Workshop on Tourism Potential in Maleshevo and Future Protected Area Chengino Kale

As part of the implementation of the campaign for establishing a protected area in Chengino Kale and the preparation of study on the natural values of Chengino Kale, a workshop about the “Tourism potential of Maleshevo and the future protected area Chengino Kale” was held on 4 November 2019 in the Education Centre for nature conservation in the village of Negrevo, Pehcevo. The workshop was attended by key stakeholders from Berovo and Pehchevo in the field of tourism and hospitality services, while the event was opened by the Mayor of Pehchevo Dragi Trenchovski and the Mayor of Berovo, Zvonko Pekevski.

At the meeting there were talks about the situation in the region in terms of tourist offers as well as about the potentials for development and linking services and activities related to different types of tourism.

A study about valorization of the natural resources of Chengino Kale is currently being developed, a process coordinated by the Macedonian Ecological Society, while the document will be the basis for the process of declaring part of the Maleshevo Mountains a protected area.

This is one of a series of planned meetings with various stakeholders in the region in order to exchange information and have consultations about issues important for the local population.

These activities are part of the Nature Conservation Programme in North Macedonia – phase 2, a project by the Swiss Development and Coordination Agency, which envisages the establishment of protected areas (PA) in the Bregalnica river basin.

In the process of selection of priority areas for protection, in cooperation with the key stakeholders and with a decision of the Eastern Planning Region (EPR), the Osogovo Mountains and Chengino Kale were selected as the most adequate areas for launching the declaration process.