RURAL AREAS IN MACEDONIA AS TOURISM SUPPLY: PROBLEM OR A CHALLENGE?

The fact that Macedonia has unique and well-preserved natural resources, large number of traditional rural households and much supplementary potential, imposes great future challenges towards rural tourism development. Moreover, due to ever-growing interest of international market in rural lifestyle, rural tourism sounds like inevitable alternative for economic development. The paper uses a qualitative approach to illustrate the ambient for development of tourism in rural areas in Macedonia. In this respect, the research outlines the current possibilities seriously to consider rural areas to be added to the current tourism supply in Macedonia, by highlighting the barriers of rural tourism from a perspective of a problem or a challenge. The paper points out that Macedonia needs to undertake serious measures and activities on central and local level for incorporating many rural areas in enriching tourism supply and boosting modest tourism development.