OTTOMAN HERITAGE: SPECIFIC PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS FROM NORTH MACEDONIA

Abstract

All physical and intangible culture that has been left in the regions where the Ottoman Empire used to be widespread is referred to as Ottoman Heritage (OH). Today, it is well known as a motive for visiting many destinations, and mostly attracts the cultural type of tourists. The research examines the attitude of 172 students (age 18-28) about cultural legacy from the Ottoman period. The goal is to identify their personal association and specific perception of using OH as a prerequisite for developing tourism cultural route in North Macedonia. By calculating frequency distribution, the analyses revealed students’ images on OH cultural assets and the possibilities of improving tourism development by promoting OH cultural route as a unique tailor-made tourist product. Despite limitations that occurred during the research, the findings might be a useful beginning point for developing new strategic approaches for enhancing modest cultural tourism development.