MOVING Project - Rural Tourism as Economic Driver in North Macedonia

The Maleshevski Region in eastern North Macedonia, covering Berovo and Pechovo municipalities, is a rural tourism and agricultural area with 52% forest cover and elevations from 660m to 1,932m. It supports hiking, biking, and traditional gastronomy based on dairy, honey, and vegetables. Despite growth in private accommodations and adventure tourism, challenges include climate change impacts like wildfires, depopulation, youth outmigration, and reliance on short-term visitors. Local value chain actors—family enterprises, forest owners, food producers, and local governments—face seasonal employment gaps and infrastructure constraints. The region has established a food producer incubator and leverages associations to strengthen resilience and sustainability in mountain value chains.