

Source: Internet research by the consultants

The settlement will be by the regional road Krivogastani - Krusevo. It is planned to be built with artificial baskets on poles for about 1,000 nests for storks. The stork settlement, as expected, would enrich the current tourist offer of Krivogastani. The settlement will be a real attraction. In addition to it, the Municipality plans the construction of other content, such as ethno restaurant, parks, souvenir shops - as part of the strategy for tourism development. The realization of this project is anticipated to raise the sustainability of the community to a higher level.

SKI TOURING Ski touring 12 has recently become very popular among the mountain and sport lovers, i.e. it becomes an increasingly popular form of skiing in wintertime. Someone who has tried ski touring can hardly stop doing it because ski touring provides different excitement than alpine skiing, and the experience is unrepeatable. At first sight, ski touring is a mixture of alpine skiing, ski running and hiking, which provides diversity of movement and real enjoyment in the pristine mountain areas. Some people compare ski touring to free riding. Ski touring differs only in the uphill movement which is made by oneself and with equipment, which means without ski lifts, snowcat etc. By ski touring one can climb or cross several peaks and then descend by skiing to the valley. Special ski touring equipment is required for this type of skiing. Important part of the equipment is the ski bindings which are specially adjusted to allow for free movement.

Figure 76: Tour skiers

Climbing skins are part of the equipment and they are placed on the lower part of the skis to allow for movement uphill without sliding down. When descending, the skins are removed and the bindings are put in the skiing mode to allow for normal skiing. Tour ski shoes at first sight do not differ from alpine shoes, but there is a difference in that they have mild sloping and have mechanism with two modes, skiing and walking. For the walking mode, the lower part is made of rubber for easier walking and easier handling of the button mechanism.

Source: PSK Dimitar Ilievski- Murato

Source: PSK Dimitar Ilievski - Murato, link

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Additional part of the equipment are ski sticks with bigger grips for easier movement in the snow, the rucksack as basic part of the equipment which should have a first aid kit and standard winter equipment. It is also recommended that one should carry a transceiver which can disclose the location of the skier in case of snowstorm. Also, Đ° shovel is needed; the tranceiver helps to find the snowbound and the shovel is used to do the digging of snow. This equipment is not used in our country, however, in Europe these are generally accepted rules. Baba mountain offers excellent conditions for ski touring and skiing. There are numerous trails that satisfy tour skiers, both beginners and experienced ones. The following trails can be singled out, as illustrated on the figures below. Figure 77: Ascent to the peak Pelister

Source: PSK Dimitar Ilievski- Murato

Figure 78: Ascent to Golemo Ezero from Nizepole and descent to SC Pelister

Source: PSK Dimitar Ilievski- Murato

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Figure 79: Ascent to the peak Stiv from SC Kopanki and descend backwards

Source: PSK Dimitar Ilievski- Murato

Figure 80: Ascend to the peak Pelister from SC Kopanki and descend to the info centers

Source: PSK Dimitar Ilievski- Murato

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

PROPOSED MEASURES FOR DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF CONDITIONS FOR ADVENTURE TOURISM This section is a step forward in the development of the strategy for development of the Pelagonija planning region as desired destination for adventure tourism. The opportunities and threats of the region as a whole were identified after the mapping. They are presented in the SWOT analysis below. In addition, thorough analysis was conducted for each possible form of adventure tourism and measures are proposed for development of each of the adventure activities. The process of identification of the key weaknesses and definition of measures and proposals for improvement both of the region as a whole and the individual adventure forms, implied consultations with individuals that have specific knowledge about adventure forms or tourism, such as: •

Sportsmen and enthusiasts from the region and Macedonia who have vast theoretical knowledge and practical experience in a certain sport, recreational or tourism area;

•

Travel agencies and experienced tour guides as well as sporting clubs and hiking associations; and

•

Institutions on regional and national level involved in tourism as well as their support for development of tourism.

SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT analysis aims to assess the possibility for development of adventure tourism in the Pelagonija planning region, that is, the factors which are expected to influence the realization of the strategy which is a constituent part of this study. SWOT analysis assesses the strengths and weaknesses which are considered as internal factors, as well as opportunities and threats (limitations) which are considered as external factors. On the other hand, the strengths and opportunities are considered as beneficial, while weaknesses and threats as detrimental factors. Table 22: SWOT analysis for the Pelagonija region BENEFICIAL

INTERNAL

STRENGHTS  Natural resources and beauties (mountains, lakes, characteristic flora and fauna)  Clean and unpolluted environment and opportunities for development of ecotourism  Possibilities for realization of numerous adventure activities such as paragliding, mountain and off-road biking, hiking, boldering etc. (Section 5.4)  Rich history and cultural-historic sites and monuments  Numerous monasteries and churches built in different periods  Interest and investment by the planning region and municipalities for development of adventure tourism

HARMFUL WEAKNESSES  Insufficient number and inadequate accommodation capacities in almost all municipalities  Insufficient number of trained guides for these types of tours  Lack of education about offering quality services among the local population (catering, lack of foreign language fluency, insufficient organization etc.)  Inadequate infrastructure and inaccessibility to certain areas  Insufficient investments in the maintenance of the existing capacities for accommodation in the mountains and deterioration of the facilities due to lack of funds

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

EXTERNAL

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

 Upward trend of development of adventure tourism in the country in the last several years

 Insufficient interest for Pelagonija region as destination, especially because whole Macedonia is perceived as Western Balkan

 Support for development from the Agency for support and promotion of tourism in RM and donor organizations such as USAID

 Lack of local population in certain populated places (villages with interesting content but without people)  Seasonality of most of the adventure activities  Non-reconciliation of the national legal framework with the international legal framework and appearance of conflict with the real needs for development of adventure tourism

 Presence of АТТА in the region (Adventure Week on the Balkan (2014) and summit AdventureNext next year) and building relations with domestic tour operators  Domestic tour operators which are active and already offer adventure tourism and bring foreign tourists in the country  Opportunity to utilize the funds from the European Union program for financing projects for development of adventure tourism

Source: Analysis conducted by the consultants

The general conclusion (about benefitial factors) with regard to the potential of the Pelagonija region for sustainable development of adventure tourism is that, on one hand, there is a satisfactory potential for relatively fast development of offer based on (1) sound number of versatile natural resources with quite satisfactory quality, (2) quite sufficient number of аdventure activities which may be offered in combination (already offered), complemented with (3) excellent and available local cuisine, tradition and culture offered in authentic setting and warm Macedonian hospitality. This is the potential, however, in order to ensure sustainable development of this tourism branch with exceptional potential, there is need for revival of the entrepreneurial spirit of all local stakeholders from the business sector (travel agencies, guides, catering facilities, professionals) for effective networking and continuous quality improvement of offered tours, packages and adventure experiences, and further assisted with quality resources of the local self-government (in the framework of the possibilities) for investments in the minimally required infrastructure and public communal services, as they are indispensable for decent welcoming of potential tourists in the region.

ANALYSIS OF THE REQUIRED RESOURCES AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EACH OF THE POSSIBLE FORMS

INFRASTRUCTURE

FOR

In order to give directions for drafting a strategy for development of the Pelagonija planning region as adventure tourism destination, the following analysis was conducted. It includes the following: •

Detailed analysis and mapping of each of the possible forms of adventure tourism with potential for development in the region;

•

Identification of the key weaknesses of each of the forms, that would influence the development of concrete form as attractive motivating factor with adventure offer; as well as

•

Definition of concrete proposals and measures that need to be taken in order to improve the conditions and quality of each of the possible adventure tourism forms in the region.

The Table below provides a summary of the key weaknesses of each of the possible forms of adventure tourism in the region, as well as proposals for their improvement.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Table 23: Summary of the measures for improvement of certain forms of adventure tourism Form of adventure tourism

Evaluation of current potential

Measures for improvement

Sport and traditional climbing

Pelagonija region is rich with locations with attractive rocks for climbing, but these are still unknown to the climbers outside the country.

The development of this discipline requires investments for placing signs on more rocks and hiking trails, as well as design of brochures and promotional materials for the locations.

So far, the Macedonian climbing sport federation together with climbers from Skopje and Slovenia have developed and mapped numerous zones and detailed boldering problems (routes).

Boldering

The potential of the region is very high and it is considered that only 10% of the available boldering routes have been marked. Important events, such as "Krali Marko Boldering Festival" was held for the 5th time in 2015.

This requires investments in road infrastructure to connect all the locations with quality road, as well as cleaning the existing landfills by the side of the access roads. In addition, investments are necessary for development of infrastructure for a camp located in the proximity of the locations with biggest number of boldering routes.

The boldering zone around Prilep was included in the agenda of "PETZL RocTrip 2014 festival". This activity is an exceptional attraction and is already a motivating factor because of over 1000 tourists annually who visit the region.

Paragliding

Pelagonija region has over 10 potential locations for launching a paraglider, which are located in several municipalities, unfortunately, most of the locations are not utilized. Especially interesting starting station for paragliding is Krusevo, which is a host of many national, regional and European competitions in recent years.

Mountain hiking and mountain biking

Pelagonija region offers excellent conditions for development of tour offers for climbing, because of the numerous mountains and peaks with excellent conditions and natural beauties for any type of tourists with different physical strength.

Requires improvement of the road infrastructure to the launching and landing locations, given that only a few (3-4) of the available over 10 locations in the region are utilized. Except for the accessibility, road infrastructure shall increase the safety and rapid interventions in case of injury or accidents. There is need for a travel agency that will make a complete offer to the sport paragliders and their families about visiting cultural and natural locations as well as recreational and gastronomic experiences. Requires investments to mark the routes, to construct small crossings or bridges at certain points, as well as to introduce a system for maintenance of routes. Restoration and reconstruction of some of the mountain huts, construction of toilets, renovation and extension of rooms and increase the number of

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Form of adventure tourism

Cross country cycling

Caving

Visiting archeological sites

Evaluation of current potential

Measures for improvement

One can single out the following destinations in the region as having the greatest potential for hiking and climbing and mountain biking: Baba mountain and National park Pelister, mountain Galicica with the national park, Krusevo and Babuna mountain near Prilep.

beds. Accommodation capacities are missing in some parts of the region.

The region may offer excellent combination of biking tours, both on flatland and in hilly and mountainous regions.

Requires bicycles which can be rented in the region and adequate equipment and trailers for transportation.

In addition, there are many historic, cultural and religious events, stories and buildings which may enrich the trip.

Pelagonija region is abundant with caves, especially in the surrounding of Prilep, on the mountain Galicica, Demir Hisar; however, their potential is still underutilized. Numerous archeological sites from different periods of the development of the material culture are registered in the Pelagonija region, however, many are inadequately maintained. There is major potential for socalled archeological tourism in cooperation with international universities and exchange of students.

Visiting churches and monasteries

Off Road jeep ride

The region is abundant with churches and monasteries from different periods, however, accommodation capacities are missing.

Pelagonija region is rich with hillymountainous regions and there are many possibilities for organization of off road or safari jeep tours.

Bigger number of mountain guides from the region is needed. Mountain biking requires bicycles which can be rented in the region and adequate equipment and trailers for transportation.

Requires increased number guides with detailed knowledge about the region (currently UIMLA cetified guides would be sufficient), the routes and local points for rest and water as well as basic rules for safety and leading groups.

Requires guides - speleologists who are familiar with the caves, and also trained for tour guides.

Requires investments for repair and construction of new sanitary facilities at some of the localities and enabling infrastructure and logistics for international students who have interest in archeological research and history of art. Requires design of more souvenirs, replica of famous historic items, artifacts, etc. Requires effective networking with the current and improvement of the future local offer for accommodation and catering facilities. Requires investments in certain monasteries for adjustment of the accommodation capacities. Requires bigger number of 4Ń&#x2026;4 jeeps that would be available for rent in the region.

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

Form of adventure tourism

Bird watching and wildlife watching

Đ˘our skiing

Evaluation of current potential

Measures for improvement

There are many endemic species and wildlife which is interesting for watching in the Pelagonija region.

Requires investments in the national parks and nature parks for construction of watching points.

In the national parks and protected areas there are preconditions for development of these localities as destinations for adventure tourism.

Requires training for local rangers and guides (as well as increasing their number) in the nature and national parks, as well as in other places in the region that offer opportunities for bird and wildlife watching (Krivogashtani) to be able to take tourists on tours.

Baba mountain with its peak Pelister offers excellent conditions for ski touring and skiing.There are many routs which are to the satisfaction of all tour skiers, both beginners and experienced ones.

Requires available equipment for rent in different sizes for development of this discipline offered by local guides.

Source: Analysis conducted by the consultants

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

PROPOSED TOUR OFFERS FOR ADVENTURE TOURISM WITH SERIOUS POTENTIAL FOR IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL MARKETS FOR ADVENTURE TOURISM The number of domestic tourists in the country, according to the number of arrivals is relatively constant in the last 6 years and on average accounts for 316,000 tourists annually (2009-2014) with negative average annual growth rate of -1% (five-year CAGR 13 ). On the other hand, the number of foreign tourists in the country is continuously growing, from 260,000 in 2009 to 425,000 in 2014, with five-year CAGR of 10% (five-year CAGR for the total number of tourists accounts for 5%). Accordingly, the percentage of foreign tourists in the total number of tourists has increased from 44% in 2009 to 58% in 2014. The analysis of the number of overnight stays differs, i.e. there was greater number of overnight stays by domestic tourists due to the greater number of days of stay per tourist (4.4 days on average) compared to foreign tourists (2.2 days on average) during the whole monitored period. Although lower than the percentage of domestic tourists, the percentage of overnight stays by foreign tourists in the total number of overnight stays shows a tendency of continuous growth, from 28% in 2009 to 42% in 2014, which is largely due to the increase in the number of foreign tourists arrivals in the same period, because the average number of days for the stay remains the same. The analysis of the number of arrivals of tourists in Macedonia according to the country of origin shows that almost 50% of the foreign tourists (46% on average for the period 2009-2014) come from five countries (Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and Netherlands), while 2/3 of the total number or 66% come from 10 countries (the first five plus Albania, Poland, Germany, Croatia and Slovenia). Therefore, one can conclude that the biggest number of foreign tourists come from the Balkan countries14, however, the percentage in the course of years reduced from 53% in 2009 to 42% in 2014. The biggest growth in the number of tourist arrivals is noticed for Turkey (from 7% in 2009 to 15%), Netherlands (from 2% to 6%) and Poland (from 2% to 4%). With regard to the average annual rates of growth, Netherlands if the first ranked with five-year CAGR of 39%, then Turkey with 30%, Ukraine with 26%, Poland, Romania and Belgium with 22%, and Russia and Japan with 20%. Chart 5: Structure of arrivals according to the country of origin, 2014

400 000 350 000

34%

10% 10%

3% 4%

Turkey Bulgaria Poland Slovenia

4% 6%

4% Greece Netherlands Germany Other

425 314 399 680

450 000

15%

Chart 6: Arrival of tourists according to the country of origin

351 359 327 471

300 000 259 204 261 696 250 000

Slovenia Croatia Germany Poland Albania

200 000

Netherlands

150 000

Bulgaria Serbia

100 000 Serbia Albania Croatia

Other

Greece

50 000 0

Turkey 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

TOTAL

Source: State Statistical Office, Tourism in RM

The situation regarding the realized number of overnight stays according to the touristsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; country of origin is somewhat different than the number of overnight stays realized per country, however, the same conclusions are valid regarding the Balkan and the first 10 countries with the biggest number of overnight stays. In terms of 13 14

CAGR = Compounded Annual Growth Rate Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

the number of overnight stays, Netherlands takes the first place according to the number of realized overnight stays (128,121 in 2014) and according to the realized growth rates with realized five-year CAGR of 59% (increase from 12,502 overnight stays in 2009 to over 128,000 in 2014). The other countries that note increase in the number of overnight stays in the five-year CAGR are as follows: Belgium with 31%, Romania with 26% and Turkey with 24% and Poland with 22% and Australia with 21%. Chart 7: Structure of overnight stays according to the country of origin, 2014

Chart 8: Arrival of tourists, according to the country of origin 1 000 000

14%

900 000 800 000

35%

700 000

11% 8%

3% 3%

4% Netherlands Greece Poland Slovenia

8% 4% 5% 5% Turkey Bulgaria Germany Other

Serbia Albania Croatia

600 000

922 513 881 375 811 746 755 166 583 796 559 032

Other Slovenia Croatia Germany Poland

500 000

Albania

400 000

Bulgaria

300 000

Greece

200 000

Serbia

100 000

Turkey

Netherlands 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

ВКУПНО

Source: State Statistical Office, Tourism in RM

Based on the research of current trends in adventure tourism and the conducted interviews and focus groups with travel agencies, guides, hiking associations and enthusiasts for adventure tourism, one can conclude that the biggest potential for development of adventure tourism in Macedonia is to bring tourists from Northern America, Western and Northern Europe, Australia and Middle East (Israel). Countries from these regions are singled out as countries where the interest for such tourism is on highest level with tendency to increase in the following years. Also, the contacts made with АТТА and Balkan countries, including Macedonia, have positive impact regarding the worldwide recognition of the country as desired destination for adventure tourism. The number of tourist arrivals from whole Europe shows a tendency of increase, especially from Western15 and Eastern 16 Europe with a five-year CAGR of 16% and 17% respectively, while the number of tourists from Northern17 Europe increased for 11% on average, on annual level in the last 5 years. Significant growth has been noticed in the number of arrival of tourists from Australia with 17% average annual growth in the last 5 years. The total number of tourists from the markets with biggest potential for development of adventure tourism accounted for around 60,000 tourists in 2009, and it increased to over 105,000 in 2014 and is expected to further increase in the following years.

15 Austria, Belgium,

Germany, Luxembourg, France, Netherlands, Switzerland Belarus, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Hungary, Czech Republic 17 Great Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Island, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland, Sweden 16

Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

PROPOSED ILLUSTRATIVE TOUR OFFERS Illustrative tour offers have been developed on the basis of the detailed analysis of the tourism offer in the Pelagonija region, valorization of the potential for development of adventure tourism, as well as the evaluation of strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats for development of adventure tourism. These can be implemented immediately without or with minimal additional interventions. They have been assessed as highly potential tours, i.e. multi-day thematic tours that last 7-9 days with motives of the Pelagonija region. The aim is to ensure that they immediately attract adventure tourists who will come to stay in the Pelagonija region. The background and rationale for the selection of the illustrative tours and their assessment as high-potential tours is supported by and can be illustrated through the overview of proposed itineraries for visiting Macedonia as a tourist destination in two of the key travel guides worldwide, namely the Bradt travel guide for Macedonia 18 and the travel guide of Lonely Planet for South East Europe 19 with a focus on Macedonia. The following table summarizes the proposed tours (routes) with the key areas and content selected as the most striking, for visiting Macedonia for one or maximum two weeks: Table 24: Propossd tours (routes) for visiting Macedonia Bradt Travel Guide

Lonely Planet Southeastern Europe travel guide

 Day 1-2: Arrival in Skopje – 2 Day visit of the city.  Day 3: Hire a car to take the back road to Ohrid, lunching at Hotel Tutto in Janche on the way, or take the early bus there direct.

1 WEEK ITINERARY

 Day 3-4: Spend two days in Ohrid – 1 day to see the town and the second to hike in the Galichica National Park, tandem paraglide or take a boat ride to St Naum, swim and sunbathe.  Day 5: Drive over to Galichica National Park to hike up to Two Lake viewpoint, and down to Lake Prespa. Stop in Bitola for a late lunchon the fashionable Shirok Sokak, then journey on to Prilep to visit Treskavec Monastery.  Day 6: Treat yourself to a night at Popova Kula winery and hotel to sample their wines before leaving.

 Day 1-2: Arrival in Skopje – Spend two nights in Skopje, marvelling at its bold new architecture on the square, and visiting its Čaršija (old quarter), with historic churches, mosques, museums and an Ottoman castle.  Day 3-4: Travel southwest to Macedonia’s most evocative and historic town, Ohrid, and its lake, via the lush forested mountains of Mavrovo and Bigorski Monastery, with its spectacular carved iconostasis.  Day 5-6: Continue to cultured Bitola, the longfamed ‘City of Consuls’ known for its vibrant cafes and nearby ancient Heraclea and Pelister National Park.  Day 7: Transfer to Skopje and departure.

 Day 7: Transfer to Skopje and departure.  Day 1-3: Arrival and visti to Skopje (including visit nearby Lake Matka and Katlanovska Banja).

2 WEEK ITINERARY

 Day 4: Travel to Ohrid via Tetovo to see the Motley Mosque, Baba Arabati Teke and the Tetovo Kale.  Day 4-6: Stay in Ohrid (see above for itinerary).  Day 7: Make your way to Bitola, and spend one full day to see the Roman ruins of Heraklea, visit Ataturk’s former military school and museum, and the best ethno museum in Macedonia in Krklino village. Stay at the Hotel Millenium Palace or Villa Dihovo.

18 19

 Day 1-3: Arrival in Skopje – Spend 3 nights in Skopje, marvelling at its bold new architecture on the square, and visiting its Čaršija (old quarter), with historic churches, mosques, museums and an Ottoman castle. Visit the Mt Vodno with the 12th-century Sveti Pantelejmon Monastery, as well as the Matka canyon and lake.  Day 4-6: Travel southwest to Macedonia’s most evocative and historic town, Ohrid, and its lake, via the lush forested mountains of Mavrovo and Bigorski Monastery, with its spectacular carved iconostasis.

Macedonia (Bradt Travel Guide) 5th Editon Southeastern Europe travel guide 1st Edition Oct 2013

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Bradt Travel Guide

Lonely Planet Southeastern Europe travel guide

 Day 8: Take a day to visit Prilep and pop over to Krushevo, home of the Ilinden Uprising and pop star Tose Proeski. Overnight in Popova Kula winery an hotel.

 Day 7-9: Travel to cultured Bitola, the longfamed ‘City of Consuls’ known for its vibrant cafes and nearby ancient Heraclea and Pelister National Park.

 Day 9: Take the next day to hike up to Prosek (one of the most famous mideveal towns in Macedonia) and visit the tiny Demir Kapija museum.

 Day 10-12: Visit Prilep, seeing its historic nearby monasteries.

 Day 10-11: Visit Strumica and then Berovo to stay at the gorgeous Aurora Resort and Spa, or at Hotel Manastir. While there, take a day to hike in the area and breath in the pristine air.

 Day 13: Transfer to Skopje with a stop to enjoy the wines in the Tikveš wine region and see ancient Roman Stobi and departure.

 Day 12: Make your way to Kratovo to visit the stone towers, see the nearby Stone Dolls, and hike up to Gorno Kratovo to see volcanic bombs.  Day 13: Return to Skopje via the Devil’s Wall near Sv Nikole. Source: Analysis conducted by the consultants

The offers were designed in cooperation with external experts in the field of adventure tourism in Republic of Macedonia (stated in each of the offers), which are active with these types of offers for activities for domestic and foreign tourists on the whole territory of Republic of Macedonia. The tours are as follows: 1.

Tour 1 – Pelagonija, Land of kings (6-day tour, price 587 Euro per person)

Tour 2 – Pelagonija, Wildnerness tour (7-day tour, price 597 Euro per person)

Tour 3 – Мmultisport tour (9-day tour, price from 1108 to 1420 Euro per person depending on the number of tourists in a group)

Tour 4 – Paragliders’ heaven (5-7-day tour, price 70 Euro per person a day)

Tour 5 – Two-day Biking Tour (Prilep-Krusevo-Prilep)

The first three of the five proposed multiday (7-9 days) so-called thematic tours designed to attract foreign tourists from Western Europe, America and Australia, while the fourth and fifth tours are designed more for local and regional tourists and can be used as a promotional tool for the region as a tourist destination and to encourage the development of content and activities by local stakeholders in the region in the future. The shortterm goal is to stimulate the region and the local population to start creating one- or two-day tours as transit activities that could fit into a broader offer for Macedonia as a desirable destination for adventure tourism together with other regions. On the other hand, these one- or two-day activities in the region would contribute to creating the initial interest and visits to Pelagonija as a destination for adventure tourism, would stimulate investment in infrastructure development as well as accommodation and catering facilities, and it would create an opportunity for development multiday tours that would be able to keep tourists in Pelagonija for a longer period of time, wchich would create more value to the local economy. It is important to note that during the preparation of the tours attention has been devoted in an attempt to cover all municipalities within Pelagonija region with content and activities. The table below illustrates the coverage of municipalities with each of the proposed tours that are made in such a way that enables them to be implemented immediately and offered to interested tour operators.

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Table 25: Coverage of municipalities with the proposed tours Tour Municipality

Bitola Prilep Resen Novaci Mogila Dolneni Krusevo Krivogastani Demir Hisar

х х

х х х

х х

х х х

х х

х х х

х Source: Analysis conducted by the consultants

The following chapters provide a presentation of the illustrative offers for development of adventure tourism in the Pelagonija region.

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OFFER 1 – PELAGONIJA THE LAND OF KINGS 20 Type of activity: History, culture, tradition Aim of the tour: Getting to know the history and beauty of Macedonia A 6-day tour aimed at exploring and experiencing the joys of Pelagoniја (of which 4 days within the municipalities of the same), rich in history, the country where all the kings throughout history built towns and fortresses. The tour includes a walk by the colorful mosaics of Heraclea, the ancient city founded by Philip II, father of Alexander the Great; a rare view of the vast lands of Pelagoniја from the towers of King Marko surrounded by mighty boulders and rocks; a walk by the neoclassical buildings of Bitola, the city of consulates and embassies and taste the mouthwatering dishes and sweets of Krushevo, the highest town in the Balkans acombined with the rich flavor and aroma of the wines of selected winery in the region. Tourist profile: All categories of tourists with an interest in the historical and cultural heritage of Macedonia, with an interest to get familiar with the Macedonian traditional cuisine and wine. No special physical preparedness is required. Coverage of municipalities from the region: Bitola, Prilep, Dolneni, Krusevo, Demir Kapija and Gradsko.

DAY 1: DAY 1: Ancient Stobi and winery in the region Upon arrival at Skopje airport, the tour starts by taking the highway through the wine area of Macedonia. The first stop on the way is to visit Stobi, the ancient city where traders travelling through Via Egnatia road were supplied with gold, white and pink marble, iron and wine. Learn how ancient Macedonians produced wine and compare their story with the modern story of Stobi winery, the most contemporary winery in the Balkans. After a tour of the wine cellars follows a tasting of some of their best wines paired with hard sheep cheese and traditional Macedonian meat and vegetables casserole in a clay pot. In the afternoon, the tour continues to Pelagoniја, the heart of Macedonian Empires. Arrival in Bitola in the evening, on time to join the promenade on the main pedestrian street “Sirok Sokak” in the old town. Overnight in Bitola. Total travel time: 159km / 2 hours and 5 min.

The tour has been developed with support from the travel agency Macedonia Travel.

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DAY 2: from Alexander the Great to Ottoman Empire Start the tour in Bitola with a visit of Heraclea Lyncestis, city founded by Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great. This ancient city was named after the mythical hero Heracles - the protector of the greatest ancient Macedonian royal dynasty. It is a site with time- preserved courtrooms, theater from the Roman era, as well as residences and basilicas of Early Christian period, and exhibition of coins, jewelry and other items used by residents of the city. Continue in the narrow streets of Bitola, a city with 1.600 years urban tradition and beautiful examples of architecture from different periods. It was the the City of Consuls because of the consular representatives of many countries which were in this city at the time of the Ottoman Empire when it was an important administrative, diplomatic, educational and cultural center. Afternoon is free to enjoy shopping on Sirok Sokak, the most authentic street of Bitola lined with lively cafes, restaurants and shops. Overnight in Bitola. (B) Optional: afternoon walking tour in National Park Pelister, on the historical World War 1 path.

DAY 3: Middle Age Kingdoms and Byzantine heritage Morning drive by the tobacco fields of Prilep, the city under King Marko walls and towers. It is also called the city of tobacco, thus the tobacco museum, 6 km away from the city center on the road to Treskavec Monastery (Municipality of Dolneni), with priceless collection of ancient pipes and tobacco boxes made of ivory, gold, bone and rubies, and many historical artefacts connected with world famous leaders and celebrities. Walk up the medieval walls to King Marko’s towers and hear the story about the last king that ruled Macedonia before the invasion of the Ottoman Empire at the end of 14th century. Since 1985 they have been on the temporary list of UNESCO World Heritage. The tour continues driving up by the boulders of Gold mountain to Treskavec monastery, the “place of thunders” and home to ancient shrine which has preserved two marble seats dedicated to Apollo Eteudanos (the thunder fighter) and Artemis. Over the remains of the temple, back in 12th century Christians built a monastery up on a granite cliff above 1400m height. It offers stunning glimpses of Pelagoniја plane and mountains Baba and Kajmakcalan. Spending some time here with father Kalist, the priest who lives in the monastery, always happy to talk about history and Orthodox traditions and customs. Drive to Krushevo in the afternoon for dinner and overnight in this lovely mountain town, the highest in the Balkans. Total travel time: 99km / 2 hours

DAY 4: Krushevo Republic They call Krushevo “living museum buried in nature” for its traditional architecture and grand monuments placed amidst the peaks and meadows of Bushava mountain. It was one of the first republics in the Balkans after the great Ilinden uprising in 1903 against Ottoman domination. Today an enormous monument stands on the hill above Krusevo as a memory of the elusive dream of Ilinden revolutionaries.

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The tour includes a guided tour of the town with typical decorative houses with white and blue facades and windows, and visiting the Makedonium monument and Meckin Kamen in the woods above, built in honor of â&#x20AC;&#x153;vojvodaâ&#x20AC;? Pitu Guli and his soldiers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the last defenders of Krusevo republic who lost their lives here. It also includes a visit to the place where they produce the famous Krushevo lokum and meringues, and have BBQ dinner by the fire in a small restaurant in the woods above the town. Overnight in Krushevo.

DAY 5: Zrze and Winery Visit Leaving Krusevo in the morning and driving to Zrze monastery, one of the most important spiritual places in Macedonia. The monastic life started already in 9th century, almost a century before the first organization of the monastic life on Mount Athos. A walk up to the monastery will provide a view of some of these monastic cells carved in the steep rocks below the church. Today Zrze lives as coenobitic male monastery with valuable churches and frescoes from 14th century. The tour includes a tea break in the tranquility of Zrze, to continue into the wine region of Macedonia for winetasting in a selected winery. An opportunity to compare the modern winery to the many winemaking tools and devices from the early 20th century. Evening tour of the cellars of the selected winery where the farewell dinner with winetasting will take place. Overnight in Demir Kapija. Total travel time: 167km / 2 hours 40 min.

DAY : The Last Day Enjoying the breakfast on the terrace of the winery chateau with beautiful view over their endless vineyards. After breakfast transfer to Skopje airport for flight home. Total travel time: 96km / 1 hour

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Tour Summary PRICE RANGE: ~600 euro per person (minimum 8 participants). Single room supplement: 69 euro Included in price: •

Accommodation: 3 x boutique hotel, 2 x 4* hotel

•

Meals: 5 x breakfast, 1x lunch, 3 x dinner

•

Winetasting with lunch (Day 1)

•

Winetasting with farewell dinner (Day 5)

•

Winetasting in the winery

•

Loum & meringues tasting

•

Transport by air conditioned van/ini coach

•

Full escort by professional tourist guide

•

All entrance fees for monuments visited en-route l

Not included in price: •

Drinks during the meals

•

Trekking in National Park Pelister (Day 2) = 23 euro pp (minimum 5 participants)

•

Any extra expenses not mentioned under “Included in price”

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OFFER 2 - PELAGONIJA WILDERNESS TOUR 21 Type of activity: Hiking, walking and visiting natural and cultural monuments and sights. Aim of the tour: Getting to know Macedonia, its natural beauty and local culture through sports and recreational activities. Walking in Pelagoniја is а real discovery for wilderness lovers. The tour includes a hike up to 2600m and overnight stay by a glacial lake in the Pelister National Park; visit of the biggest reserve of pelicans and cormorants on Lake Prespa and a boat ride to their island; pass by the hidden bunkers and trenches of World War 1 on Mount Nidze and visit remote villages and medieval Byzantine churches on your way. Overnight staying in guesthouses, monasteries and mountain huts. The food will be authentically Macedonian and excellent, so as the homemade beer and wines offered by the local hosts. Tourist profile: Enthusiasts with sport spirit and average physical preparedness to more easily overcome the distances and for greater enjoyment of the natural beauty offered by the tour. Coverage of municipalities from the region: Bitola, Resen, Novaci and Prilep.

DAY 1: IN THE COUNTRYSIDE After arrival at Skopje airport, follows a transfer to village Dihovo at the foothills of Mount Baba. It is Macedonian tradition still present in the villages, to welcome the guests with “slatko” (sweet fruit jam) and water. Their “slatko” is always homemade, and organic, as locals here pick their fruit from the nearby forest or from their own gardens. After the hearty village lunch take a slow relaxing afternoon in the gardens of your host. Early evening visit of Bitola for a walk on the lively pedestrian street in the old town lined with little restaurants and cafes. Overnight in guesthouse in Dihovo village. Total travel time: 177km / 2 hours 25 min

DAY 2: HIKING NATIONAL PARK PELISTER Early start in the morning to hike to the top of Mount Pelister (1454m – 2600m – 2500m - 7 hours), the highest point on Baba mountain range. This is the oldest national park in Macedonia, famous for its ancient pine, lynx, and bearded eagle. Lunch will be at the summit. From there the tour will head to the mountain hut “Golemo Ezero”, where there will be a jolly supper. Overnight in basic mountain hut - 3-4 rooms with bunks for 8 to 14 people, bathing in glacial lake by the hut. Total travel time: 5km / 10 min

The tour has been developed with support from the travel agency Macedonia Travel.

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DAY 3: DESCENDING TO LAKE PRESPA From Golemo Ezero the tour will descend (2500m – 1000m - 6 hours) to the lovely old village of Brajcino. The cook from the mountain hut will prepare lunch packages for the way down. Brajcino is a quiet peaceful village, famous for its hospitality and homemade fruit liqueurs, dried tomatoes and traditionally salted cironka (small fishes from Lake Prespa). The tour will end with dinner in a traditional restaurant with a wood fire, sample the local tipples, and stay overnight in the monastery. Accommodation: monastery dorms

DAY 4: CORMORANT’S ISLAND From Brajcino, it is a short drive to Konsko, an old fishing village where we’ll take a boat to the uninhabited island of Golem Grad, or ‘Snake Island,’- home to cormorants, pelicans, and sun-bathing water snakes. It has been uninhabited since early 20th century when the small monastic community left the island. Today you can still notice several ancient ruins and medieval churches buried deep in the forest. Return on the boat to the fishing village for lunch and swim. Dinner and overnight in a small hotel on the beach. Total travel time: 62km / 1 час

DAY 5: MARIOVO After a quick morning dip in the Prespa Lake the tour continues to one of the cleanest regions in Macedonia, Mariovo. This mountain was the place where the biggest battles of Salonica front in Wolrd War 1 took place. Walking by the remote villages of Mariovo one can still notice the Central Powers’ bunkers carved in the rocks and the Entente’s trenches dug in the hills above. Lunch is planned to take place under the old bridge of Zovic, and continue with a relaxing afternoon in the small homestead of grandpa Koste, where the tourist would pick some fresh eggs for their dinner. Overnight stay in guesthouse in Zovic. Total travel time: 102km / 1 hour 30 min

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DAY 6: HIKE TO TRESKAVEC MONASTERY The tour continues with leaving Mariovo in the morning and driving into the tobacco fields by Prilep, and to the medieval walls and towers of King Marko rising above the city. From there the group starts hiking up between the boulders of the Gold Mountain to a 13th century remote monastery Treskavec. It is built on a vertical granite cliff at 1,400 meters height, just under the peak Zlatovrv. There, the group will meet father Kalist and hear the story of the great Byzantine heritage hidden in the frescoes of Treskavec. Afternoon drive to Skopje. Farewell dinner in a restaurant in the old town of Skopje. Overnight in Skopje. Total travel time: 204km / 3 hours 5 min

DAY 7: BACK HOME After breakfast transfer to Skopje airport for flight home. Total travel time: 26km / 30min

Tour Summary PRICE RANGE: ~600 euro per person (minimum 8 participants). Single room supplement: 81 euro (where available) Included in price: •

Accommodation: 2 x guesthouse, 2 x 3* hotel, 1 x monastery dorms, 1 x mountain hut

•

Meals: 6 x breakfast, 6 x lunch, 5 x dinner

•

Boat to “Golem Grad” island (Day 4)

•

Transport by air conditioned van/mini coach

•

Full escort by professional hiking guide

Not included in price: •

Drinks during the meals

•

Any extra expenses not mentioned under “Included in price”

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OFFER 3 – MULTISPORT TOUR 22 Type of activity: This multi-sport adventure tour is with a professional guide who will accompany the tourists throughout the whole trip. Aim of the tour: Using the natural resources of Macedonia for adrenaline sport activities. Tourist profile: The level of difficulty is easy to moderate, mostly beacuse some days there will be two activities per day. Coverage of municipalities from the region: Novaci, Bitola, Resen, Krusevo, Krivogashtani, Demir Hisar, Prilep, Dolneni.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS •

4X4 Off-Road trip to Kajmakcalan;

•

Biking & Hiking in Pelister National Park, Galichica National Park and Prilep;

•

Visit Ohrid, the “Jerusalem of the Balkans”;

•

Honey tasting tour in Pelister;

•

Paragliding in Krushevo;

•

Caving in Demir Hisar;

•

Wine tasting in the Tikvesh Wine Area

TRIP OVERVIEW Macedonia is a country of beautiful diversities. From all the nations that left their traces in the cuisine, culture and customs, up to the diverse climate which results from the high mountain massifs and endless vineyards. This trip will take the tourist through the beauties of Pelagonija, Macedonias’ biggest granary. Embedded among mountains at altitude of around 600 m.a.s.l., Pelagonija valley has excellent conditions for adventure tourism. The differences between the urban areas in towns and some of the most remote rural areas, become apparent with their magnificent scenery, forgotten traditions and scents. From Bitola, the town of consuls, through Kajmakcalan and the impressive Pelister, though Ohrid and tame Galicica, up to Krusevo and Prilep. Perfect adventure accompanied with delicious meals and excellent wine. Everyone will feel welcome to Pelagonija, the treasure trove of natural beauties of Macedonia.

The tour has been developed with support from Ride.Mk (Visit Macedonia).

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ITINERARY Day 1: Arrival, transfer Skopje-Bitola The adventure starts with the arrival at the Skopje airport. The transfer from Skopje to Bitola and the shift from the forests’ green color to the wheat golden color will introduce the tourist to the story about diversities in Macedonia. For dinner some of the numerous local traditional meals at the bazaar in Bitola will be served. After dinner, the group heads to the hotel which is located deep in the National park Pelister. Meals included: breakfast, dinner. Accomodation: Hotel on Pelister

Day 2: Kajmakcalan (4x4 Off-Road Tour) Wake up at 1400m altitude inebriated with the scent of the pine forest that surrounds you. After breakfast the tour starts with the first adventure, 4x4 tour to Kajmakcalan, the highest peak on the mountain Nidze. The tourist will be welcomed by rich forests and vast pastures which are part of the pristine nature on this mountain. The two monuments of the First World War are located on the peak, at altitude of 2521m, erected in memory of the deceased Serbian soldiers. Enjoyment in the tranquility and the endless views and after eating from the launch box, and then return to Bitola. If there is enough time and the conditions allow so, there is an option to visit the village Zovik, one of the most beautiful villages in Mariovo. After returning, the tour continues to a very special place, village Dihovo. It is time to meet the host for tonight. In his home, the key word is “ homemade“. Homemade food, homemade wine, homemade beer... Rural tourism to be admired. After the dinner with many different meals, return to the hotel for a deserved rest. * 4x4 tour: cca 140km Meals included: breakfast, lunch box, dinner. Accomodation: Hotel on Pelister.

Day 3: Pelister NP & Brajcino village (Hiking) After breakfast, the daily hiking tour starts from the hotel. The forests above the National park Pelister shall be the playground for today. The easy walk will take the tourist to the thick Molika pine trees and stone granite rivers and through the route from the First World War back to the hotel. Like the previous day, the story of the Salonica front continues on this mountain. The ones with more physical strength could expect to see the highest peak on Baba mountain, Pelister, at 2601 m.a.s.l. height, as well as the two pearls of nature, the Small and Big glacial lakes (The eyes of Pelister). After the hiking tours, return to Dihovo. Putting on protective clothing and getting ready to meet the bees. This is a chance to experience the process of honey making. Transfer to the next destination, the village Brajcino, located on the opposite side of Pelister in immediate proximity to Prespa Lake. Dinner in Brajcino and overnight in a guest house. * hiking (easy): 7km/400m * hiking (challenging): up to 21km/1300m Meals included: breakfast, lunch box, dinner. Accomodation: Local guest house, Brajcino.

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Day 4: Galichica NP, Ohrid (Bike & Hike) Breakfast. This day is a combination of cycling and hiking tour on the downhill of Galicica. The easy option is a transfer to 1600m altitude, and from this point the hiking tour to Lako Signoj starts. This beautiful place offers unforgettable moments and panoramic view of the two lakes, Prespa and Ohrid Lake. The National park Galicica is an open botanical garden with over 1000 types of flora and fauna. After eating from the lunch box, the tour goes back to where the bicycles are waiting. The trip continues with an adrenaline cycling tour that will take the tourists from the hills of Galicica to the shore of Ohrid Lake, one of the oldest lakes in the world with over 4 million years. The road will take the tourists through some fishermen villages and touristic settlements to the town Ohrid, where the tour ends. Those who want a more challenging tour can expect a cycling tour from Brajcino to the viewpoint on Galicica. Following the asphalted road and cross the nature part â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ezeraniâ&#x20AC;?, the endless apple orchards and thick forests of Galicica. The challenge continues by a walking tour and hiking to the peak Magaro, the highest peak on Galicica (2254m), with a stunning view of Ohrid Lake and Albania. After lunch, the group returns by vehicle to Ohrid. If the weather and the conditions allow, there is an option for a visit to the Ethno museum in Podmocani with the biggest collection of traditional clothing from whole Macedonia. The day ends with a night walk in Ohrid and dinner with traditional dishes in a restaurant. Overnight in a hotel in Ohrid. Easy option:

Challenging option:

* hiking: 6km/400m

* cycling: 57km/900m

* cycling: 37km/200m

* hiking: 8km/700m

Please note that for both options the hiking or cycling routes can be shortened, or replace them with transfers with the van instead. Meals included: breakfast, lunch box, dinner. Accomodation: Hotel in Ohrid.

Day 5: Ohrid, Krushevo (Rest Day) This day is intended for rest and relaxation. After breakfast, there is an organized walking tour in Ohrid, the town called Jerusalem on the Balkan. In the past, there used to be 365 churches, one for each day in the year. As one of the oldest, always populated towns in the world (more than 2500 years), Ohrid offers many places to be visited and enjoyed. Antique theatre, Samoil Fortress, the churches Pantelejmon and Kaneo, house- museum of Robevci etc. Free afternoon and time for rest and swimming in the lake. Many optional activities are at disposal in Ohrid. One of them is the visit to the only island in Macedonia called Golem Grad or Zmiski Grad, but please note that this tour must be taken in the morning. One can also take a boat trip to the medieval monastery St. Naum or

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Podgradec in Albania, as well as diving or kayak tours. Transfer to Krusevo in the evening and returning to the mountains. Traditional dinner in a restaurant and overnight in Krusevo. Meals included: breakfast, dinner. Accomodation: Hotel in Krushevo.

Day 6: Krushevo, Prilep (Paragliding) Breakfast. Short transfer to Meckin Kamen and the monument that serves as a reminder of the Ilinden uprising against the Turks. This is also the launching place from where the tour continues with the adventure through Pelagonija. Maximum adrenaline from the tandem paragliding tour in the surrounding of Krusevo can be expected. Afterwards, lunch from lunch boxes and continue with cycling. Two cycling tours, the easy and the difficult tour, will take the tourists to the next destination, Prilep. The road goes through rural areas, villages and fields rich with quality tobacco, which is the trademark of Prilep. Dinner in local restaurant and overnight in a hotel in Prilep. * paragliding: up to 90min, depending on weather conditions. Note that it will take several rounds to complete this activity for a larger group. * cycling (easy): 25km/100m * cycling (challenging): up to 55km/200m Note that the cycling tour would start when the whole group is finished with paragliding. Meals included: breakfast, lunch box, dinner. Accomodation: Hotel in Prilep.

Day 7: Demir Hisar (Caving) Breakfast and transfer to the Demir Hisar area and visit of the Zmeova (Dragon) Cave. On this day, there is an option for visiting the tobacco museum in Prilep where more than 3500 exhibits from around the world are kept, including the tobacco-box of one of the Christopher Colomboâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sailors. The visit depends on the available time and may be arranged before the trip. Dinner and overnight in hotel in Prilep. * caving (easy): 3,5h/400m horizontal distance * caving (challenging): 4h/-10m vertical distance and 600m horizontal distance Please note that the challenging option for caving is limited to 6 participants. Meals included: breakfast, barbecue lunch, dinner. Accomodation: Hotel in Prilep.

Day 8: Treskavec, Tikvesh Wine Region, Skopje (Hiking or Cycling) This is the last active day. After breakfast the tour is headed towards the local attraction of the 14 century, the Towers of Marko above Prilep. There is a possibility for a hiking and cycling tour, or a combination of both. The hiking tours starts from the ruins of the fortress of Krali Marko where one can get a wonderful panoramic view of the town Prilep and its surrounding. Then the route continues through the granite formations up to one of Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

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the most beautiful and oldest monasteries in Macedonia, monastery Treskavec. After eating from the lunch box, the group takes a look at the monastery and learns about its rich history. From the gates of the monastery the trip continues. By bicycle or vehicle, the road takes the traveller to a local house where one can learn about the manual threading of tobacco leafs which is no longer practiced nowadays. The next destination that ends the trip around Pelagonija is visiting one of the best Macedonian wineries in the Tikves wine region. Then follows the wine testing of some superb Macedonian wines accompanied by delicious dinner. After dinner, the tour returns to Skopje. Overnight in a hotel in Skopje. Easy option:

Challenging option:

* hiking: 8km/600m or

* hiking: 8km/600m combined with

* cycling: from 25km/150m to 32km/400m

* cycling: up to 32km/400m, or * cycling: 67km/500m

Note that this day for the challenging option one can go with a combination of hiking & biking, or just the longer cycling option. Meals included: breakfast, lunch box, dinner. Hotel in Skopje.

Day 9: Skopje, Departure After breakfast, departure. Transfer to the Skopje airport. Meals included: breakfast.

TRANSFER AND VEHICLE SUPPORT Depending on the choice of flight, the tour offers transfers to and from Skopje airport or nearby airports (Thessaloniki, Sofia, etc.). Transfers from other airports to Skopje last several hours and are additionally charged. The vehicle transfers the luggage from hotel to hotel as well. During some of the daily runs there is no vehicle support. For more than 6 participants a specialized trailer for bicycles is used.

TOUR DATES UPON REQUEST - FLEXIBLE NON-SCHEDULED Best periods

May 1 - June 30 / September 1 - October 31

Tour Summary TOUR PRICE RANGE per person in a twin rooms: Group size (persons)

Price per person

10-12 6-9 4-5

~ € 1,100 ~ € 1,250 ~ € 1,400

INCLUDED: + Transfer from and to Skopje airport; + Transport of passengers and bikes with support van and bike trailer (trailer available for 6+ participants) for 9 days according to the itinerary (support van not available during some rides); + 8 nights accommodation in 3* and 4* hotels, or guest houses or which: • 5x Bed&Breakfast (Pelister, Ohrid, Krushevo, Prilep, Skopje) and • 3x Half Board (Pelister. Brajchino, Prilep); + 4 traditional dinners in local restaurants (Ohrid, Krushevo, Prilep, Demir Kapija); + 1 traditional dinner with drinks in Dihovo house; + 5 lunch boxes (Kajkakcalan, Pelister, Galichica, Krushevo, Treskavec); + 1 honey making tour and tasting in Dihovo; Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

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+ 1 tobacco making tour in a local house in Prilep (when tobacco is available); + 1 wine tasting in winery; + 4x4 Off-Road trip to Kajmakcalan; + Paragliding tour in Krushevo; + Caving tour in Demir Hisar; + Bike rental; + Professional tour leader and local adventure guides; + Entrance fees according to the itinerary, including entrance fees for National Parks; + Organization, tourist maps & brochures, local tourist taxes and VAT. NOT INCLUDED - Single room supplement 95 â&#x201A;Ź; - Optional meals, lunches/dinners not listed in the above itinerary, drinks; - Insurance. OPTIONAL TRIP EXTENSION Additional day in Skopje before or after the tour on a Bed&Breakfast basis is 25 â&#x201A;Ź per day.

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OFFER 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PARAGLIDERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; HEAVEN 23 Type of activity: Paragliding courses for beginners or experienced paragliders, and tandem paragliding. Known as one of the most attractive paragliding spots in the world, Macedonia has been the place for many Paragliding World Cups in recent years. They all take place in Krushevo, the highest town in the Balkans, located at altitude of 1250 m.a.s.l.. The unique weather conditions of this region, the mountain ridges and wide valleys allow to set challenging and long competition tasks. This location is the favorite XC (cross country) site from where it is possible to attempt long distance flights. Aim of the tour: Using the natural resources of the Pelagonija region for paragliding. Tourist profile: Experienced paragliders or beginners interested to learn the basics of paragliding or to improve their skills. Coverage of municipalities from the region: Krusevo, Krivogastani, Prilep, Mogila. The paragliding experience in Pelagonija includes Krusevo as the main hub where paragliders will attemp to fly long distance. XC flying is also possible here, and on other locations in this region such as: Treskavec monastery - a 13th century Byzantine temple built between the cliffs and boulders above Prilep; Sliva hills located in the cleanest and most remote region of Macedonia; the Kula summit in Mogila, and Galicica National Park for the fantastic experience of flying above the oldest lake in the world protected by UNESCO â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ohrid Lake. The best time to plan a paragliding trip in Macedonia is from May through September. Pilots generally get to fly somewhere every day unless it is raining or is totally blown out, which almost never happens. But, as a fixed itinerary cannot be planned due to weather conditions and pilot requirements, one can always choose to spend a day, or an afternoon on a discovery visit of Pelagonija region, as most of these flying sites are close to beautiful wineries, farms and restaurants, as well as many historic places from the period of Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire, attractive medieval towns and fantastic natural sites. Accommodation will be in Krusevo, a picturesque mountain town with typical colorful houses lined along the narrow cobblestoned streets. The hotel is located in the center of the town with easy access to the main street with numerous restaurants, cafes and shops. The rooms are decorated in the same old authentic style, each one of them with private bathroom, TV, minibar and free Wi-fi. There is also a lovely garden where you can enjoy your meals and coffee/tea time. A guide through he whole paragliding experience would be a professional paraglider, a certified UCVP paragliding instructor pilot and member of the examination commission for issuing licenses in the Macedonian Air Federation, with extensive flying experience.

23 The tour has been developed with support from the travel agency Macedonia Travel.

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If anyone plans to take a beginner or intermediate flying course, trainer paragliders are available and can be used. After these 2 courses the student can buy their own paraglider and join the advanced course and the SIV course. Each one of the courses take up 5-7 days.

Tour Summary PRICE: 70 euro per person per day Single room supplement: 10 euro per person per day Included in price: •

Accommodation in boutique hotel in Krusevo

•

Meals: breakfast and lunch pack

•

Transport during your stay to flying spots and sightseeing locations

•

Full guidance by professional paragliding instructor

Not included in price: •

Drinks during the meals

•

Private transfers from Skopje airport – Krusevo – Skopje Airport

•

Insurance

•

Any extra expenses not mentioned under: “Included in price”

THE PARAGLIDERS’ HEAVEN TANDEM FLIGHTS Alternatively, for those not interested in taking a course in paragliding, a tandem flight above the forests and valleys of Krusevo is offered. The area of take off is known as “Meckin Kamen” and it is only a few kilometers away from the town center. This flight usually lasts or 20-25minutes, but if the weather is good and there are nice thermals, one can additionally agree with the instructor to stay up in the air for another 20 minutes and land farther away from the previously agreed landing place. The ground support team will pick them up from any landing spot. Recommended clothing: Hiking boots with good ankle support and sunglasses. The rest of the equipment is provided by the instructor. PRICE (Tandem flight) : 50 euro per person Included in price: •

Transport from Krusevo to flying point

•

Briefing before take off

•

Flying with expert pilots

Not included in price: •

Additional stay in the air

•

Any extra expenses not mentioned under “Included in price”

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OFFER 5 - TWO-DAY BIKING TOUR PRILEP - KRUSEVO - PRILEP 24 Type of activity: Bicycle tour. Aim of the tour: Using Pelagoniјаs’ natural resources for cycling. Tourist profile: According to the level of difficulty set at a relatively high dregree, the tourists need to be in very good physical fitness, considering that the tour is 120 km long and lasts only 2 days. Coverage of municipalities from the region: Krusevo, Krivogastani, Dolneni, Prilep.

DAY 1 The first day of the tour is intended for crossing around 66km from Prilep, as starting poing end in Krusevo as the destination point, while visiting a number of villages, churches and monasteries throughout the duration of the tour. The total duration of the tour is about 8 hours out of which 5-6 hours intended for active cycling. The lowest point of the tour is 588 meters, while the highest 908 meters. Figure 81: Map of the tour for the first day

Source: Macedonia Travel

Upon commencement of this tour from Prilep it is planned to leave the city area from Varos through the village of Gorno Selo and enter the municipality of Dolneni where the majority of the tour will take place. Namely, the plan is to visit a number of villages in Dolneni, such as Dupjachani, Desovo, Brailovo, Slepce, Koshtino, Sekirci, Peshtalevo, Zhabjani, Ropotovo, Lazhani and Zhitoshe, followed by Krivogastani and scheduled to arrive in Krusevo as the ultimate destination of this first day. During thе tour a visit to several churches and monasteries is planned, such as St. Nicholas in Varosh, the monastery St. Nicholas in the village of Slepce, the church of St. Mary in Kostinci, and the Monastery of St. Spas in Krusevo where the overnight stay is planned. Lunch is planned to take place in the village Peshtalevo, while

The tour has been developed with support from the travel agency Macedonia Travel.

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dinner in the monastery St. Spas in Krusevo where participants of the tour will have the chance to prepare a traditional Macedonian dinner.

DAY 2 The second day involves a return to the municipality of Prilep through Krivogastani, and visiting a number of villages, churches and monasteries on the way. The total length of the cycling path on this day is about 58 km, with total travel time expected to last for about 8 hours, out of which 4-5 hours active cycling. The total altitude gain to be overcome is approximately 300 meters. After leaving Krusevo through Krivogastani, the tour plans to visit many villages like Sveto Mitrani, Miloshevo, Presil, Buchin, Vogjani, Bela Crkva, Obrshani, Pashino Ruvci, Chepigovo, Trojkrsti, Topolchani, Veselchani, Kadino Village, Galichani and Berovci. Figure 82: Map of the tour for the second day

Source: Macedonia Travel

Some of the more important sites included in the tour are the Romanian bridge in Buchin, the archaeological site Stibera in Chepigovo and the church St. Ilija in Veselchani. Breakfast and morning coffee is planned in a Krivogastani local bakery, lunch is scheduled with previously prepared lunch packages in Topolcani, while dinner is planned for one of the restaurants in Prilep. During the tour, the luggage of the participants will be transported by van to place of stay. Also during the tour a van for transfer of the participants will be available.

PRICE RANGE Prices per person for this tour vary depending on the size of the group, and range from about € 200 per person if the group has only two participants, € 140 per person for a group of 4 participants, to about € 115 per person if the group consists of 6-8 participants. The price does not include bike rental which costs about € 35. Additional payment for single room of € 10.

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SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR THE REGION The forecast model of the potential socio-economic benefits in the region, translated in monetary value, is based on the following input parameters and key assumptions: •

Ten-year projection period (2016-2025) with 2015 as baseline year;

•

5.5% average annual growth rate of the number of foreign tourists in Pelagonija;

•

Growth of the adventure tourists’ percentage in the total number of foreign tourists from 0.5% in the first year of the projection to 5% in the fifth year and retaining that level until the end of the period of projection;

•

Average duration of the tourists’ stay of 8.5 days (based on the average length of travel of 8.7 days by АТТА for 2013);

•

Average global price of the trip per day of € 150 (significantly lower than the one registered on global level by АТТА of € 439 in 2013 in order to respond to the local context);

•

65% from the total costs per guest that stay in the local community;

•

Average cost for souvenirs etc. per guest of € 50 which stay in the local community (again, the amount is reduced in terms of the global average of АТТА of € 170 in order to respond to the local context). Table 26: Summary of the economic benefits for the region

VERSION ADJUSTED TO THE RM CONDITIONS - 8.5 days stay Average annual growth rate Number of foreign tourists in Pelagonija Share of adventure tourists in foreign tourists Estimated number of adventure tourists in Pelagonija Average duration of the stay in days Estimated number of overnight stays in Pelagonija Average global price for the trip per day Total value for the domestic economy Estimated share from the total costs per guest that stay in the local community Estimated value that remains in the local community

Projection 2015

Estimated additional value for the local community

Total estimated value for the local community Annual growth rate

2017

2018

2019

…

2025

5.5%

…

5.5%

22,149

23,367

24,652

26,008

27,438

…

37,833

0.5%

2.0%

3.5%

4.5%

5.0%

…

5.0%

111

467

863

1,170

1,372

…

1,892

8.5

…

8.5

941

3,972

7,334

9,948

11,661

…

16,079

€ 150

…

€ 150

€ 141,198

€ 595,855

65.0%

€ 91,779

€ 387,305

€ 715,063

€ 969,932

€1,136,975

322.0%

84.6%

35.6%

17.2%

€ 50

…

€ 50

€ 5,537

€ 23,367

€ 43,141

€ 58,518

€ 68,596

…

€ 94,583

€ 97,316

€ 410,672

€758,204

€1,028,449

322.0%

84.6%

35.6%

Annual growth rate Average cost per guest for souvenirs etc.

2016

€1,100,097

€1,492,202

€1,749,193 …

…

65.0%

€1,567,710 5.5%

€1,205,571 … 17.2%

€ 2,411,862

…

€1,662,293 5.5%

Based on the input parameters above, the total benefit for the region, i.e. for the local population in the Pelagonija region amounts to the total estimated value of realized costs per guest that stay in the local Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

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community (65%) and estimated added value for the local community based on additional spending for souvenirs and similar per guest (€ 50 per guest). This estimated benefit for the region amounts from € 100,000 in the first year with forecasted around 100 adventure tourists up to € 1.7 million in the last year of the projected period with about 1,900 adventure tourists in the region. After the fifth year, the benefit for the region stabilizes at an average level of € 1.5 million with average number of 1,700 tourists on annual level. The model is very sensitive to the average duration of the stay - in days and if shortened to 5.5 days instead of forecasted 8.5 days, the total value for the region shall decline for 33%, almost proportional to the reduction of the number of days for the stay (-35%). This indicates the importance of the offered content in order to retain the tourists in the region as long as possible.

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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF ADVENTURE TOURISM As previously stated, one of the main characteristics of adventure tourism is to stimulate the sustainable development and use of sustainable practices both by the creators of offers and creators of tourism policies. This characteristic of adventure tourism is indispensable in order to ensure one of the key three elements that define adventure tourism, that is, clean environment. If due attention is not paid to the protection of the environment during the development of adventure tourism, one cannot speak about sustainable development of this industrial branch, and in turn, it would prevent the development of local economies. Adventure tourism may contribute to the generation of significant economic benefits for the tourism destinations through opening jobs and sources of income, and providing strong motivating factors for protection of the environment in the respective destinations. Furthermore, it can assist to raise the awareness about the goods and services which originate from the biodiversity as well as the need to respect traditional knowledge and practices. Thanks to the non-governmental sector, municipalities and developmental funds, Pelagonija region has realized many initiatives for protection of the natural wealth in the region. There are 4 protected areas in the region, i.e. National park “Pelister“, National park “Galicica“, “Ezerani“ (Nature park) and “Ohrid-Prespa“ Biosphere Reserve. This is the 14th transboundary biosphere reserve in the world which is protected by UNESCO. In addition, there are areas with specific developmental needs regulated by law as the Natural monument “Markovi Kuli“ (Prilep) and the town Krusevo which is completely protected with the Law on the Town of Krusevo. The presence of numerous relicts and endemic species of flora and fauna are one of the most impressive characteristics of the National park Pelister. Endemic species are mainly registered for the invertebrate. There are 44 types of game in the national park “Pelister“, 14 of which are permanently protected. At the National park “Galicica“, there are 61 types of game which is permanently protected. The biggest problem regarding the creation of clean environment is the existence of illegal dumps, inadequate regulation of the waste water and existence of several power plants polluters (the biggest polluter is REK Bitola, and then the surrounding factories). The region needs adequate staff that will use the newly established stations in order to monitor the pollution of air, water and soil and to define strategies and projects for overall protection of the environment.

ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF ADVENTURE TOURISM ON THE ENVIRONMENT This chapter includes information about the environmental impact from the implementation of the strategy for development of adventure tourism on the territory of Pelagonija region. In general, the environmental impact on the development of adventure tourism may be positive, negative (unfavorable) and they may include two aspects – both positive and negative – at the same time. Furthermore, impact is most often categorized as direct, indirect and cumulative. Direct impact on the environment is the one that happens at the same time and at the same place, as initial reason or action. Indirect impact happens later in time or is spatially distanced from the activity, but would be considered as significant in due time. Cumulative effects result from incremental effects of the action once they are added to other past, current and reasonably foreseeable future actions. The focus of this section in the document is on the negative impact which should be assessed in order to propose measures for mitigation of the impact. Indeed, the positive impact from the project development is primarily focused on the socio-economic benefits in the region and increase in the tourism offer of the municipalities in the Pelagonija region.

SUMMARY OF THE POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE MEASURES FOR MITIGATION OF CONSEQUENCES Based on the required resources and investments in infrastructure for implementation of different forms of adventure tourism, the environmental impact will be felt during the construction and/or reconstruction of parts of the road network that will enable linkage and access to certain areas, also during the reconstruction of the mountain huts and existing accommodation facilities and construction of new mountain huts, as well as during the reconstruction/construction of auxiliary units at certain locations, such as sanitary facilities. With regard to the operational approach, no negative environmental impact has been foreseen. Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

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It is estimated that during all phases of the implementation, the following components of the environment will be mostly affected: noise and vibrations, generation of waste, flora as well as socio-economic effects on the local population. In response to the identified impact, that is, the reasons that contribute to the negative environmental impact from the implementation of the strategy, several measures have been foreseen to reduce/mitigate or avoid the negative impact presented in the previous section.

PROPOSED MEASURES FOR CONSERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT The proposed measures to mitigate the negative environmental impact of the project are presented in the Table below. Table 27: Proposed measures to mitigate the negative environmental impact of the project Component of the environment

Potential negative impact

Proposed measures to reduce the impact

Goal of the proposed measures

PHASE OF PREPARATIONAL WORKS AND CONSTRUCTION/RECONSTRUCTION Quality of ambient air

- Emission of dust during

cleaning up of construction sites/or reconstruction of buildings foreseen with the project (road infrastructure, mountain huts and other accommodation facilities);

- Emission of exhaust gases

and vibration from the work of the machinery on the terrain for installment of the project equipment;

- Preparation of Plan for management of construction activities and application of good construction practices;

- Plan for traffic management during the construction and limiting the speed of vehicles at and around the construction site, especially near the houses in the base of the trail;

- Mitigating the emission and dispersion of pollutants (PM 10, CO, NOx, VOCs, dust) on the project locations

- Use of vehicles and equipment that have lower quantity of exhaust gases and create less noise;

- Provision of protective measures regarding the safety and health of the workers at the construction site;

- Limiting the working hours at the construction site during the day and regular information for the population about the time and scope of construction works;

- Forbidden combustion of vegetation;

- Forbidden throwing away of cut vegetation when the terrain is cleaned in order to prevent negative impact on the scenery and to prevent processes of putrefaction of organic materials; regarding the local population Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

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Component of the environment

Potential negative impact

Proposed measures to reduce the impact

Goal of the proposed measures

and the scope of construction works; Surface and underground waters

There are no existing surface watercourses on the respective locations and the level of the underground water is relatively deep.

- It is recommended that in parts where flesh flood is created due to heavy rain, not to pile up excess of digging material, debris or communal waste and not to denude additional areas due to the steepness of the terrain in order to avoid erosion or landslide or intensive drenching rain;

- Prevention of pollution on the natural soil and water resources

- Leakage of fuel or oil from the construction machinery and equipment should be prevented in order to protect the soil. Soil

- Soil on the respective locations is not of high quality, but they are significant natural resources for the biodiversity and geodiversity. Therefore, any pollution of the soil during the project implementation should be prevented.

- Prevention of leakage of fuel and oil from the construction machinery and equipment in the soil; - Emergency plan during leakage; - Vegetation stips in the lowest possible proportions in order to prevent further denudation of the terrain and occurrence of erosion;

- Planning and precise completion of construction activities according to the Plan for construction activities management

- Limited movement for the workers outside of the project area; - Urgent collection of the spilt materials and its potential danger for the soil; - Forbidden throwing of waste and debris in the surrounding soil; - Storage of the construction material and equipment according to the recommendations of the producer; - Separation of the upper humus layer during the digging of the soil and its reuse after the completion of the construction activities; - Planting indigenous vegetation in order to stabilize the terrain and prevent erosion. Generation and management of waste

- Pollution of the environment due to incorrect management of generated waste within the scope of the project and the

- Drafting a Plan for waste management; - Biodegradable waste to be selected and adequately

- Pollution of the environment due to improper waste management as

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Component of the environment

Potential negative impact environment

Proposed measures to reduce the impact eliminated from the project location; - Signing contract with authorized collectors of waste at different fractions during the project realization; - Training for the workers how to handle the waste;

Goal of the proposed measures part of the project and in the surrounding

- Installation of adequate platforms/locations for elimination of waste during future use by the project; Noise and vibrations

- Increase in the level of noise and vibrations in the course of the project constructions

- Limitation of the time for construction works in order to reduce the level of noise and vibrations; - Avoidance of equipment which produces noise over 90 dB, especially in areas near houses and sensitive areas; - Avoidance of sound signals (siren) during the construction activities in populated places and reduction of the speed for vehicles near the construction site;

- Maintaining the level of noise in the framework of the allowed limits and measures for protection of the population and the fauna

- Respect for the introduced traffic regime according to the Plan for traffic management; - Mandatory use of personal protection equipment for noise (headphones,ear plugs); - The whole construction equipment should fulfill the requirements of the EU Directive No. 2000/14/EĐ&#x2014; for noise emissions in the surrounding which is created by the equipment for external use; - Avoidance of the works that overlap, i.e. generate big noise at the same time, near sensitive receptors/populated places; - Application of good construction practice for noise management, i.e. the equipment that produces big noise will be allocated along the project location in a way that avoids cumulative impact of the noise; Embed equipment and materials which during the phase of use Study on Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region as Destination for Adventure Tourism

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Component of the environment

Potential negative impact

Proposed measures to reduce the impact

Goal of the proposed measures

with the project shall generate big noise. Biodiversity

- Destruction of the flora on the location of the project and fragmentation of habitats; - Upsetting the fauna and reduction of the number of population of anthropogenic presence.

- Application of measures for protection of air, water, soil, waste management and noise; - Combustion of the vegetation is not allowed due to protection of the habitats, plants and animals; - Removal of bushes after the period of birds reproduction; - Hunting game by the workers is not allowed; - Adequate planting of vegetation as compensatory measure.

Culturalhistoric heritage

- Destroying accidentally discovered items during the construction/reconstruction activities

- Notification for the competent institutions if some culturalhistoric heritage is discovered during the construction works in accordance with the Law on Protection of Cultural Heritage (Official Gazette of RM No. 20/04, 115/07, 18/11 and 148/11);

- The measures should limit the impact only within the scope of the project and measures should be applied to minimize the impact on the biodiversity.

- Protection of the culturalhistoric heritage on the location.

- Avoidance of construction works during the period of manifestations and cultural events on the locality; - Training for the workers about working in conditions near an archeological site; - Mandatory engagement of experts (archeologists) in case something is discovered accidentally; Health and safety of the workers and the population

- Threat to the health and safety of the workers and local population

- Fencing and securing the construction site; - Forbidden access to unauthorized persons to the construction site, - Mandatory use of personal and collective protective items for the workers; - Adjustment of the transportation vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speed near populated places; - Avoidance of loud alarms; - Training for the workers to apply the standards for health and safety at the workplace.

- Application of the national legislation on safety and health at the workplace in order to avoid injuries at the workplace and threat to the health of the people.

Source: Own analysis of the consultants

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DEFINITION OF THE STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPMENT ADVENTURE TOURISM IN THE PELAGONIJA REGION

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS FROM THE RESEARCH AND ANALYSES Based on the detailed mapping and valorization of the natural resources available in the Pelagonija region for the purposes of development of adventure tourism, as well as the SWOT analysis and developed illustrative offers for adventure tourism, one can reach the following conclusions: Pelagonija region has both natural resources and resources for adventure activities, i.e. resources which are relevant to the development of the adventure tourism in the region and offer possibilities to attract tourists who are interested inr 25: •

Sport and traditional climbing (locations near Pelister and Prespa near Stenje);

•

Boldering (locations in the area around Prilep);

•

Paragliding (Krusevo near Meckin kamen, Treskavec near Prilep and initial stations on Galicica with possibility for flights towards Ohrid and Prespa lake);

•

Hiking and mountain biking (Baba mountain and National park Pelister near Bitola, mountain Galicica and National park Galicica and mountain Babuna near Prilep)

•

Cross-country biking (Bitola-Prespa region);

•

Caving (area around Prilep, on Galicica, Demir Hisar);

•

Visiting archeological sites (Bitola, Prilep, Demir Hisar, Novaci);

•

Visiting churches and monasteries (Bitola, Prilep, Krusevo, Resen, Demir Hisar, Dolneni, Krivogastani, Novaci and Mogila);

•

Jeep ride (Baba mountain- Pelister, Galicica- Magaro, Nidze- Kajmakcalan);

•

Bird watching and wildlife watching (Krivogashtani, National park Pelister and Galicica, island Golem ostrov and nature park Ezerani – Prespa Lake);

•

Ski touring (Baba mountain, peak Pelister).

The use of the region’s potential for development of adventure tourism is related to the potential cooperation among the municipalities in order to enable the creation of quality adventure products, which in combination with the other planning regions may put Macedonia on the map as a desired destination for adventure tourism. The existing current offer by local tour operators, guides and accommodation facilities as such is insufficient and of poor quality. In order to reach higher levels of attraction of the region as a destination, there is a need for additional investments, as well as further trainings and improvement of the quality and adequacy of the accommodation/catering facilities. Initialy, given the current offer and situation in the region, there is a possibility to attract tourists through the so-called transit tours that last 2-3 days and which may be used for promotion of the future potential of the region, and will also have a stimulating effect on the local population to recognize the possibilities offered by this tourism branch and to start investments for building the local capacities. The future efforts of the planning region and individual municipalities should be directed towards creation of adequate conditions for development of adventure tourism (summarized in chapter 6.2) as well as the creation of multi-days tours (7-10 days) in order to retain the tourists for a longer period of time for the purpose of maximization of the socio-economic benefits for the local communities.

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DEFINITION OF STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES This section defines the key strategic objectives for development of adventure tourism in the Pelagonija planning region, and formulates the strategic framework as starting gound for the development of specific activities and projects on the level of the region and individual municipalities. Based on the findings and conclusions of the research, as well as the potential socio-economic benefits for the local communities, as foreseen by the developed model, one may define the three key interrelated objectives of the strategy as: Chart 9: Strategic framework and activities for development of adventure tourism in Pelagonija

Strategy for development of adventure tourism in Pelagonija region (1) Creation of the required conditions for development of adventure tourism - Marking rocks and climbing routes for sport and traditional climbing - Road infrastructure to connect the boldering locations with quality roads - Improvement of the road infrastructure to the launching and landing locations for paragliding - Marking routes, construction of small bridges and crossings and introduction of system for maintenance of the routes for climbing and mountain cycling - Repair and reconstruction of some of the mountain huts, construction of toilets, renovation and extension of rooms and bigger number of beds and new accomodation capacities for climbing and mountain cycling, visiting archeological sites and churches and monasteries -Education for the mountain leaders as well as guides for birds watching and watching game - Education for the local population about tourism and catering

(2) Creation of adventure tour offers attractive for foreign tourists

(3) Marketing strategy for adventure tourism and promotional activities

- Transit tours (one-two-three days) for initial promotion of the destination for adventure tourism - Đ˘hematic several-day tours (7-10 days) in order to continue the stay of tourists in the region that will ensure added value to remain with the local service providers (guides, restaurants, accomodation capacities etc.)

- Direct communication and cooperation with domestic tour operators for receptive tourism - Organization of promotional events for the tours and adventure activities in the region (under the principle of ATTA events) - Participation at fairs for promotion and presentation of the offer in the region, as well as to transfer the new trends in adventure tourism worldwide (Annex No.)

- Support for local projects regarding the access to finances

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Objectives are interrelated in a way that the creation of adventure offers is practically not feasible without parallel investments in the conditions that precede the development of adventure tourism. In best case scenario, the promotional activities may attract tourists for a transit tour and would neither return nor recommend the region as destination if they are not satisfied with the experience. The experience offered to the tourists will largely depend on the quality of the local guides, accommodation facilities, safety and security during the adventure activities, and these are all preconditions required for development of adventure tourism.

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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN The implementation plan was designed from the perspective of the Centre for development of the Pelagonija planning region (Centre) as holder of the plan and because the Centre commissioned the preparation of the Study. Furthermore, the main focus of the implementation is put on the preparation of the Pelagonija planning region for the forthcoming event of АТТА organized in Ohrid in May 2016 година 26.With regard to the activities, the implementation plan is focused on several groups of activities under the competence of the Centre that will manage and facilitate their implementation on regional and municipal level, in cooperation with the respective representatives. Namely, the plan includes the following activities: 1.

Presentation of the study in front of the municipalities: first step of the implementation is to familiarize the key stakeholders (municipalities) with the findings of the study and their role in the process of implementation;

Promotion of the proposed tours in front of key domestic tour operators that already offer packages for adventure tourism in order to become familiar with the possibilities offered in the region and what is ready made to be sold to foreign tourists;

Organization of working meetings with key individuals from the municipalities in order to define the key priorities on the level of municipality on the basis of the mapping of resources, as well as to stimulate the inter-municipal cooperation if such possibilities exist, which will be in the interest of both interested parties;

Provision of support to the municipalities in the form of knowledge and technical support for design of municipal and inter-municipal projects for development of adventure tourism, covering part of the investment costs for priority projects depending on the financial power of the centre, as well as support for access to finances for realization of the priority projects of larger scale, beyond the possibilities of the Centre; and

Support in the implementation of the priority municipal projects for which funds will be obtained for implementation. Table 28: Proposed Implementation plan for the Strategy for development of adventure tourism

Task Name

Implementation plan for the Strategy for development of adventure tourism in Pelagonija Organization of working meetings for presentation of the Strategy in front of the municipalities

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

August Aug

September Sep

October Oct

November Nov

December Dec

January Jan

February Feb

March Mar

April

May Apr

May

June Jun

Organization of promotional event for presentation of proposed tours for adventure tourism for Interested tour operators Definition of key priorities for development on the level of municipality in cooperation with representatives of municipalities Support in the preparation of projects for development of adventure tourism on municipal level Provision of financial support for the priority project interventions (depending on the size of the Investment and the possibilities of the Centre) Support for access to finance for implementation of municipal projects of big scale Support for the implementation of municipal projects that will receive access to finances

Adventure NEXT BALKANS 2016 - Link

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