Cultural tourism as an opportunity for sustainable regional development: the case of Bitola

Achieving a win-win-win situation through conservation of heritage and creating benefit for local people and visitors is the uppermost impact of sustainable tourism strategies. In South East Europe (SEE) most sites lack adequate tourism business and infrastructure, while the environment and socio-cultural contexts do not receive the needed consideration. Under such circumstances, sustainable tourism could be successfully developed, contributing to the protection and conservation of the heritage sites, but also generating income and benefit for local people as well as for tourism professionals. The article analyze the municipality of Bitola (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) that offers a rich cultural heritage, historic monuments and cultural events. The article take into consideration the key success factors for enhancing the development of a sustainable tourism of this cultural site evaluating its potential.