Qatar investments ‘will boost hospitality sector’

President of the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce Snezana T Jovanovska has said that there are only about 200 graded hotels in the country even though there are several hundred budget hotels and other tourist accommodations, including home stays.  “The investments from such resourceful countries as Qatar would help Macedonia establish many top range hospitality facilities which would eventually draw more visitors to this side,” said Zhivka Cvetkoska.The chamber official said the well-laid road network and excellent connections with  countries in the neighbourhood would give her country a head start in receiving good tourist flow. Travel professional and Turkish Airlines official Omar Aslan said developments in some parts of the Middle East in the recent past have opened the floodgates for Gulf tourists to the Balkans. “Istanbul could well serve as a major passage for tourists from all over to the fascinating region, which has several beautiful lakes, mountains, greenery, historic churches, mosques, ancient heritage and archaeological sites, and medical facilities. The official said along with Macedonian Tourism, Turkish Airlines is also contemplating a roadshow to promote travel through the Turkish capital to locations in eastern Europe.A general feeling shared by a number of tourists travelling to the central Balkans is that no visit to the region is complete without a tour of Istanbul, which is essentially the gateway to the European continent for  people from the Middle East and Asia. “A day’s stay or two in Istanbul is considered ideal for tourists before proceeding to the new states carved out of the erstwhile Yugoslavia,” said Aslan, whose company is preparing a  host of packages to meet the travel requirements of  tourists to the Balkan states from the Asian continent.  “The opportunity to visit a new country and get a taste and feel of its culture and people is really something for any tourist,” said Aslan, while revealing Turkish Airlines’ plans to fly more passengers to the Balkan states.