Albania Taps into Tourism Potential

28 June 2010 | With an unspoiled coastline, clean water, medieval castles and Illyrian ruins, Albania has much to offer visitors, yet its potential as a holiday destination remains largely untapped. The government is trying to change that through promotional campaigns and greater attention to tourism infrastructure.
The timing could not be more urgent, as Albania needs new sources of income to keep its economy going. If the efforts succeed, there is hope that increased revenues from a burgeoning tourism sector will help offset the financial woes caused by the global recession.
This year the tourist season opened with paragliding off the southern coast of Albania -- a month earlier then previous years. Major Russian TV stations advertise Albania as a new undiscovered tourist attraction. They are calling it a "small, secret place" in the western Balkans.
"Albania is expecting 3.5 million tourists this year, compared to 3 million last year," said Minister for Tourism Ferdinand Xhaferri for SETimes. "We have significantly improved the road infrastructure and our tourist spots. Promotional ads in many countries are advertising Albanian tourism," he said.
The government has opened tourist offices in cities frequented by visitors. "These offices will deal with tourist complaints among other things and agencies can receive a fine in case of poor service, tourist guide quality, accommodation and other issues," said Xhaferri.
This year Albania is also promoting cultural and mountain tourism. Gjirokastra, a city some 200 km from Tirana, is one of the most visited cities in Albania. It's the birthplace of a prominent writer, Ismail Kadare, and the nation's former communist dictator, Enver Hoxha.
Last year, the city drew 27, 000 visitors. This year the number is expected to be higher.
Also, if interest is Berat, a 2,000-year old city with unique architecture. It is on the UNESCO list of protected sites. Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, visited Berat in May.
Valbona Valley, one of the most beautiful places in Albania, organised a folk festival on June 12th. Agim Selimi, a tour operator, said that the aim was to attract interest in mountain tourism.
"This year a number of public persons and journalists will be invited in order to boost interest," he said. "The road to Valbona has been asphalted this year and is one of the country's most panoramic drives."
Tourism revenues are crucial to Albania's economic prospects. Remittances from Albanians living abroad have slowed down with the global economic downturn. The government hopes Albania's beaches, historic sights and cultural attractions will draw visitors and help fill the revenue gap.
*This text is courtesy of the Southeast European Times (SET), a web site sponsored by the US Department of Defense in support of UN Resolution 1244, designed to provide an international audience with a portal to a broad range of information about Southeastern Europe. It highlights movement toward greater regional stability and steps governments take toward integration into European institutions. SET also focuses on developments that hinder both terrorist activity and support for terrorism in the region.
http://www.balkantravellers.com/index.p ... ew&id=2073