“This initiative has been conceived as a project which will completely change Albania’s image in another way reflecting the energy and vitality of our people, the huge development potential, the tradition of hospitality, the rich culture and great historical heritage, the wonderful sites and landscapes,” said Tourism Minister Eglantina Gjermeni.
TIRANA, April 9 – The Albanian government has announced an international competition that will promote a new tourism image of Albania in the international market. Speaking at a press conference this week, Tourism Minister Eglantina Gjermeni said the Branding Albania competition will select a logo, slogan and new strategy to promote the identity of Albania on the global market.
“This initiative has been conceived as a project which will completely change Albania’s image in another way reflecting the energy and vitality of our people, the huge development potential, the tradition of hospitality, the rich culture and great historical heritage, the wonderful sites and landscapes,” said Gjermeni.
The initiative targets increasing the number of foreigners visiting Albania and making the country more attractive to foreign investors in the tourism sector.
“We target launching a new image of Albania and its tourism potential, as an entry gate for foreign investments in the Balkans, a country which is a factor of stability, security and peace in the region, a European Albania of the next generation,” the minister added.
The five best companies from stage one, as selected by the competition jury, will be required to deliver a fully detailed proposal of their campaign, including a media and communications strategy, budget planning, sketches of the planned advertisement and promotion materials.
The Albanian government is also working on a new law on tourism and a mid-term strategy in the tourism sector which has been facing crisis impacts in the past four years.
“The whole work targets turning Albania into a tourist destination by making full use of national resources, the beauty of Albania’s landscape, the cultural and historical heritage, hospitality, the historical and cultural values by respecting environment protection and promoting sustainable tourism to decently represent the country,” Gjermeni has earlier noted.
“In parallel with the review of the law and the preparation of the strategy, we are concretely working on the upcoming tourist season, we are also working on a new image for tourist Albania by improving the country’s image through a clear strategy,” says Gjermeni.
The new image will be built through participation in international fairs, promotional coverage in international media by introducing the particular thing about Albania in the region and Europe.
“Tourism should be developed to bring employment and further develop the Albanian economy to bring more welfare to Albanian citizens,” she said.
A rising destination
Albania offers a miscellaneous picture of coastal and mountain tourism and has been attracting more and more foreign tourists in the past few years being nicknamed as “A New Mediterranean Love” and “Europe’s Last Secret”.
In January 2014, The New York Times ranked Albania as one of the top four global destinations to go to for 2014, placing the Balkan country as the single European destination on top of the list. The prestigious daily newspaper ranks the Albanian coast the number four destination to visit, describing it as Europe at its best on a rugged shore.
The rating by New York Times comes after Lonely Planet tourist guide ranked Albania as the top destination for 2011 and the country was placed sixth in CNN’s top 10 destinations for 2011.
Back in 2012, the Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest national newspaper, selected Albania as a top tourism destination in 2012. In a travel slideshow on its website, the newspaper placed the Albanian Riviera as the top destination among the six best places to visit in 2012.
