They closed the big hotels by Lake Ohrid. The reason is the expensive electricity and products and the small number of guests. They will reopen on March 1. Until then, the employees will be on forced leave.
"If some of the hotels were working until the New Year's holidays, the larger hotels on the Ohrid-Struka Riviera definitely put a key on the door at the beginning of the new year 2023," reports Miki Trajkovski, Alsat journalist.
According to announcements, they will reopen on March 1, if the opportunities and conditions allow it. Something like this is happening for the first time after their many years of operation. They did not do that even during the covid pandemic, but the economic and energy crisis forced them to take this step.
"So far, the hotel has not closed in these 12 years of mine... But this year there was really no mathematical profitability for the hotel to remain open with all the increased costs that are this year," said Ana Jancheva, hotel manager.
But what will happen to the employees?
"Employees are currently using annual vacations. And I hope it will stay that way. If not, there will certainly be a decision by the board of directors for 70%", said Ana Jancheva, hotel manager.
Forced leave by taking 70% of the salary was already used as a measure by some hotels. The Hotel Association of Macedonia says that it was impossible to continue working during this period due to the drastically increased energy costs and more expensive products.
"It is not easy to close a large building and then open it again, but the circumstances made us realize that we have to do it," say the Hotel Association of Macedonia.
In the upcoming season, the hotels on the market announce that they will perform with arrangements that will be 30-40% more expensive than last year.
