SITUATION AND PERSPECTIVES ON SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Last tourism development in the Republic of Macedonia had all characteristics of tourism on international level, with main orientation to achieve higher economic benefits, by neglecting the environmental and social aspects of tourism at same time. The result of such development is emerging need in recent period, particularly among the creators of tourist policy and facilitators of tourist activity, that future orientation of tourism development necessarily has to consider its sustainability along with the care for natural and cultural values as tourist offer' inevitable components. The knowledge for sustainable development and awareness for the need of such development in the Republic of Macedonia are on their beginning, with similar situation of the awareness for sustainable tourism development, too. There is a certain level of knowledge and awareness among stakeholders that future tourism development in Macedonia should consider natural and cultural heritage protection along with tourism development. But there are differences about the questions that make the tourism sustainable, from the point of sustainable indicators and carrying capacities, who should decide for those indicators on different levels, and who should project future tourism development. Conducted research in the paper indicates on good beginnings towards sustainable tourism development in the country, but on the other side we like to emphasize that the findings show the need for further efforts towards achieving sustainability in tourism development.