Municipality of Struga

Struga exists because Lake Ohrid's northern shore offered the quieter alternative to Ohrid town—a peaceful resort that now shares UNESCO World Heritage status while absorbing tourism overflow. With 50,980 inhabitants (2021, down 19.5% from 63,376 in 2002), this Albanian-majority municipality (50.6% Albanian, 29.2% Macedonian) demonstrates how heritage tourism can coexist with demographic decline.

The formation story is lakefront geography meeting ethnic settlement patterns. Albanians constitute the majority; Turks (6.8%) and other groups complete the multi-ethnic composition. Mayor Ramiz Merko (Democratic Union for Integration) has held office since 2005, maintaining Albanian political control over municipal governance. The community remains "strongly divided between Albanian and Macedonian" populations—ethnic geography shaping political competition.

The UNESCO designation (1979 for natural values, 1980 for cultural) theoretically protects Struga's lakefront. But environmental pressures intensify: 1980s-era sewage infrastructure cannot handle tourism surges; untreated wastewater and urban runoff pollute the lake; uncoordinated urban development expands coastal pressure. UNESCO has identified major risks to site integrity.

The population decline—average 0.97% annual decrease—reflects emigration to Western Europe, particularly among younger cohorts seeking economic opportunities unavailable in tourism-dependent lakeside economies. The international airport nearby enables both tourist arrivals and resident departures.

By 2026, Struga faces the resort town's perpetual paradox: tourism provides income but degrades the environment that attracts tourists. The population decline that reduces local pressure also reduces local capacity to govern effectively. Whether UNESCO designation can force infrastructure investment, or simply provides cover for continued degradation, determines whether Struga preserves or exploits its heritage.