The Government's subsidies for tour-operators and advertising campaigns on international TV networks have started to show results - more foreign tourists have been visiting Macedonia this year, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said Sunday in Vevcani.

"Over 20.000 foreign tourists have visited Ohrid and Macedonia thus far. In addition to Ohrid, the tourists also wish to visit many other places throughout the country, which means new jobs for many people, inflow of foreign currency, promotion of Macedonia. The Government's decision to give subsidies to tour-operators for bringing foreign tourists has to a large extent contributed to this result. The effects from a three-year promotion of Macedonia on international TV networks, and earlier in newspapers, have also become tangible," Gruevski said.
He reminded that Macedonia was being promoted as a tourist and doing business destination in over 20 countries.
The Government is planning many other projects in this sphere, Gruevski said.
Few months ago the project for erecting hotels on state land at initial price of EUR1/sq.m. kicked off, which attracted great interest.
A new Government's Committee on Tourism will start working next week, under the PM's leadership, Gruevski said.
Commenting the inflow of direct foreign investments in the country, Gruevski said that fading away of the global crisis had brought several companies to Macedonia, which have started to build their plants.
At the moment the Government's interest is focused on the global developments, the Eurozone, US, as there is a risk of fresh recession, which would naturally touch Macedonia, the Prime Minister said.
New global crisis would mean yet another blow to our economy, Gruevski said, expressing hope for the leaders of most powerful countries in the world to avoid the worst.