Albania Cultural and Eco Tourism Strategy

8/4/2019 Albania Cultural and Eco Tourism Strategy

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Albania

Strategy and Action Plan for the Development of theAlbanian Tourism Sector Based on Cultural and

Environmental Tourism

December 2005

Tourism Strategy and Action Plan page 1


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Strategy and Action Plan for the Development of the

Albanian Tourism Sector Based on Cultural andEnvironmental Tourism

Incorporating Stakeholder Positions

Based on Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and SportsPosition and Vision Paper

Report to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and SportsDecember 2005

Process Facilitated by:Lawrence Pratt

UNDP External Consultant



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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I. Background and Process

The Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports has prepared a position paper titled Towarda Strategy for Culture Tourism and Ecotourism Development. The key elements put forth are:

Challenges for the preservation of the biodiversity and culture heritage as well as the

economic growth based on:

Promotion of the importance of the nature and culture heritage and culture tourism andecotourism development as a base for the new possible development;

Providing sustainable management of tourisms impact on nature and culture heritage

sites.

Linkages and advantages for involved sectors:

Income for the tourism industry through sustainable tourism, extension of the tourismseason, growth of the tourism market with high expenditure tourists,

Improvement of the image of Albania in the world,

Better conservation of biodiversity and cultural heritage sites,

New employment and income generation from cultural tourism and ecotourism in thelocal communities;

Local residents will perceive benefits from local products

The consultant directed a process to review this vision within the overall framework of the 1993

Tourism Law and the directions and structure established by the 2002 Tourism Strategy. Theobjective was to establish a clear direction for a national tourism strategy oriented toward natureand culture-based tourism. The process and the resulting document present a synthesis andrecapitulation of the Ministrys position, as informed by meetings with a broad range ofstakeholders.

II. Tourism Strategy Framework

A. The Objective of Tourism is to Advance Development Goals

The overall goal of tourism development for Albania is to increase the quality of life of asignificant and increasing number of Albanians. Tourism development should be measured andevaluated in the medium to long term on its ability to advance the well-being of the Albanian

people.

More tourism does not mean necessarily more development or more income for Albanians. Thetype of tourism a country chooses to develop is the primary determinant of the contribution to thewellbeing of its people.

An emphasis on nature and cultural tourism in Albania will maintain an important focus onbenefiting rural and provincial communities that currently face limited economic opportunitiesand risk becoming unviable.



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B. General Assessment1

Albania is a beautiful and fascinating country. It has a wide range of historic, cultural andnatural attractions that are of great interest to international tourists. The country is safe, and itspeople are welcoming and friendly. Most importantly, the country is still authentic. It remains

largely unspoiled by foreign influence.

Albania is not an easy tourism destination for international markets to understand. It offers thepotential for dozens of distinct tourism activities in dozens of destinations. Individually, all areinteresting, but few are unique or sufficiently compelling by themselves to draw internationaltourists.

The understanding and appreciation through the discovery of Albania is how the countryrealizes its maximum tourism potential. Experiences that unlock new discoveries for visitors arethe most valuable tourism products in the world.

Discovery is of interest primarily to educated, relatively affluent international tourists2. This

demographic segment spends considerably more for tourism products and their spending patternsare highly favorable for development, as they prefer to interact directly in the communities theyvisit (shops, restaurants, and other local businesses).

This segment does not make a strong distinction between cultural, natural and other tourismproducts. Visitors in this segment tend to combine many different activities during their visit, andusually see the various natural and cultural activities as part of the process of discovering thedestination.

Albanias core (primary) tourism product must be a general one that encourages visitors to

discover the many facets of Albanias culture and nature. Specialized tourism products canand should be developed under the general umbrella, broadening the diversity of products for thecore tourism market and specialty markets. Graphic one presents a simple schematic.

C. Strategic Positioning of Albanias Tourism Sector

Albania is a safe, high-value tourism destination featuring an unparalleled

variety of world-class natural and cultural attractions in a small geographic area,

managed in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, easily accessible

to European tourism markets.

Albania will seek to position itself as an attractive destination for tourists seeking a uniqueexperience featuring high quality cultural sites and nature destinations presented in a trulyauthentic way.

Albanias central product will be the discovery of Albania. The product is a presentation of abroad cross-section of Albanias history, nature, archaeology, living culture, cuisine and

1 Based on the review of existing tour books, extensive documentation provided by the Ministry, UNDP, NGOs and a

number of other stakeholders, and site visits to Durres, Vlora, Llogaraja, Himara, Saranda, Butrint, Gyrokaster, and

Berat.2 In most countries, but particularly in wealthy western countries and Japan, there is a direct correlation between level

of education and income.



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hospitality. Visitors participating in this discovery will leave with a lasting impression of thediversity, complexity and beauty of the culture and the land.

Albania will specialize in attracting educated, independent travelers and specialized grouptravelers. The principal target markets will be upper-middle income individuals from Europe(primarily northern Europe and the United Kingdom) and North America. This segment

represents the demographic segment with the highest willingness to pay for Albanias uniqueproducts, and whose spending patterns will most contribute to advancing development goals.

Albanias strength will be in creating value for tourists in a wide variety of geographic locations.This approach opens more of the country to discovery, which:

- creates spaces for the diverse local culture to express itself, in particular the particularcustoms and traditions of the various regions of the country.

- allows more provincial and rural communities to participate in, and benefit from, tourismvisitation and development.

- permits the development of complementary specialty tourism markets (such as trekking,climbing, diving, agriculture, hunting and fishing, archaeology, culinary, festivals, amongothers), within the existing infrastructure and proposed central tourism product.

In keeping with the concept of authenticity, lodging, dining and other hospitality elements will bedeveloped wherever possible in small to medium-scale, locally-owned businesses. This approachreinforces visitor connections with the cities and sites and creates greater income generation inthe communities.

Ensuring repeat visits and achieving word of mouth recommendations will be the key tosustainable tourism development. This ultimately will depend on the long-term quality ofcultural sites and nature destinations and the overall experience of visitors based on theknowledge and interpretation of their guides.

D. JustificationCulture, adventure and ecotourism3 are considered to be the fastest growing tourism marketsworldwide 15 to 20% per year, and respresenting more than 25% of the market.

Traditional sun and sand tourism (large-scale, undifferentiated packages) is losing ground toecotourism, cultural tourism and adventure tourism. While sun and sand tourism remains thelargest tourism segment in international tourism, it is experiencing growth rates of no more than 2to 4 percent per year.4

Neighboring countries, such as Greece, Turkey and Croatia are focusing their efforts on sun andsand tourism, further crowding an already very crowded tourism market (which also includesNorth Africa, Coastal Spain, the Caribbean, Indian Ocean islands, and many others). Albania hasa unique opportunity to differentiate itself from neighbors and avoid a crowded market withdecreasing revenues and profits.

3 The International Ecotourism Society (TIES, at www.ecotourism.org) defined ecotourism as responsible travel to

natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.4 World Tourism Organization



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Tourism focused on independent tourists visiting local communities and participating actively innature and culture activities has been shown to yield 5 to 10 times more development benefit thanlarge-scale sun and sand tourism per dollar of tourist spending.

Unfortunately, for Albania there are no real alternative positions. While the unique marketposition is born primarily of necessity, it is a powerful position in the international market place.

Albania appears to be ideally situated to meet the shifting demands of an increasingly nature andculture oriented tourism market.

III. Challenges

The development of Albanias tourism sector presents a number of challenges. There are generaltourism development that all countries face as they enter international markets, and specificchallenges related to establishing a successful nature and culture-based destination. (described inmore detail in the full document). Three however, are particularly critical.

Large-scale sun and sand tourism presented in all-inclusive packages in isolated tourismcomplexes will likely do great harm to the countrys efforts to build a high-value sector.

The massive sun and sand tourism is a highly competitive segment that attracts primarilydiscount-oriented travelers. The arrival of large numbers of this tourism segment tends tomake destinations much less attractive to higher-end tourists. A similar effect has beenobserved with the arrival of large cruise ships.

Tourism growth can be slow in the early years. If successful, the sector will begin small,but grow rapidly as it gains a positive international reputation. While it will be possibleto observe progress and measure advances with meaningful indicators, the tangiblebenefits critical for ongoing political support and commitment will be observed in themedium term.

The concept of sustainability is built into the strategic position by necessity. Without

aggressive efforts to ensure the sustainability of the natural and cultural resources,Albania cannot reasonably expect to maintain a market position capable of attractinginternational tourists. Without involving the local communities and providing realopportunities to participate in and benefit from the development process, the attractionswill continue to be degraded, or converted to other economic uses nearly all of whichoffer much less long-term development potential than tourism.

Investment must be planned in the short, medium and long term. The nation as a wholecannot enter this commitment lightly. Success in international markets requiresconsistency in message and market presence year after year. It requires investment ofpolitical capital across branches of government and between the private, public and civilsociety sectors.

IV. Action Plan

In operational terms, the country is ready to move forward with its tourism sector.

The country has the capacity today to receive substantially more overnight

international tourists than it is currently receiving. Although the country is not

ready for aggressive marketing to broad international markets, it is absolutely



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ready to receive tens of thousands of additional adventurous, pioneering

tourists who are willing to be flexible and forgiving in exchange for being

among the first to experience a unique new destination.

The numerous challenges that Albania faces must be addressed, but most need not be solved prior

to beginning tourism promotion. However, due to the interrelated nature of the identifiedchallenges, the country must begin work immediately in a number of areas in order for tourism togrow effectively.

The specific items of the Action Plan are presented as priorities in nine different areas.

Awareness and Marketing

Product Development

Investments in Nature Areas to Strengthen the Tourism Sector

Investments in Culture to Strengthen the Tourism Sector

Human Resources

Infrastructure

Business Climate

Enhancement of Tourist Experience

Data and Information Management



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STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN

I. Background and Process

This document was prepared as part of a short-term consulting process supported by the UnitedNations Development Programs Albania Office. The goal of the effort is to facilitate the processof strategy design and implementation directed by the Albanian Ministry of Tourism, Culture,Youth and Sports. This process takes as its basis the existing legal and policy framework(including the 1993 Tourism Law and the 2002 National Tourism Strategy), and position papersdeveloped by the Ministry as presented by Minister Leskay on November 23, 2005 to a broadgroup of stakeholders.

A. Ministry Position Paper and Vision

The Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports has prepared a position paper titled Towarda Strategy for Culture Tourism and Ecotourism Development. The key elements put forth by the

Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports in the above document are:

Challenges for the preservation of the biodiversity and culture heritage as well as the

economic growth based on:

Promotion of the importance of the nature and culture heritage and culture tourism andecotourism development as a base for the new possible development;

Coordination of the strategic interest and activities among sectors;

Establishing the processes that provide for the involvement and engagement of allstakeholders;

The design of a regulatory framework on cultural tourism and ecotourism development,as well as for management and development processes over time; and,

Providing sustainable management of tourisms impact on nature and culture heritagesites.

Linkages and advantages for involved sectors:

Income for the tourism industry through sustainable tourism, extension of the tourismseason, growth of the tourism market with high expenditure tourists,

Improvement of the image of Albania in the world,

Better conservation of biodiversity and cultural heritage sites,

New employment and income generation from cultural tourism and ecotourism in thelocal communities;

Local residents will perceive benefits from local products,

Increasing the sponsorship and financial support for the tourism activities,

B. The Tourism Law of 1993

The Tourism Law No. 7665 of January 21, 1993 Concerning the development of tourism priorityareas and its amendments provides the overarching legal framework under which the countrystourism strategies have been developed. The most critical relevant points for this law and by-lawswere those issues the country faced at that point in its history. It is not clear that the existing lawcan provide the necessary structure moving forward. Among the areas of concern:



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a. The existing law is not a modern and comprehensive law for the tourism development,but rather an appropriate response to the priority issues the country faced in 1993;

b. There is a shortage of additional clarifying regulations for tourism development;c. The responsibilities for the department of tourism within the Ministry and all other

ministries and institutions touching the field of tourism are not clearly defined,

Under the Tourism Development Strategy in Albania there is a specific objective to update theexisting laws and regulations as a specific and comprehensive legal and regulatory framework,which provides common guidance to all partners in the tourism industry.

C. Tourism Development Strategy in Albania (2002)

The Ministry of Territory Adjustment and Tourism presented in 2002 the Tourism DevelopmentStrategy in Albania. This strategy was the first concerted effort by the country to bring forth aconcrete plan and objectives for the development of the nascent tourism sector. The main macro-economic objectives of the long-term tourism strategy of the tourism sector development are to:

generate jobs and income,

accelerate economic and social development throughout the country, improve living conditions in Albania,

initiate economic activities,

create a positive image of the country internationally as a tourism destination,

increase the revenue of foreign currency and tax income for the government, and

develop sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism.

Among the most relevant aspects of this strategy are:

Pre-conditions for Tourism Development;

Policy statement and vision for 2012, with market related objectives, and strategicdirections for the long-term tourism strategy;

Alignment of the Tourism Sector among ministries and central institutions, local

government, private sector operators and tourism industry associations and other relatedNGOs;

Objectives, tourism products, distribution, communication, source markets and targetmarkets for Sun and Beach Tourism, Special Interest Tourism, and UrbanTourism/Business and Congress Tourism in the framework of strategies for the tourismproducts.

Development directions for the institutions in the tourism area, for education and training,and for legislation and regulations in the frame of the institutional support, and

Tourism development strategy implementation and the Action Plan for the period 2003-2006

The present document is presented within the overall framework of the 1993 Tourism Law andthe directions and structure established by the 2002 Strategy. The objective is to establish a cleardirection for a national tourism strategy oriented toward nature and culture-based tourism. Itprovides an operational and action-oriented strategy for establishing Albania in internationaltourism markets.

This document presents a synthesis and recapitulation of the Ministrys position, as informed bymeetings with a broad range of stakeholders, including:



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1) The Ministrys Working Group2) Additional staff of the Ministry3) Staff of other Ministries4) NGO representatives in environmental protection and local government development5) Tourism industry participants (Tirana based, as well as Saranda, Gjirokaster and Berat,

individual business people and associations)6) Multilateral and bilateral assistance programs and agencies, and their implementing

organizations.

Appendix I presents a list of organizations and individuals contacted during the mission.

The various positions, recommendations and concerns were taken into consideration and analyzedin the context of the Ministrys position paper, and based on the consultants experience ontourism development and mechanisms to support long-term development of nature and culture-based tourism.

The document is presented in four parts. The first is the institutional background. The second is a

concise articulation of Albanias strategic framework for achieving success in internationalmarkets. The third is a discussion of the challenges that Albania faces in developing tourism, andthe fourth is an Action Plan to address priority areas.



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II. Tourism Strategy Framework

A. The Objective of Tourism is to Advance Development Goals

The overall goal of tourism development for Albania is to increase the quality of life of asignificant and increasing number of Albanians. Tourism development should be measured andevaluated in the medium to long term on its ability to advance the well-being of the Albanianpeople. In this regard, it can (and should be) a piece of the countrys strategy toward meeting itspressing development priorities, such as the countrys commitment to the MilleniumDevelopment Goals.

The vision established by the Ministry articulates this commitment:

Cultural tourism and ecotourism are the most important part of the Albania tourismproduct and successful elements of the national economy

Ecotourism is a real alternative for the improvement of incomes within ruralcommunities.

More tourism does not mean necessarily more development or more income for Albanians. Thetype of tourism a country chooses to develop is the primary determinant of the contribution to thewellbeing of its people. Even within geographic regions, the development impact of tourism canvary enormously. For example, in Central America, tourism focused on independent touristsvisiting local communities and participating actively in nature and culture activities has beenshown to yield 5 to 10 times more development per dollar of tourist spending than large-scalepackage-based tourism oriented sun and sand.5

An emphasis on nature and cultural tourism in Albania will maintain an important focus onbenefiting rural and provincial communities that currently face limited economic opportunitiesand risk becoming unviable.

The desired tangible benefits from a successful tourism strategy will be increased employment,additional income for households (primary or supplementary), improved infrastructure, andenhanced tax revenue to contribute to improved health care, education, and other humandevelopment objectives.

Less tangible benefits include the validation of local culture and traditions, opportunities to keepyounger generations interested in staying in (or returning to) their home towns, and contact andinterchange with people from other cultures.

B. General Assessment6

Albania is a beautiful and fascinating country. It has a wide range of historic, cultural and naturalattractions that are of great interest to international tourists. The country is safe, and its people arewelcoming and friendly. Most importantly, the country is still authentic. It remains largely

5 Inman et al 1999.6 Based on the review of existing tour books, extensive documentation provided by the Ministry, UNDP, NGOs and a

number of other stakeholders, and site visits to Durres, Vlora, Llogaraja, Himara, Saranda, Butrint, Gyrokaster, and

Berat.



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unspoiled by foreign influence, people live and work in traditional ways in much of the country,and local culture expresses itself in every possible way on a regional basis even town to town.7The combination of these factors makes the country unique, and its potential value tointernational tourism markets very high.

Albania is not an easy tourism destination for international markets to understand. It offers the

potential for dozens of distinct tourism activities in dozens of destinations. Individually, all areinteresting, but few are unique or sufficiently compelling by themselves to draw internationaltourists. It is precisely the combination of activities and destinations within the country thatoffers the best possibility of building a successful tourism sector.

The country is complex. Its culture, history, geography and archeology are fascinating, butcomplicated and not easily accessible, even to well-educated tourists. For a non-Albanian, it isvirtually impossible to understand and fully appreciate the country without substantial assistance.However, it is this understanding and appreciation through the discovery of Albania thatthe country realizes its maximum tourism potential. Experiences that unlock new discoveries forvisitors are the most valuable tourism products in the world, because of who they attract, andhow they spend their money in a country.

The discovery of Albania through its natural and cultural attractions is of interest primarily toeducated, relatively affluent international tourists8. This demographic segment spendsconsiderably more for tourism products that include new experiences such as education,adventure and culture. In addition, their spending patterns are highly favorable for development,as they prefer to interact directly in the communities they visit (shops, restaurants, and other localbusinesses) and tend to purchase a great deal of locally provided products and services, inparticular excursions, guided cultural and nature tours, adventure experiences, and handicrafts.

This segment does not make a strong distinction between cultural, natural and other tourismproducts. Visitors in this segment tend to combine many different activities during their visit, andusually see the various natural and cultural activities as part of the process of discovering the

destination.

Typical vacation periods for this segment are from 8 to 14 days. During this period, visitorsprefer to visit several destinations, usually in 2 to 3-day blocks centered around a central location.Albanias geography and cultural are ideally suited to this approach. There are already greatadvances in tourism product development in a number of cities, with several possessing strategiesand plans for multi-day itineraries based on their culture, history and nature.9

Discovery of Albania will depend on detailed explanations and interpretation that open theculture and its history to understanding by outsiders.

7 For example, wines, white cheese, olives and lamb have distinct flavors village to village. Attitudes, history

ethnography and cultural traditions are substantially different across very small geographic areas.8 In most countries, but particularly in wealthy western countries and Japan, there is a direct correlation between level

of education and income.9 The Tirana, Saranda, Gjirokaster, Berat, Vlora, Shkodra, Kore and Kruja regions are ready with interesting

itineraries. For example in the Vlora regionm, the MEDWET organization has produced an outstanding guidebook

detailing the cultural and natural monuments, and the AULEDA organization is working with local communities for

small town bed and breakfast lodging focused on small towns with interesting nature and culture. With minimal

additional effort, a number of itineraries could be designed to offer tourists guided tours of many combinations.



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Albania must be sold on international markets as Albania. Albania does not have strong enoughassets for its central marketing position to be either geographically-based (South versus Northversus coast) or thematically-based alone (eco-tourism, cultural monuments, etc).

Albanias core (primary) tourism product must be a general one that encourages visitors to

discover the many facets of Albanias culture and nature. Specialized tourism products can

and should be developed under the general umbrella, broadening the diversity of products for thecore tourism market and specialty markets. Graphic one presents a simple schematic.

Graphic 1: Core and Specialized Tourism Products

C. Strategic Positioning of Albanias Tourism Sector

Based on the Ministrys established direction and a clear validation of this position by a broadbase of stakeholders, Albanias proposed strategic position can be articulated as:

Albania is a safe, high-value tourism destination featuring an unparalleled

variety of world-class natural and cultural attractions in a small geographic area,

managed in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, easily accessible

to European tourism markets.



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D. General Strategy

Albania will seek to position itself as an attractive destination for tourists seeking a uniqueexperience featuring high quality cultural sites and nature destinations presented in a trulyauthentic way.

Albanias central product will be the discovery of Albania. The product is a presentation of abroad cross-section of Albanias history, nature, archaeology, living culture, cuisine andhospitality. Visitors participating in this discovery will leave with a lasting impression of thediversity, complexity and beauty of the culture and the land.

Albania will specialize in attracting educated, independent travelers and specialized grouptravelers. The principal target markets will be upper-middle income individuals from Europe(primarily northern Europe and the United Kingdom) and North America. This segmentrepresents the demographic segment with the highest willingness to pay for Albanias uniqueproducts, and whose spending patterns will most contribute to advancing development goals.

Albanias strength will be in creating value for tourists in a wide variety of geographic locations.

This approach opens more of the country to discovery, which:- broadens the products offered, strengthening the range and diversity available to visitors.- creates spaces for the diverse local culture to express itself, in particular the particular

customs and traditions of the various regions of the country.- allows more provincial and rural communities to participate in, and benefit from, tourism

visitation and development.- creates the basis for geographic linking of tourism with neighboring countries--

increasing visibility and permitting tourism to develop in provincial and rural areas,bringing development opportunities to a broader section of the population.

- permits the development of complementary specialty tourism markets (such as trekking,climbing, diving, agriculture, hunting and fishing, archaeology, culinary, festivals, amongothers), within the existing infrastructure and proposed central tourism product.

Albanian tourism will grow organically as an authentic destination, true to its culture, historyand natural environment. International best practices in nature and culture tourism, hospitalityand logistics will be studied and adapted to Albanias specific needs and cultural context.

In keeping with the concept of authenticity, lodging, dining and other hospitality elements will bedeveloped wherever possible in small to medium-scale, locally-owned businesses. This approachreinforces visitor connections with the cities and sites and creates greater income generation inthe communities.

Tourism growth will be driven and supported by conscientious marketing, creative design ofproducts, appropriate infrastructure, high quality human resources, and a tourism businessclimate with clear rules of the game and appropriate structures to ensure its long-term economicviability.

Ensuring repeat visits and achieving word of mouth recommendations will be the key tosustainable tourism development. This ultimately will depend on the long-term quality ofcultural sites and nature destinations and the overall experience of visitors based on theknowledge and interpretation of their guides.



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To create a virtuous cycle of sustainable development based on tourism, the Government ofAlbania (GoA) must, together with municipalities, tourism operators, and NGOs, protect andenhance the sites, parks, cities and protected areas that are the core assets of its tourism sector.

E. Justification

Albania has excellent tourism development potential. Many cultural and natural resourceattractions are of very high quality and would likely receive high levels of visitation if they weremore widely publicized within target populations.

Albania can position itself successfully upon its impressive comparative advantages of highquality sites in a close geographic area, and create an identifiable position in the internationalmarket place based on the discovery of the country.

More important for Albania, however, are the trends in tourism preferences. Culture, adventureand ecotourism10 are considered to be the fastest growing tourism markets worldwide. Theirpopularity points to a switch away from passive resort-based vacations, which have

characterized the development of mass tourism since the 1970s. Theme travels centered onspecial-interest activities such as discovery and adventure, sports, and education are increasinglypopular.

Traditional sun and sand tourism (large-scale, undifferentiated packages) is losing ground toecotourism, cultural tourism and adventure tourism. While sun and sand tourism remains thelargest tourism segment in international tourism, it is experiencing growth rates of no more than 2to 4 percent per year.11 Meanwhile, markets for cultural tourism are currently believed torepresent more than 60 million tourists per year, with annual growth rates of 15% projectedthrough 2010.12 Adventure tourism is another small but rapidly growing segment, with nearly 5million annual tourists, and growth rates in the 20% range.13 Depending on the definition, the fullrange of nature-oriented tourism could represent as much as half of all tourism, and has shownspectacular growth rates for more than a decade.

Neighboring countries, such as Greece, Turkey and Croatia are focusing their efforts on sun andsand tourism, further crowding an already very crowded tourism market (which also includesNorth Africa, Coastal Spain, the Caribbean, Indian Ocean islands, and many others). Albania hasa unique opportunity to differentiate itself from neighbors and avoid a crowded market withdecreasing revenues and profits.

Tourists now evaluate a countrys environmental responsibility and conservation efforts.Consumers from developed countries may change their buying decisions based on the perceptionof negative environmental impacts or performance.

Tourism focused on independent tourists visiting local communities and participating actively innature and culture activities has been shown to yield 5 to 10 times more development benefit thanlarge-scale sun and sand tourism per dollar of tourist spending. Studies conducted by INCAE(Inman 1999) and others have shown that Costa Ricas nature-based sector keeps nearly 50% of

10 The International Ecotourism Society (TIES, at www.ecotourism.org) defined ecotourism as responsible travel to

natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.11 World Tourism Organization12WTO, Travel and Tourism Analyst, No. 4, 2001 by Travel and Tourism Intelligence13Travel and Tourism Intelligence (TTI)



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total tourist expenditure (excluding airfare) in the country, where Cancun, Mexicos sun and sandsector (based on massive all-inclusive resorts) keeps slightly more than 10% in the country. Inaddition, overall spending and the multiplier effect of Costa Rican expenditures (guides, tours,equipment, crafts) tend to be greater.

Data on Central American tourism visitation shows that tourists who come to experience a mix of

natural and cultural attractions (including beaches) spend 25% more per stay than their exclusivesun and sand counterparts.14

The experience tourists seek is increasingly valued not only on the quality of destinations oractivities, but also on the conformity of the lodging facilities and management practices withenvironmental guidelines.

Unfortunately, for Albania there are no real alternative positions. Its individual destinations areattractive, but not unique. Ancient ruins of better quality for international tourists can be found inGreece, Italy and Turkey. Sun and sand tourism competes with very many countries, and presentschallenges due to declining prices and little contribution to the local economy. Nature and culturetourism presents fewer alternative destinations, but still compete with a wide variety of

destinations. What makes Albania unique is the close proximity of a rich variety of attractions,and the relative proximity of those attractions, in a unique cultural context, to a large number ofdomestic and international tourists.

While the unique market position is born primarily of necessity, it is a powerful position in theinternational market place. Trends in tourism visitation worldwide clearly identify nature andculture tourism as the fastest growing segment and with very large numbers of potential tourists.Albania appears to be ideally situated to meet the shifting demands of an increasingly nature andculture oriented tourism market.

14 Deshazo, George. This was an inference drawn by the author from several studies conducted in Central America

conducted by the Harvard Institute for International Development, 1997.



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III. Challenges

The development of Albanias tourism sector presents a number of challenges. There are generaltourism development that all countries face as they enter international markets, and specific

challenges related to establishing a successful nature and culture-based destination.

A. General challenges for Albania in tourism development

Establishing a clear market position in a crowded marketplace. There are many productsand countries competing for the attention of travelers, travel agencies and publications.

Overcoming previous conceptions of and associations with Albania. Initial researchpoints to a non-image among tourism professionals. There is interest in newdestinations, and increasing interest in the type of experience Albania has to offer, but itwill require a coordinated effort. In certain target markets, the general associations withAlbania range from neutral to negative due to recent history.

Investment must be planned in the short, medium and long term. The nation as a wholecannot enter this commitment lightly. Success in international markets requiresconsistency in message and market presence year after year. It requires investment ofpolitical capital across branches of government and between the private, public and civilsociety sectors. Further, success also requires a number of new or adapted mechanisms toensure consistency and coordination, but also to avoid conflict and provide reliability ininvestment and decision-making.

Infrastructure. One of the advantages of an emphasis in natural and cultural tourism isthat the requirements for specialized infrastructure are minimal. However, the basiccapacity to safely move tourists (in cars, mini-buses, buses and airplanes) is a necessarycondition. Telecommunications and internet are an important and increasingly necessarycomponent for tourism sector promotion and communication (by operators and localtourism offices) and for visitors. Albania faces significant challenges in all these areas.

Coordination among a large number of governmental institutions. A successful tourismsector for Albania will require the effort of number of ministries, local governments,institutes, as well as NGOs, academia, international agencies, and bilateral assistanceprograms.

Market Intelligence. Without detailed knowledge of tourism markets and the expectationsof the target segments expectations and desires, Albania risks wasting substantialinvestment and precious time. The country will need to invest in market information and

knowledge to pinpoint opportunities and fine-tune products and services.

Internal data. Albania will need to invest substantially in domestic data collection andmanagement systems to monitor and analyze tourism visitation, spending, behavior,tourist profiles and other characteristics. Without this data, tourism planning is virtuallyimpossible and scarce resources will be wasted.



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B. Specific Challenges for Nature and Culture Tourism

A strategy focusing on nature and culture tourism presents a variety of additional challengesbeyond the general ones.

The concept of sustainability is built into the strategic position by necessity. Withoutaggressive efforts to ensure the sustainability of the natural and cultural resources,Albania cannot reasonably expect to maintain a market position capable of attractinginternational tourists. Without involving the local communities and providing realopportunities to participate in and benefit from the development process, the attractionswill continue to be degraded, or converted to other economic uses nearly all of whichoffer much less long-term development potential than tourism.

Developing a successful sector requires substantial levels of investment in infrastructure,marketing, human resources, natural area management, historic preservation and livingculture. Without a serious investment commitment, the country will not be successful.

There are no recipes. Albanias tourism products must be authentic, while meeting thegeneral expectations of international tourists. International experience, knowledge andbest practices should be sought aggressively to inform decisions and plans for thecountry. However, the products themselves must represent, to the maximum extentpossible, an authentic Albanian approach. The most likely outcome will be the adoptionand adaptation of strategies and mechanisms from a number of countries best practicesin different regions of the world.

Local-national issues. Nature and culture tourism require substantial involvement of localgovernments in tourism planning, urban planning, infrastructure development, culturalpreservation, environmental protection, among others. While there is considerable local

capacity in the larger cities and identified cultural centers, many cities and towns willrequire substantial amounts of additional support from the central government, Tirana-based institutions and international experts.

The nature and culture tourism segment is highly dependent on very specialized humanresources. Very high-quality tour guides are perhaps the most critical success factor forAlbanian tourism, and will need to be aggressively recruited and trained. The countrywill need qualified managers for natural and cultural sites. In addition, there is anidentified shortage of qualified hospitality personnel at all levels and in all regions.Limited language skills (English in particular) across these categories, and in provincialareas in particular will also present challenges.

A number of alternative tourism strategies have proven to be non-complementary, andpotentially harmful to building high-value tourism. Large-scale sun and sand tourismpresented in all-inclusive packages in isolated touirsm complexes will likely do greatharm to the countrys efforts to build a high-value sector based on nature and culture.The massive sun and sand tourism is a highly competitive segment that attracts primarilydiscount-oriented travelers. The arrival of large numbers of this tourism segment tends tomake destinations much less attractive to higher-end tourists. A similar effect has beenobserved with the arrival of large cruise ships.



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Tourism growth can be slow in the early years. If successful, the sector will begin small,but grow rapidly as it gains a positive international reputation. While it will be possibleto observe progress and measure advances with meaningful indicators, the tangiblebenefits critical for ongoing political support and commitment will be observed in themedium term.



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IV. Action Plan

This section presents a plan for the country to advance its tourism sector and tackle its principlechallenges within the context of the strategy presented above and the existing policy, legal and

institutional structure.

In operational terms, the country is ready to move forward with its tourism sector.

The country has the capacity today to receive substantially more overnight

international tourists than it is currently receiving. Although the country is not

ready for aggressive marketing to broad international markets, it is absolutely

ready to receive tens of thousands of additional adventurous, pioneering

tourists who are willing to be flexible and forgiving in exchange for being

among the first to experience a unique new destination.

The numerous challenges that Albania faces must be addressed, but most need not be solved priorto beginning tourism promotion. However, due to the interrelated nature of the identifiedchallenges, the country must begin work immediately in a number of areas in order for tourism togrow effectively.

The specific items of the Action Plan are presented as priorities in nine different areas.

Awareness and Marketing

Product Development

Investments in Nature Areas to Strengthen the Tourism Sector

Investments in Culture to Strengthen the Tourism Sector

Human Resources

Infrastructure

Business Climate Enhancement of Tourist Experience

Data and Information Management

1. Awareness and Marketing

Albania must work at multiple levels to: increase awareness of the country, increase positiveassociations with Albania, consolidate a unifying theme to link the countrys tourism productwith international markets, convince market opinion-leaders that the country is worth visiting,increase contact between specialized outbound travel companies in target markets and local

tourism companies (inbound operators, outfitters, hotels, etc), establish a credible internet-basedpresence, and establish a sustainable structure for continued marketing efforts.

a) Awareness and positive association

This must be a diplomatic and political effort. Coverage in the international press continues to beneutral to negative. Albania has not managed this aspect of its public image very successfully.Tourism, nature and culture provide excellent opportunities for senior officials to communicate



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positive messages. Every time the Prime Minister or other senior officials visit a target marketcountry (particularly Germany, UK, US and northern Italy), he or she should set aside time topromote tourism to select audiences and to the media. They must be supported by the nationalunifying theme presented in b) below.

Action Item 1.1 Development of a national tourism press kit and stand, with printed

materials, video, scripts and other materials to permit easy presentation of the country in anypriority location.

Action Item 1.2 Increase positive media coverage in target markets. Albania must be moreaggressive in communicating positive messages in target markets. Positive news on natural andcultural issues should provide substantial benefits. Commercial officers, press officers, consulsand even ambassadors should be briefed on the use of the prepared materials and provided withfrequent news feeds to create opportunities for advancing a positive image.

Action Item 1.3 Work closely with Albanian Diaspora. It is very important that Albaniansabroad feel proud and willing to visit Albania with relatives and friends. For example Mexico hasdeveloped a campaign welcome homePaisano (Countryman).

b) Consolidate a unifying theme to link the countrys tourism product with

international markets

Today Albania is using a number of different themes to present itself two can be found on theofficial tourism website, and others in different promotional materials. This takes away focus andcould eventually create confusion. The country needs professional assistance in selecting anddesigning a theme that reflects the national cultural and environmental strategy, and the image thecountry wishes to portray to the world, and connects these with a message that finds a provenresonance within the target market group that the country is seeking to attract.

Action Item 1.4 Hire an international public relations firm with experience in the strategic

positioning of tourism destinations. This is imperative. There are decades of experience,knowledge, science and art behind the design of market positioning. The process includescreative design process, analysis of potential opens, testing of the concept in various targetmarkets and other steps to guarantee the strength and clarity of the message.

c) Convince market opinion-leaders that the country is worth visiting

Specialized products are only successful in the tourism market if their qualities are validated byrespected opinion leaders. For a destination such as Albania, the most important opinion-leadersare frequently writers and publishers of articles, journals, and guidebooks oriented toward nature,culture and travel. Occasionally they are travel companies known for discovering newdestinations. The model of validation can be depicted as concentric circles (see Graphic 2), with

each ring looking to the next inner ring for advice and recommendations.



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Graphic 2: Concentric circles of information marketing

Action Item 1.5 Engage in an aggressive effort to increase Albanias visibility in opinion-

leader publications.

Sub-item 1.5.1 Albania must conduct a study, in conjunction with the public relationsfirm identified above, to determine which publications and information sources thedesired target market uses to make decisions to travel to a destination. Since much ofearly-stage tourism development is by word of mouth, a secondary objective is toidentify the decision processes of the pioneering visitors.Sub-item 1.5.2 Increase coverage and currency of Albania in tour guidebooks directedat independent adventurous travelers. Specifically, Albania should convince:

Bradt Travel Guides Ltd (UK) to expand and update its excellent travel guide; Lonely Planet Guides (UK) to produce a dedicated guide (rather than appearing

in sharedEastern Europe one); and

Rough Guides (UK) to consider including Albania in their portfolio of guidebooks.

Action Item 1.6 Invest in presence in high quality paid magazine space. Marketingprofessionals argue that a good article about a product or destination in a credible publication isworth 5 to 10 times more than the same amount of paid advertising space in the same publication.Certain publications with high credibility (in particular National Geographic and NationalGeographic Traveler) decide on much of their editorial content based on paid advertising space(X pages of advertising space entitles the purchaser to Y pages of editorial content from

national geographic staff and photographers). The specific selection of publications should bebased on the research conducted in 1.3.1 above.

d) Increase contact between specialized outbound travel companies in

target markets and local tourism companies



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Action Item 1.7 Increase presence at major fairs where nature, culture adventure and

alternative tourism destinations are featured. Trade fairs are considered by most country-promoters as a necessary evil. Positive results can be of varying quality, but lack of presence isuniversally regarded as bad. Albanias participation in these fairs must be coordinated under theunifying national theme to maintain focus on the message and with clear objectives to achieve asa country, not just individual organizations.

Action Item 1.8 Establish an International Tourism Fair in Albania. The best place to showAlbania is Albania. The Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth, Sports recently reiterated hissupport for a Fair in 2006. Best practices in planning suggest that Albania evaluate the bestavailable times slots on the international calendar, and allow for approximately one year to ensureproper organization and communication. The national unifying theme must be the overarchingposition presented in the show. International expertise on tourism fair organization should besecured.

e) credible internet-based presence.

Action Item 1.9 Strengthen Albanias presence on the internet. The National Tourism

Organizations web site (http://www.albaniantourism.com) is a good initial effort to ensureensuring that potential visitors can find basic information on the country. And it sends a messagethat the country is open for business.Design of a comprehensive internet presence strategy that includes:

A second generation of the National Tourism Organizations website to include moredetailed explanations and information on routes, and contact with licensed tourismcompanies and the private sector portal.

A linked private sector portal to provide easy access to tourism industry participants, suchas inbound operators, lodgin, restaurants, outfitters, etc.

Creation of an Albania tourism forum, attached to the national tourism website, linked tonumerous sites and monitored and responded to daily by a tourism promotion programperson.

Search engine placement. Information experts can assist the Ministry and the privatesector in strategies to ensure the national website and other sites rank in the top ofGoogle searches.

f) Establish a sustainable structure for continued marketing efforts

Action Item 1.10 Establish a permanent financial structure that ensures a consistentmarketing budget each year and allocation of that budget toward nationally agreed-uponmarketing priorities. Albania should implement a mechanism used by a number of countries. Adedicated tourism marketing fund is financed by a special tourism tax. All funds collected fromthe special tax (ranging from 2 to 5% applied to all hospitality businesses) are dedicated towardtourism marketing. Annual budgeting and expenditures are agreed upon by a special tourismpromotion committee (or Board) comprised of Ministry representatives and the tourism sector.Albania will need to identify seed capital for this fund, but could conceivably make it a revolvingfund in a relatively short time replenishing the fund with dedicated tax revenues



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2. Product Development

The general tourism strategy establishes the overall framework for tourism centered on thediscovery of Albania through its nature and culture. Touirsm development has evolved with aregional focus, centered around the principal cities and their surrounding areas. A continuation ofthis evolution is natural and desirable.

While strategy and national planning is a top-down function, the development of the type oftourism sector Albania desires is predominantly bottom-up. Nature and culture tourismdepends, at its core, on the ability of the local areas to effectively organize themselves to converttheir natural and cultural assets into a viable tourism product, complete with recommended sitesand activities, information and interpretation, lodging, food, guide services and a variety of otherfeatures that determine the quality and value of a destination.

Action Item 2.1. Establish mechanisms to support local efforts to bring culture and nature

products to market. The first step of this process is to identify the needs of the tourism sector,local government and civil society sector in each region. The second step will be to design asupport plan to assist the local actors in whatever way resources permit.

Action Item 2.2 Establish and publish recommended tourism routes and activities for each

city-region. With the assistance of the national government, the private sector and NGOs, eachtourism center must articulate recommended tourism itineraries for visitors designed in blocksof half days, full days, two days, etc. The routes will be presented with detailed information,photographs and other materials in electronic and printed form, and distributed on the web and inprint format to visitors. The recently published compact disk Albania Nature Monuments,produced by the Ministry of Environment with support from the Global Environmental Facility(GEF) Small Grants Program is an outstanding contribution to this effort.

Action Item 2.3 Set up simple tour offices in each major tourist city. While these offices existon paper for some cities, they are not yet a reality. With shared funding and infrastructure, each ofthe current cities of tourism importance must have an office (even if in shared office space or inanother government office) that has at a minimum, a responsible person with up to date listings ofattractions, hotels, restaurants, stores, health facilities, tour guides, transportation companies and,if practical a telephone to help connect tourists appropriately.

3. Investments in Nature Areas to Strengthen the Tourism Sector

Albania has a long tradition in protected areas management, with substantial legislation andtechnical expertise. Budget constraints have led to institutional limitations that threaten thelegitimacy of the system, and perhaps even its viability. Nature areas (in particular protectedareas) are one of the three jewels in the crown of Albanian tourism. The country cannot besuccessful in the long term without significant investment in upgrading and continuedmaintenance of the core natural assets that form the underlying basis for the sector.

While there are many areas and budget needs, the following priority areas are those of mostcritical importance to involve the protected areas effectively in tourism development, andgenerate the necessary conditions for effective synergies between tourism and the areas. Albaniamust begin to invest now, because the costs of remediation of damage are high, and can takelonger than tourism markets are willing to wait.



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Action Item 3.1 Establish long-term financial mechanisms. New mechanisms and structuresmust be established to ensure increased funding for nature areas protection and tourismdevelopment.

Sub-item 3.1.1 An aggressive search for additional external funding. Albania mustexplore the wide variety of funding mechanisms (traditional and non-traditional) that can

be directed at natural areas. Lead time for successful proposals is typically one to twoyears from initial approach to approval of the project.Sub-item 3.1.2. Maintain and expand the fiscal mechanism currently used for huntingand forestry revenues, which are maintained in special accounts with 70% automaticallydesignated for re-investment in nature areas.Sub-item 3.1.3 Environmental services payments. Eco-systems (particularly forests andwetlands) provide extremely valuable services to the economy that are not traditionalmarket goods (e.g., they have no price). These ecosystems provide: water capture andfiltration, climate control (global and local), wildlife and biodiversity hosting, scenicbeauty, recreational space, among others. Many countries are beginning to establishinternal markets to recognize the value and correct economic distortions that lead to sub-optimal land use.15

Sub-item 3.1.4 Establish new financial mechanisms to direct funds toward nature areas.The country needs trust funds or a foundation capable of operating outside the Ministryof Finance to channel complementary resources. The most common mechanisms used atan international level are: a) National Parks Foundations, --usually private foundations(with government sanction and representation), providing complementary funding suchas additional investments channeled from private contributors or international donors;and b) Nature Trust Funds specialized funds usually managed for specific purposessuch as biodiversity conservation and reforestation activities, that can be managed moresimply under established rules administered by a trustee(s).

Action Item 3.2Accelerate the development and approval of tourism plans for nature areas.Traditional protected area management calls for the development of comprehensive management

plans that include tourism plans as a component. While this is the technically correct approach,management plans require very complex processes that consume large amounts of financial andhuman resources and can take years. Albania must establish an accelerated process forestablishing tourism plans in a number of identified priority nature areas with tourism relevance(due to the attraction itself and its proximity to tourism centers). The plans should beenvironmentally conservative (erring toward protection in absence of complete managementplans), and be discussed formally and informally with a broad group of stakeholders to establish aconsensus best professional judgment on visitor strategy, carrying capacity and infrastructureneeds.

Action Item 3.3 Instill a culture of National Park among Albanians, beginning with Dajti.

This effort will focus on three particular aspects of Dajti to begin to educate Albanians on the

importance of enjoying and caring for parks. De-militarization, reinvestment of entrance feesand waste management should be the program priorities.

15 For example, in several countries hydroelectric generators pay land owners (including protected areas) to maintain

or increase forest cover in their watersheds in order to ensure water flow, particularly in dry season when water is more

scarce (or energy purchase prices are higher). In theory, park entrance fees are a type of environmental service

payment, if the funds are used to maintain or enhance the park.



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4. Investments in Culture to Enhance Tourism Development

Albania has a long tradition in cultural preservation, with substantial legislation and technicalexpertise. The needs for cultural preservation in a country with such a rich history will alwaysexceed its ability to protect and restore. However, the country cannot be successful in the longterm without significant investment in upgrading and continued maintenance of the core cultural

assets that underlie its tourism position.

While there are many areas and budget needs, the following priority areas are those of mostcritical importance generate the necessary conditions for effective synergies between tourism andthe areas. As with natural resources, Albania must increase investment now, because the costs ofremediation of damage are high, and cultural patrimony is frequently irreplaceable and representsa loss to national identity.

Action Item 4.1 Establish long-term financial mechanisms. New mechanisms and structuresmust be established to ensure increased funding for cultural site protection and tourismdevelopment.

Sub-item 4.1.1 An aggressive search for additional external funding. Albania mustexplore the wide variety of funding mechanisms (traditional and non-traditional) that canbe directed at natural areas. Lead time for successful proposals is typically one to twoyears from initial approach to approval of the project.Sub-item 4.1.2. Charge modest to substantial admissions fees of visitors to sites to helpdefray the costs of operating them. Many prime cultural locations in other countriescharge as much as $10 or $20 for admission for foreign visitors. Economic analysis(travel cost modeling and contingent valuation) can assist in establishing correct pricesfor major destinations.Sub-item 4.1.3 Establish new financial mechanisms to direct funds toward conservationareas. The country needs trust funds or a foundation capable of operating outside theMinistry of Finance to channel complementary resources. As with the protected areas

mechanisms (discussed above), foundations and trust funds have proven to besuccessful in many countries.

Action Item 4.2 Economic Mechanisms to slow destruction of historic buildings and

districts. The high cost of maintaining the nations privately owned historic buildings is beyondthe economic capacity of many (if not most) owners. Properly enforced zoning and planning lawsestablish the rules and permitted behavior. However, without financial assistance or the use ofnew economic instruments, historic buildings will deteriorate (following the law) or be torn down(violating the law). As tourism continues to expand, there will be increased pressure fromentrepreneurs wishing to build cheaper structures instead of refurbishing historic ones. Insertingcultural patrimony into the tourism sector may be a viable strategy.

Sub-item 4.2.1 Explore the successful (and unsuccessful) experiences of other countriesin establishing economic mechanisms for historic preservation in private buildings (theU.S, UK, Switzerland, Austria, France and Spain are recognized leaders in this area,Cuba recently started a programme in old Havana).Sub-item 4.2.2 Increase the cost-share for rehabilitation of historic buildings for inns andother tourism infrastructure. The current system of sharing the costs of refurbishment ofimportant buildings (particularly homes) appears to be functioning in Gjirokaster andBerat. In those cases where owners wish the buildings to become part of the tourism



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infrastructure, the expenditure of additional government funds can be justified as thebuilding will be increasing visitation, spending and revenue in the medium term.Sub item 4.2.3 Spain has had outstanding success with its system of Paradores,promoting the use of castles, palaces, monasteries and other unique buildings of Spanishpatrimony in a network of high quality historic hotels and inns. Similarly France hasbeen successful in promoting a national network of Auberges and Chalets with

similar goals.

Action Item 4.3 Improved cultural access in museums. The most common weakness cited byAlbanian and foreign visitors to the countrys museums is the lack of meaningful interpretiveinformation (in Albanian or English). There are three complementary strategies to be explored.Printed material for individual galleries, trained guides (part of museum staff, or trained andauthorized private guides for hire), and new electronic guiding systems (recorded informationunder visitor control).

Sub-item 4.3.1 Begin a pilot project in the National Historical Museum to implement anelectronic guiding system.

Action Item 4.4 Support, enhance and publicize cultural events and folk festivals. Livingculture is a highly sought-after tourism product. A great number of tourists seek to plan theirtravels to coincide with important folk events (dance and music competitions, religious events,feast days, local town celebrations, important dance and music performances, etc).

Sub-item 4.4.1 Publicize existing events. Albania has a great number of these events thatshould be, at a minimum, well documented and placed in an official national calendar ofcultural events. This information should be published on the national tourism website,and include history of the event, descriptions of the activities, photographs and sound-bites, and links to tourism companies capable of providing services.Sub-item 4.4.2 Develop a long-term plan to direct government and private sector supportto priority cultural events of interest to foreign visitors.

5. Human resources

Albania must invest in several critical human resources for the tourism sector to developeffectively.

Action Item 5.1 Establishment of an Elite Tourism Guide Corps. Ensuring repeat visits andachieving word of mouth recommendations will be the key to sustainable tourism development.Because of the complexity of Albania, the knowledge and interpretation provided by thecountrys best tour guides will be perhaps the single most important factor for successful tourismdevelopment. Educated tourists willingness to pay for high quality guides is very high. In many

high quality nature destinations they are among the highest paid employees in the tourism sector.An Elite Guide Corps will become the hallmark of Albanian tourism and differentiate it from thegenerally mixed quality of tour guides found across Europe. It will also provide incomegenerating opportunities for currently underemployed university graduates in relevant fields.

Action Item 5.2 Train Natural and Cultural Site Managers. The increasing importance of thecountrys natural and cultural sites will require more sophisticated management expertise. Today,park and site directors tend to be well-trained technical personnel (foresters, curators, architects)who generally lack the training (or interest) to be effective managers. Skills such as planning,



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budgeting, accounting, project management, human resource planning, and others are criticalskills. There are two priorities in this area: 1) identify appropriate mechanism to train currentmanagers in the required skills, and 2) investigate strategies for recruiting and educating futuremanagers to assume the new challenges.

Action Item 5.3 Train hospitality professionals and staff. Albania will require many more

well-trained individuals in order to support an international tourism sector. The tourism sectorand a number of supporting programs cite this aspect as one of Albanias weakest.

Sub-item 5.3.1 Ensure that the tourism faculties at the Albanian universities arepreparing managers for the type of tourism Albania seeks to develop. This should includecourse work on Albanian history and traditions, nature and culture preservations inaddition to traditional hotel and management training.Sub-item 5.3.2 Vocational training for young people. The tourism sector will requiretrained individuals in areas such as plumbing, electricity, carpentry, maintenance,cooking, hotel service, restaurant service, driving, among others.Sub-item 5.3.3 Continuing Education. Many adults currently in the sector or wishingto enter the sector need and desire the opportunity to improve skills or acquire new ones.

Action Item 5.4 Enhance language skills. Albania is a remarkably multilingual society.Additional effort needs to be directed at ensuring that tourism industry personnel, particularlythose in provincial and rural areas possess the basic foreign language skills to needed toeffectively conduct their jobs. English and German are top priorities.

6. Infrastructure

One of the advantages of an emphasis in natural and cultural tourism is that the requirements forspecialized infrastructure are minimal. However, the basic capacity to safely move tourists (incars, mini-buses, buses and airplanes) is a necessary condition. Telecommunications and internetare an important and increasingly necessary component for tourism sector promotion and

communication (by operators and local tourism offices) and for visitors. Albania faces significantchallenges in all these areas. The following are the priority areas of action.

Action Item 6.1 Improvements to two critical roads in the North. 1) Improvement ofapproximately 19km of road connecting Lura National Park with the National road to permitpassage of vehicles other than 4-wheel-drive during summer tourist months. 2) Completion ofroad from Shkodra to Thethi to connect the extreme northern region with the rest of the countryfor tourism and trade.

Action Item 6.2 Maintenance of secondary national roads. Natural and cultural touristexperiences are greatly enhanced by moving visitors (by bus, taxi, rental car) on secondary roads.It is the secondary roads that provide the opportunities to see Albanian towns, culture, people, and

way of life. Highways are culturally sterile and are not valuable for purposes other than rapiddelivery of tourists. Travel on these secondary routes permits tour guides to take advantage ofnumerous opportunities to explain Albanian culture and history. Further, these routes createopportunities for tourists to spend money in villages that are not their destinations. Secondaryroads of touristic importance (for example, Kelcure to Berat) should be made passable to regularvehicles in the most economic manner possible .

Action Item 6.3 Connect the South. Current road conditions and lack of alternativetransportation make the southern region unnecessarily far from the rest of the country. In the



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short-term, continued improvements of the highway between Vlora and Saranda will help.However, it is imperative to provide additional means to access the south.

Sub-item 6.3.1. The country must move to provide domestic airplane service. Thepriority is to conduct rapid feasibility studies for simple airstrips and related buildingsand equipment in Saranda, Gjirokaster, Berat and Kora, and for the financial viability of

private airplane service.16Sub-item 6.3.2 Study the feasibility and financial viability of sea routes connectingDurres, Vlora and Saranda. In addition to providing an additional connection mode,travel by sea is an attractive alternative for many tourists and would likely be popularamong a large number of tourists and locals.

Action Item 6.4 Increase rural and provincial connectivity. Internet and telephony areextraordinarily important for tourism development. High quality access permits local businessesto market their products directly and maintain more direct and fluid contact with their customersand suppliers. Internet access is also an important and valued service for international guests.The specific action item is to explore ways of collaborating with the Ministry of Education andSciences new Internet to Schools Project to connect all schools in the country to internet.

Increased usage of the systems by local tourism business could help defray the costs of operatingthe networks.

Action Item 6.5 Improve Signage. There is a shortage of road signs indicating the direction totowns, cultural monuments and natural sites. The lack of signage makes navigation complicatedfor local professionals and nearly impossible for visitors.

7. Business Climate

A successful tourism sector requires a stable and rather sophisticated business climate. Businesssectors grow more successfully with a regulatory framework that is clear and ensures that all

actors are playing by the same set of rules of the game. Albanias tourism business climate isunclear at this time. Several priority items will make positive advances toward building s healthybusiness climate.

Action Item 7.1 Formalization of the tourism sector. Albania must establish clear and simplemechanisms for informal actors in the tourism sector to formalize. Low-cost incentives, such asinclusion in the national website and a voice in how tourism promotion funds (to which thecontribute) will be spent have proven effective in many countries. It will be incumbent on theprivate sector (particularly its associations) to push formalization as a necessary and importantpart of the associations work. The government needs to ensure that licensing and otherrequirements are appropriate, and do not unnecessarily impede formalization. The tourism sectoris stronger. There should be clear but simple incentives to encourage the tourism

Action Item 7.2 Calibrate to international tourism standards. Albania must encourage itstourism companies to compete at the highest levels of quality. One of the most convenientmechanisms to encourage this is the active promotion (by government and the private sector) of

16 Conversations in Gyrokaster suggested that there is likely ecconomic justification for airplane service based solely on

business travelers alone. Locals estimate that dozens of business people are currently paying $120 for taxi service to

Tirana each week. Cutting the trip from more than five hours to less than one hour would be valuable for business

people and visitors.



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adherence to international standards. Among the most relevant are the international starssystem for lodging classification, Blue Flag certification for beaches (coasts and lakes), GreenGlobe 21 for sustainable tourism practices, and various EU standards for transportation, organicagriculture, and food safety. Widespread use of these standards raises quality, and makes it moreobvious which companies are lagging behind.

Action Item 7.3 Design and establish a National Tourism Quality program. Achieving highlevels of quality in all tourism services (lodging, food, nature sites, culture sites, transport andlogistics, guides) will be an important characteristic differentiating Albania from its competitors.Countries with diverse tourism sectors such as Peru are currently embarking on strategies toensure customer satisfaction within the context of nature and culture tourism. Albania shouldbegin an initiative to incorporate quality principles in parallel with the growth of the sector. It iseasier to establish good practices with a small sector and replicate them.

Action Item 7.4 Update the tourism taxation system. Albania must review its system andadjust it to meet the current position of its tourism sector and revenue generation needs. An initialreview suggests that 1) the system is not collecting enough tax overall relative to prices and othercountries, 2) the tax is too highly concentrated on hotels (which artificially inflates a visible factor

in tourist decisions to visit the country, and encourages avoidance), 3) none of the funds collectedfrom tourists directed to strengthening the sector, which is out of step with current bestinternational practice.

Action Item 7.5 Provide strict enforcement of urban plans in coastal areas and historic

districts. The mostly costly evasions of rules for Albania are those that lead to destruction ofcultural patrimony or deterioration of visitor quality. Local governments require resources,knowledge and political will to maintain control over land use. The national government and thetourism sector must assist them in these areas. and national authorities

8. Enhancement of Tourist Experience

Action Item 8.1 Prevent Physical Risk to Visitors.Albania must avoid the death or severe illness of tourists at all costs. While tourists understandthat there is some risk in all travel, they expect a country (particularly a European one) to takereasonable provisions for their safety. The death of a tourist or group of tourists could virtuallyshut-down the countrys newly developing sector.

The four greatest concerns identified by international visitors, tour guidebook authors and anumber of local experts are:

Sub-item 8.1.1 Improve safety on roads. While poor quality roads are surmountable, thecombination of poor roads, undisciplined drivers and high speed is of great concern.Sub-item 8.1.2 Increase disease prevention awareness. Water-borne and insect-borne

(mosquito and tick) disease currently present significant health threats. Long-termsolutions are needed for drinking water and irrigation water integrity, as well aswastewater management. In the short to medium term, tourists need to be advised ofhealth risks and basic measures to avoid them. At a minimum the country and thetourism sector need to advise visitors on sanitation precautions -- avoid tap water, ice andstreet food, and to bring appropriate clothing and repellent to avoid mosquitoes and ticks.These advisories are normal in many parts of the world and are considered valuableinformation rather than deterrents to tourism.



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Sub-item 8.1.3 Improve food safety practices through education campaigns in thehospitality sector and vocational schools. Priority areas should include 1) personalhygiene, 2) application of best practices in the handling of meat, poultry, fish andshellfish, 3) water temperature and cleaning techniques.Sub-item 8.1.4 Emergency medical attention. Albania must put in place a nationalsystem for treating visitors who become seriously ill or injured. The lack of

infrastructure and language skills in the countrys health sector is weak, particularly inprovincial and rural areas where the country seeks to develop tourism. While substantialinvestment in equipment in personnel is not viable at this time, the country shouldemploy systems and protocols for attending to sick and injured tourists through existingmechanisms. A system of doctors and translators on-call in tourism areas should becomplemented with protocols for deciding when and where tourists will be moved, towhere, and logistical mechanisms. Given the somewhat elevated risks to tourists inAlbania, this system would inspire confidence and be seen as a highly attractive feature.

Action Item 8.2 De-militarization of tourism destinations. The heavy police presence on roads,in coastal areas and mountain destinations is a strongly negative factor. This presence sends amessage of insecurity to foreign visitors (European and North American, in particular) in a

country that is remarkably free of crime ,violence, or political problems. This is particularlynoticeable in the form of roadblocks, in coastal tourism destinations, and certain mountaindestinations.

It is very common in developing and transition economy countries for the prevailing attitude to bethat more police and military presence implies more security for locals and visitors.Unfortunately, while this may be true in certain cases and certain situations, it is not true fortourism in a very safe, peaceful country like Albania.

This is not a recommendation for the military to cease its functions for providing security, it is arecommendation that certain practices and policies be reconsidered as they relate to tourismdevelopment in a number of critical areas. Other countries have established tourism development

as an economic priority of vital national importance, placing it on an even footing with othernational security priorities.

Action Item 8.3 Reduce rubbish in tourism areas. Local attitudes toward trash are troubling.The tourism towns, rivers roads, and lakeshores are embarrassingly covered. The levels of trashare shocking to most foreigners, and the message received by visitors is that the Albanians do notlove or respect their towns or their culture. Solutions to this problem must include improvedmunicipal waste collection service (public or private), campaigns to make locals aware of theimpact of the problem, and massive community-organized clean up campaigns.

Action Item 8.4 Wastewater management. Effective management of wastewater must be anintegral part of the development of locations. In coastal, river and lake destinations visitors and

locals literally participate in activities in their own sewage (and that of the town they are visiting).Inappropriately managed sewage is of great health concern, projects a very negative image, anddeteriorates the quality of the tourism product that the country is selling to international markets.Sound management is critical for the long-term viability of the tourism sector, and could becomean attractive feature showing how responsible Albania is being with its core tourism resources.



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9. Data and Information Management

Data on international tourism markets and comprehensive data on the Albanian sector areabsolutely essential to tourism planning, marketing and monitoring.

Action Item 9.1 Ministry Data Department. Establish an office within the Ministry responsible

for collecting, analyzing, and distributing timely data to the tourism industry and other relevantstakeholders.

Action Item 9.2 Maintain and Analyze International Tourism Data. World TourismOrganization (WTO) and Menlo Consulting Group, Inc are the most widely used tourism datasources. The Ministrys WTO repository status allows the Ministry to receive large amounts ofhigh quality market intelligence and data on international tourism. This data should be sharedwith collaborating university and NGO researchers to increase analytical capacity.

Item 9.3 Implement the Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSA) data system. The WTO haspromoted a comprehensive, internationally-developed methodology for systematically collectingand presenting domestic tourism information. This approach permits countries to collect

meaningful data and track impact at various levels within the economy and compare the datadomestically and internationally. The Ministry will make this data available to researchers toassist in its analysis, further informing tourism planning and development. Included in thissystem is the comprehensive collection of survey data from international visitors.

B. Institutional Issues

Success for Albania in international tourism markets will require a higher level of cooperationand fluidity among government ministries, between local and national government, and amongprivate, public and civil society organizations.

1. High Level Support

It is imperative that nature and culture tourism development be made, seen, and believed to be apriority at the highest level of the Albanian government. Without this visible level ofcommitment, it is unlikely that sufficient focus or cooperation among the various instances ofgovernment will be possible. Based on the various meetings in which the consultantsparticipated, the technical staff of the various ministries and institutes understand the importanceof this effort, were willing and able to contribute their knowledge and institutional expertise, butwere clearly in need of instructions and formal direction from their management.

2. Ministerial Level Coordination

The implementation of the Strategy wi

Albania Cultural and Eco Tourism Strategy

Documents

Transcript of Albania Cultural and Eco Tourism Strategy