UNWTO to assist Albania improve tourism competitiveness

TIRANA, March 5 – The World Tourism Organization will assist Albania in improving the country’s competitiveness and promote sustainable development. The two-year deal with the Madrid-based United Nations agency promoting responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism was signed this week in Berlin by Albania’s Tourism Minister Eglantina Gjermeni and Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the UNWTO.
The World Tourism Organization will offer assistance to Albania in marketing and promotion, the strengthening of capacities and management of tourist destinations and the facilitation of procedures for tourists.
“We will support the tourism sector in Albania, we will exchange best practices, guaranteeing expertise in the field of promotion and strengthening of capacities,” said Rifai as quoted by the Albanian Tourism Minister. The UNWTO Secretary General said the adoption of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism by private enterprises will be a cornerstone in the sustainable development of tourism.
“Albania is being introduced with a new tourist image. Through this deal we commit to working to improve Albania’s position in the global tourism market,” said Minister Gjermeni.
The deal with the UNWTO came as Albania is participating in the Berlin international tourism, one of the world’s leading travel trade fairs. Albania is being represented in the fair with its own stand featuring 18 tourism operators.
The Albanian government is 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,” minister Gjermeni has said.
Albania lost six places in the 2013 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, ranking worse to its regional competitors mainly due to poor business environment and infrastructure. The report published by the World Economic Forum surveying 140 global economies ranked Albania 77th, compared to 71st a couple of years ago, with a total score of 3.97 on a 1-to-7 scale, sandwiched between Ukraine and Armenia, leaving behind only landlocked Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Moldova among European countries.
Albania continues earning less from the tourism sector despite authorities reporting rising number of visitors.
Tourism revenue during the first three quarters of 2013 reached 760 million euros, down from 876 million euros during the first three quarters of 2012, registering a decrease of 14 percent, according to central bank data.
Tourism revenue declined for the third year in a row in 2012 despite government reporting a significant rise in the number of tourists visiting Albania. Central bank data show tourism revenue in 2012 slightly dropped to 1.145 billion Euros, down Euro 24 million or 2 percent compared to 2011. Affected by crisis, tourism revenues have been on a downward trend since 2009 when it registered its peak rate of Euro 1.3 billion.