Skopje, 2 October 2024 (MIA) - German tour operator RSD is set to bring 35.000 tourists to the country in 2025, starting from February, according to the owner of the company, Christian Funk. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said this would mean an additional EUR 30 million in direct spending in the country, which, alongside accommodation, transport and other expenses could reach EUR 50 million.

The company’s owner, Christian Funk, said the tourists would visit outside the regular tourist season and that RSD mainly carries out cultural tours.

“We are planning to bring 35.000 guests next year, starting from February, and I am very thankful that we can be here, and we had the opportunity to make a presentation today and to show what we are planning to do. And thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for the support and the opportunity to be here in your wonderful country and I think we have a big operation in the future,” Funk said. 

Prime Minister Mickoski said the Government has a strategic goal to support tourism, which is why, he said, tourism was added to the Ministry of Culture.

“As of February, next year around 35.000 tourists will visit Macedonia out of season, organized by this tour agency. We intend to develop cultural tourism, and we need to demonstrate our cultural capacities such as the city of Ohrid, Skopje, as the capital, the Mother Teresa Memorial House and other cultural landmarks, since Macedonia has many such places it can be proud of,” Mickoski said. 

The PM stressed that RSD has an annual turnover of more than EUR 1 billion and is active in other areas in addition to tourism, such as marketing, telecommunications, energy and the hotel industry.

“As of February, next year they will bring one airplane per day with tourists from Germany, France and Great Britain. Based on the company’s experiences, this would mean around EUR 30 million directly spent in our country by the guests that will visit us, and if we add accommodation and other expenses to this, we can even reach a figure of EUR 50 million. The tourists will be on a Balkan tourst that will start with one night in Skopje, followed by Montenegro and Albania, then a night in Ohrid, and it will conclude with two additional nights in Skopje. The number of nights spent will represent around 10-15 percent of the total number of nights spent by foreign tourists in our country currently,” Mickoski said.

Photo: MIA Archive