“Albania is culture” competition

TIRANA, May 6 – Yong people from all over Albania are participating in a music, dance, theatre, visual arts and handicrafts competition at the archeological park of Apollonia, southern Albania.
The “Albania is Culture” competition is holding the final phase in the Apollonia park after auditions held in the country’s main cities.
At least 250 high school and university students participated in qualifying contests to participate in the final stage of the “Albania is Culture,” competition, a joint initiative by the European University for Tourism, the Municipality of Fier and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
The winners of this festival will be part of a European Autumn- Winter 2010-2011 tour promoting Albanian culture as attractive for sustainable tourism.
The winner will be announced “Ambassador of the Albanian Culture”. All the winners in all sections will travel in some important European cities and close the tour with a show in Brussels.
The event will also bring concerts by European groups and a national fair presenting the best Albanian gastronomic specialties and traditional art craft objects.
An international conference “Sustainable tourism and local development, resources, strategies and policies for Albania, as a part of European Union”, will be held at the Museum of Archeological Park of Apollonia on 7, 8 and 9 May 2010 and at National Historic Museum of Tirana on 10 May 2010
The competition’s goal is to reassess and promote cultural heritage, particularly archaeological sites, mediaeval objects etc, as the historical wealth of the past and potential resources for local development, foreign and local tourism development.
The promotion of contemporary culture as a tool for better communication of Albania abroad, to break down any negative stereotypes of its image and attract more tourists interested in knowing not only “The Last Secret of Europe” only as a tourist destination but also its people, their culture, their way of life today.