The misconception of tourism development: Analyzing crowding in Ohrid, North Macedonia

This study aims to highlight a misconception and a flawed direction in the development of tourism in Ohrid, a transboundary World Heritage (WH) site and the most visited summer tourist destination in North Macedonia. Based on the Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) model, the paper particularly addresses destination’s ‘Development stage’ (covering the period 2010-2024). By calculating standard indicators for seasonality, tourism density, and intensity, the paper reveals strong pressure from total tourist arrivals resulting in crowding during the high season (July-September). The article emphasizes that the increased visitation is misinterpreted by local tourism policymakers as ‘development’ when it is, in fact, a classic case of ‘tourism crowding’ stemming from lack of planning. Finally, the results open a discussion on the unsustainability of the destination and the potential loss of its WH designation.