Albania to participate in European TSA program

TIRANA, March.11 – Albania is one of 12 countries selected by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) toward developing a tourism statistical system in compliance with recognized international standards. Ylli Pango, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports, received an official letter from Eduardo Fayos-Sola, Regional Representative for Europe, UNWTO stating that Albania has been selected to participate in a ‘Capacity-Building Programme on Tourism Statistics’. SNV Netherlands Development Organisation played a major role in ensuring that Albania was selected for this programme. First, it strongly encouraged appropriate Ministry Statistics staff to complete the UNWTO application forms and then, due to its close global partnership with UNWTO, it rigorously and successfully lobbied on behalf of Albania to ensure that it was seriously considered and ultimately selected for participation in this very important programme. The Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) system is a state-of-the-art internationally-recognized tourism statistical process that allows countries to develop a data base that will permit it to better delineate and understand its tourism markets. This leads to more efficient and effective tourism marketing ensuring that promotional resources are targeted on those markets that bring the greatest economic and social benefit to Albania. A professional, detailed analysis and evaluation of the TSA-created data base will also allow the country to better determine what the actual impacts of tourism activities within Albania will be in the way of income generation, job creation and supportive production activities. This information will allow both the private and public sectors to more effectively focus their tourism planning, development and marketing efforts on activities that will cater to proven Albanian target markets. David Milne, SNV Balkan Senior Tourism Advisor says that “The establishment of the TSA system in Albania is a great step forward in the country’s efforts to better focus the development and marketing of its tourism sector at all levels. TSA-generated information will provide local governments, national public agencies and, most importantly, the private sector with the necessary direction required to best serve Albania’s proven tourism markets.” SNV Albania has been in the tourism sector for three years. In 2006, it assisted the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports in the development of Albania’s first National Tourism Law. SNV supported the Ministry in receiving ‘Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty’ (ST-EP) UNWTO Programme Funds toward developing the Law. The funds were used to hire a legal tourism expert who spent a great deal of time in Albania meeting with stakeholders while drafting the Law. SNV provided facilitation and logistics assistance to both the legal expert and Ministry staff. The National Tourism Law was officially approved by the Albanian Parliament in May 2007. SNV has also assisted six different areas in the development of their tourism sectors through the use of SNV’s Tourism Action Plan (TAP) Process. SNV continues to strengthen its partnership with the Ministry, relative private sector agencies, communities throughout Albania and international partners in a concerted effort to develop this country’s vast tourism potential. SVN has been working in Albania since 1993 in efforts to provide Albanians with the necessary capacities and capabilities required to take responsibility for the development of their country. SNV’s 30 professional advisors, concentrated in Tirana, Korca, Fier, Peshkopi and Kukes, remain committed to strengthening Albania’s economy focusing their efforts on assisting clients in the development of their tourism, forestry and agriculture sectors toward the elimination of poverty. The TSA project, supported by the Austrian Ministry of Economics and Labor and the Austrian Statistical Office, will commence in April 2008 with the provision of training programs for Ministry and relevant national statistical agency representatives. The program is scheduled for completion in December 2009.