AmCham Macedonia 3/2019 | Page 6

COVER STORY Our Mavrovo - a Cradle for Adventure Tourism Emir Dauti, Marketing Coordinator, K.A.K. DOOEL F or the increasing number of tourists visiting North Macedonia, those seeking to roam further afield in search of unique experiences – adventure travel has become a cornerstone of the tourism experience here in North Macedonia. As we alternate to a more globalized world, consumers are progressively hunting legitimate adventure experiences which makes the adventure tourism presumably one of the segments facing soaring interest. Yet for guests, adventure tourism means an experience - based holiday; it means extra value as they learn and interact with local residents and connect with their core values. For us businesses, adventure tourism brings guests during and after the high season, and focuses on the natural and cultural 6 EMERGING MACEDONIA values of a destination, consequently advocating for conservation, which helps differentiate destinations from the competition, and creates happy guests likely to return. Also, adventure tourism consolidates and promotes the values of tourism we want, tourism that complies with the cultural and natural laws and protects the most vulnerable. In order to become more familiar with adventure tourism we must first differentiate it from mass tourism. Adventure tourism can also be described by what mass tourism is not. Mass tourism incorporates large - ship cruises around theme parks or casino resorts. It relies on the economies of scale, the replication of standard products and cost reduction. In other words, the