From September 23 to 25, the CNVP North Macedonia team, Shar Mountain National Park, and several sub-grantees supported through the CNVP/PONT project attended the IFTM Top Resa International Tourism Fair in Paris.

This important event was an excellent opportunity for our participants to explore the latest trends and best practices in the field of sustainable tourism, particularly in mountain and protected areas, and to engage in direct exchange with experts and practitioners from around the world.

During the visit, meetings were held with numerous professionals actively working on the development of tourism based on conservation of natural resources. Discussions focused on how to foster sustainable economic development without compromising biodiversity, as well as the crucial role of local communities in creating tourism offers that are authentic, responsible, and resilient in the long term.

A particularly valuable meeting was held with representatives from Scandinavian national parks, who shared their advanced approaches to biodiversity conservation, visitor management, and the use of digital tools in planning and monitoring.

We also met with representatives of national parks from the Balkans, such as Krka and Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, and Julian Alps in Slovenia. These discussions highlighted the shared challenges and opportunities related to tourism development in sensitive natural areas and the importance of engaging local communities in these processes.

The visit to IFTM Top Resa in Paris was a valuable experience for our representatives, opening new opportunities for international cooperation and providing further motivation for the development of sustainable tourism in North Macedonia.

The visit to the IFTM Top Resa International Tourism Fair was implemented activity within the project “Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Shar, Korab–Koritnik and the Albanian Alps,” financially supported by PONT.