A crossroads between East and West, North Macedonia is a treasure chest of historical monuments, natural wonders, and vibrant culture. A microcosm of the region, North Macedonia stuffs the entire gamut of Balkan experiences into its small size. North Macedonia is on the other hand also one of the least visited countries in the world. Most tourists are merely transit guests travelling to Greece. As it lacks in tourism infrastructure and may never be able (or want) to compete with its neighbours in terms of mass tourism, North Macedonia should position itself on its own competitive advantages and target market niches that align with them.

As the outdoor-oriented lifestyle became a trend, mountain biking started booming, attracting not only enthusiastic youth, but also the well-educated and affluent middle-aged population. That does not only make mountain bikers good guests, but also means that their expectations are very high. With numerous destinations developing purpose-built infrastructure, the existing road infrastructure alone is not attractive enough to draw mountain bikers to a certain destination. Even though there are many mountain biking destinations in the summer (mainly in the Alps), there is only a handful of destinations in Europe that could enable biking during the winter.

The travel and hospitality industry are by far the hardest hit sectors by the COVID-19 shut down, and adventure tourism is no exception. UNWTO estimates that global international tourist arrivals could decline between 20 – 30 % in 2020, down from an estimated growth of 3 % to 4 % forecast. Obviously, mass tourism would take a slowdown, but is that the opportunity for niche tourism?

We have finished with construction works on the asphalt pump track at of one of the most modern shopping centers in Central Europe – Aleja, located in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Our company Alliance ASE won the international tender for planning and construction of the pump track that was held by the investor SES (Spar European Shopping Centers) from Salzburg, Austria.

Even though winter is almost here, we are continuing with the construction of asphalt pumptracks. This year we plan to finish at least 4 new pumptracks. Last week we have already started with the construction of the first one, located in Slovenia. Find out where else we will build.

After the construction of asphalt pumptracks in Moscow, Sevastopol and Niznji Novogorod, we are building the first asphalt pumptrack in Sankt Peterburg. Eventhough there are winter conditions we anticipate finishing the works till the mid of November. Then we are moving back to Europe to build pumptracks in Slovenia, Austria, Croatia and Montenegro.

In 2016 we have built the first pumptrack in Slovenia, located close to the city centre of the capital Ljubljana. Due to the positive feedback from the local community, the first pumptrack was followed by two more in 2017 and 2018. The trend continues also this year as we are about to build new pumptrack in Ljubljana as part of new shopping mall.

- In Ljubljana we have in 2016 built the first asphalt pumptrack in Slovenia
- Ljubljana currently has 3 asphalt pumptracks
- Pumptrack in Fuzine district is the largest asphalt pumptrack in Slovenia (over 2000m2)
- 4th pumptrack in Ljubljana will be located along the biggest shopping mall ALEJA
- Construction is planned for November

Last fall we have built the first asphalt pumptrack in Moscow, Russia. It is located in the Maryno district and stretches on more than 5.000 m2. As such it is one of the largest pumptracks in the world. Based on the positive feedback from the Maryno project we got several new requests for pumptracks in Moscow as well as in other parts of Russia. In the spring we have built asphalt pumptrack in Cherkizovo (Moscow) and now we are building one in Pushkino district. In addition, we have built asphalt pumptrack in Sevastopol and in October we plan to build one in Sankt Peterburg.

Pumptrack in Skopje has been officially opened last week. After we have finished with our works in July, the municipal services took care for landscaping and amenities. Pumptrack in Skopje, as the first asphalt pumptrack in Skopje and North Macedonia, became also the biggest such object in the whole region. Huge number of visitors at the opening ceremony that rode the pumptrack till the morning hours confirmed just how much the City of Skopje needed such object.

We have just finished with construction of another asphalt pumptrack in Slovenia, this time in Tolmin.

We have started with the construction of new asphalt pumptrack in Slovenia. Pumptrack that will be located in the Municipality of Tolmin in famous Soča Valley, will be already our 48 asphalt pumptrack.

Last fall we have in cooperation with our partners FK Ramps built the biggest asphalt pumptrack in Russia. It stretches on more than 5000m2 in Moscow Maryno district. Due to the good feedback from the users, more districts in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia started to look for such infrastructure. In the beginning of July, we have consequently finished with the construction of second asphalt pumptrack in Moscow in the area of ex Cherkizovo market. As the pumptrack is part of larger new sports park we had to wait with the finalization of landscaping works on other contractors.

Last week we have completed the construction of the first asphalt pumptrack in the North Macedonia. Pumptrack located in the capitol Skopje stretches on 1700 m2 and is suitable for wide spectrum of users.

• Pump tracks are more accessible than comparable sports facilities,

• Pump tracks are classified as easy-to-use sports facilities,
• It is possible to place them on unused or degraded areas of 400 m2 or larger,
• Quick build (less than 14 days),
• Minimum maintenance and durability,
• More than just a sports facility – unique and attractive architectural look,
• Placement in immediate vicinities of users.

• Pump tracks are safe for users from 2 years of age and above,

• We have obtained a Certificate of Conformity with European and Slovenian safety standards,
• Despite pump tracks being very safe, they are attractive and fun,
• We are members of The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA),
• Pump Tracks ensure a safe use in almost all weather conditions.

Pump tracks are an innovative sports facility. The advantages of pump tracks are recognized by more and more communities. In only two years, we have already built over 40 pump tracks, and the trend is still increasing.

Pump tracks represent a rapidly growing trend in the field of sports infrastructure. In the last two years, we have built over 40 such pump tracks in 8 countries. What a pump track basically is, can be read in the next few paragraphs below.

Pump tracks are known for their easy and fast placement. In order to make the entire process for investors even easier, we offer the entire process of placement of a pump track – from concept to design and construction based on the “turnkey” principle.

Choosing the right location is one of the basic factors for a successful pump track placement. In addition to the well-designed and built pump track, the right location will also attract plenty of visitors and users.

One of the advantages of pump tracks is that we can place them in the immediate vicinity of users, that is, in urban centers. Even if there is a lack of space in urban areas, such pump tracks can already be placed in areas with 300 m2 of surface, while their shape can be adapted to the shape of the selected area. Since these types of tracks also feature an attractive appearance, they can be placed on green areas, within sports parks, and in degraded areas.

Is the development of mountain biking tourism among your New Year’s resolutions? Well, then you need a good plan, and the basis for any such plan is to be a sustainable business model.

Snowboarding and freeskiing are constantly progressing at a fast rate which also requires development of new, innovative infrastructure which enables further progression of these two sports. Jumps have always been one of the most important elements of both sports, which encouraged construction of big kickers that provide adequate air time for most demanding tricks.

There are several characteristics of terrain park equipment upon which a choice of the most appropriate equipment and manufacturer can be made. Some of the characteristics that can help you choose the safest and highest quality equipment are:

It took a while for the ski resorts to implement basic rules and guidelines for behaviour of skiers on the slopes. At first these rules varied from resort to resort, however in the end at least in Europe the 10 FIS rules were implemented to standardize them and make them more understandable for slope users.

The temperatures are increasing and in the long term affecting the length of the winter season and especially snow conditions on ski resorts with lower altitudes. Artificial snow has solved many problems when there is a lack of natural snow, however to make artificial snow, temperatures below freezing are needed. 

Terrain park maintenance is unfortunately still the topic that does not get enough attention from the resort management. In a rush to develop a terrain park with minimum cost, resorts too often neglect the importance of regular and quality park maintenance. This is especially obvious in case of heavier snowfall, which can, in case of bad maintenance, have a great impact to the park performance until the end of the season.

Terrain parks can be fun for riders with different skill levels as they can be comprised of lines of different difficulty. Diversification of lines provides better experience for the users as riders with different skill levels are separated which in turn also increases safety. Similar to the standards in alpine skiing, difficulty levels in terrain parks also vary from beginners to medium and expert or pro lines.

When the return on investment in your snow park earns profit, then it is the right time to think about how to make your park even better, more creative and how to reduce the maintenance time. One of the best ways to maximize all of the mentioned tasks is to buy a new groomer that is specialized for working in snow parks.

Have you ever considered how you would run your ski resort if you and other employees in the resort were not skiers. Probably you cannot even imagine such a situation, as that would mean that you would not be able to successfully communicate with visitors of your resort and understand their needs.

It all started more than 200 years ago when man started to ride ocean waves for the first time. From then on, we can witness the evolution of the culture and nowadays different sports that are based on the wave transition. The wave transition known from surfing contributed to the development of skateboarding and later snowboarding – from wave to concrete bowl skateparks to snowboard halfpipes.

For most companies it is hard to influence members of the generation Y which is why we decided to prepare three articles where we will explain how resorts and other endemic companies can use sponsorships in action sports to reach, attract and influence the young population.