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bne May 2021 Southeast Europe I 45
A new business model
Ana Bogoevska, reservation manager
at Savana tourist agency in Skopje, admitted that the tourism sector, as the most affected by the pandemic, has been facing challenges for a whole year, but says travel agencies are still determined to offer interesting and safe trips.
Additional difficulties, as she told bne IntelliNews by email, are closed borders in Europe, where it is impossible to go even with a negative PCR test. Only other Western Balkan countries (except Kosovo) can be visited without PCR tests at present. However, travel to a number of more exotic destinations is possible wth a PCR test though the rules are being changed very often and vary for different countries.
“We expect the measures to be relaxed for trips in Turkey, so that after April 15 we can travel there without a PCR test,” Bogoevska said. Egypt, Dubai and the Maldives are also open, but PCR tests are needed.
“All these challenges affect travelling habits. Fear of the global pandemic is definitely present among travellers, making people to be more careful, so this year, trips in groups are absent or are very rare,” she said.
Another North Macedonia travel agency, Atlantis, also offers destinations for individual or group travels like the
€1,400 for a trip to the Maldives for Orthodox Easter.
Dubai is not only a sought-after destination for vacations, particularly
in the spring, but many young people from North Macedonia work there or
in other tourist resorts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “I live [for work] in a village [in the UAE] surrounded by hills near the sea, where the weather
is cooler. Summer is very hot in Dubai, so don’t go there in summer, now is much better,” Filip, who recently came to visit his hometown Skopje, said in an informal chat. And he added: “We are all vaccinated there, so don’t be afraid.”
Backlash amid the third wave
Unfortunately, North Macedonia was hit by the third wave of the pandemic since mid-February, after the number of infections subsided in the previous two months, which ruined some of the tourist agencies’ plans.
“There was interest in Zanzibar before the outbreak of the third wave of the pandemic one month ago, but not
now,” an employee from a Skopje-based tourist agency, who insisted on not being named, told bne IntelliNews in a phone conversation.
This is mainly because the authorities recently imposed a 14-day quarantine for holidaymakers who return from African countries, due to the fears of
news about trips to exotic destinations are damaging the tourism sector and represent “bad marketing”. In March, two government officials from North Macedonia were “caught”, one visiting Mexico and the other Dubai. This sparked harsh reactions from opposition parties and the opposition media as well as the Twitter community.
“There was a lynching of people who recently returned from vacations
in Zanzibar,” said the anonymous interviewee, claiming that going
to distant trips is much safer than enjoying food and drinks in crowded local café bars and restaurants in North Macedonia. “The virus is spreading mostly in the local environment by people who do not respect the measures. Going on vacation to the Maldives with PCR tests is much safer,” he said.
Changed priorities
Despite the pandemic, tour operators in Slovenia are preparing for a busier spring and summer. However, the uncertainty related to COVID-19 has naturally changed people’s priorities. “There is a lot of fear and hazards in people’s minds so they do not want
to travel on their own any more and would rather contact a travel specialist like us to organise everything for them. Safety is our priority,” Rot said, adding that for that reason the agency offers individual and small group tours. In 2021, Lifetime Experience will organise trips to exotic but safe destinations such as the Maldives and Zanzibar.
“This year we are focused on attractive destinations for a reasonable price
and limited or no travel restrictions.
In Slovenia there is a big interest in
such trips as we are known as a nation who travel a lot,” Rot said. The deeper pockets of Slovenians compared to other nations in the region make these trips more affordable for them.
Recently, Slovenian officials advised citizens to avoid unnecessary trips at least until the situation calms down. However, Rot said that his agency's trips are safe and clients have not been infected with COVID-19.
“Fear of the global pandemic is definitely present among travellers, making people to be more careful, so this year, trips in groups are absent or are very rare"
Maldives and the Dominican Republic, and soon will organise charter flights to Egypt. “Trips are safe with PCR tests needed. Everything goes smoothly,” an employee from the agency said.
Prices vary depending on the timing, but they range from just over €300 for a package holiday in Dubai to close to
spreading the South African variant of the virus. This followed public criticism over travel to distant destinations during the pandemic mostly from portals financed by the opposition parties.
The anonymous interviewee complained that negative comments from the Twitter community as well as fake
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