Skopje, 5 November 2024 (MIA) - Through the development of creative industries, we will enable people to see their future and their profits outside of national institutions. It is necessary to reduce the volume of national institutions, and invest much more in the private sector and non-governmental organizations. The possibility of opening private theaters and similar establishments is the path to follow. This is exactly where the future is for every country that aspires to join the European family, Minister of Culture and Tourism Zoran Ljutkov told a panel discussion held as part of Tuesday's Conference on Development of Creative Tourism organized by Skopje Design Week 2024 in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture.

Ljutkov noted that the first thing he will focus on as a Minister is the development of transit tourism, because, he added, it is something that is very important at this moment.

"For years we have been saying that culture is a consumer and does not contribute to the country's economic development, and so a model must be found to make this different. We think in a progressive, economic, healthy way. Therefore, we want to combine these two important sectors, because together culture and tourism and the creative industries, which actually combine these two important sectors, can show that culture can be significant for the state budget, it can contribute, develop the state. Through the development of creative industries, we will enable people to see their future and their profits outside of national institutions," said Ljutkov. 

He said that earlier in the morning he had met with the EU Ambassador Michalis Rokas, who has expressed enthusiasm in terms of combining culture and tourism sectors.

"I had a longer meeting with the European Ambassador Rokas. This was our third meeting, but the first official one in my office. We had a longer conversation and discussed these topics. Rokas is very ambitious and enthusiastic about combining culture and tourism. It is important how we as a country can map the concrete cultural values ​​we have. As a country, we will have to map out all the values, both in the area of ​​folklore, music, but also in the area of ​​archaeology, tourism and sports. As a minister, the first thing I will do is the development of transit tourism, because it is something that is very important to us at this moment," Ljutkov added. 

The Minister announced that special programs on tourism and hospitality will be prepared in 2025, as well as programs that will focus directly on the development of cultural tourism.

"The strategies we have will have to be developed in a completely different way. We haven't had a strategy for the development of culture since 2022. This means now that we are combining culture and tourism, we will have to adopt a completely new strategy and project what will happen in the coming years," Ljutkov said.

Founder and director of D Festival and Taksirat festival, Login Kochishki, music promoter and concert organizer at the Youth Cultural Center (MKC), Vladica Mladenovski-Grga, cultural worker and art director at Bitola's "Lokum Fest", Toshe Ivanovski, and tourism economy representative, Toshe Chochoroski, also addressed the panel.

The panellists agreed among other that it is necessary to combine culture and tourism, noting however that it requires serious and careful strategy. 

Marija Gjorgova, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said the experiences of neighbouring countries in managing cultural tourism should also be followed, adding that it is necessary to find models for subsidies outside budget funds. 

Photo/video: MIA