Çdo ditë është e mirë në Mirditë!

admin — Mon, 06 May 2024 09:11:05 +0000

Çdo ditë është e mirë në Mirditë!

This past week I spent three days in Mirditë, an enclave in northern Albania often overlooked by tourists and locals alike. Many drive past the highway to Mirditë on their way to more well-known and frequently visited destinations further North, or drive through on the motorway to Kosovo, without stopping to realize the opportunities.

Kulla & ferma në Trang Adventure

The visit was part of a FAM trip, hosting Albanian hiking guides and tour operators to introduce them to the nature, culture, and unique history of the region. Highlights of the trip included a sample of some of the new services offered for hiking and trekking, which include over 400 kilometers of trails. We also visited several churches, a nod to the region’s unique religious and political history, a quasi-independent Catholic stronghold even during the Ottoman and communist eras.

New Mountain Station (completely solar)

Guesthouse in Gurth-Spaç

Trekking and nature photography

We visited several Kulla, or “towers”, the traditional extended family homes of the region. These stone houses use to be more plentiful, but urbanization and economic transitions have left many in ruins or disrepair. Still, some of the remaining examples date back over 200 years, and are still inhabited by the families that have lived on the land for centuries, allowing visitors to step back in time to experience first-hand how the Albanians live.

Many elders in the region still wear the traditional costume, or elements of it, on a daily basis, a nod to something that could be lost in another generation. Finally, we visited a local winery, and guesthouse, where a mix of native Albanian and French varietals make for a local red blend you cannot find anywhere else.

Agrotourism Guesthouse & Winery “Bujtina Doda”

We also paid our respects at the notorious Spaç Prison, where anti-communist political prisoners endured hard labor in the mines, torture, and even execution for defying the state. The modern mine of the same name hovers over the ruins of the prison, a symbol of wealth and power that still looms over the people, an unbroken chain of “progress” and struggle.

Spaç – former political prison from Communist era

On our last day, we attended the opening of a new guesthouse at Trang Adventure area, a cooperative endeavor coordinated by Mirditë’s great benefactor, Marjana Graf, consisting of several adjacent private farms, with attractions and activities, on a rural hilltop overlooking a breathtaking gorge. The drive to get there is an adventure all its own, and requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle, and preferably a local driver familiar with off-roading in the area. But the payoff are gorgeous views, and isolated meadows, working farms, picturesque abandoned farmhouses, and a dragon cave. Plans are in place to add a balcony over the canyon.

Newly restored Kulla as guesthouse at Trang Aventura

With a new InfoKulla (Info-Tower), featuring interactive trail maps, a museum, a bee house, and a giftshop full of locally-crafted goods, Mirditë has a tourism management strategy and team that functions almost like a working DMO, something the country is sorely lacking. And like all Albanians, they were amazing hosts. We were well-informed, well-fed, and treated like honored guests, which is the Albanian standard. The people and places were a wonderful mixture of excitement and serenity, and I will be visiting again soon because, as I have learned… Every day is a good day in Mirditë.

Discussion with the Mayor and Tourism team from Mirditë in the Trang Adventure guesthouse

Tasting local honey at the InfoKulla

Love Mirdita

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Green Enterprises and Support of Startups in the Tourism and Agri-processing Sectors in Albania

admin — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 16:47:10 +0000

Green Enterprises and Support of Startups in the Tourism and Agri-processing Sectors in Albania

This past week was #GlobalEntrepreneurshipWeek, and on Wednesday, November 15th, I was honored to invited by Partners Albania for Change and Development to be on a panel called “𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚”, to speak about Travelife Certification for tour operators, for which I am a coach and auditor. The panel took place at Destil Creative Hub in Tirana, “to further promote and support green enterprises and start-ups, and establish multilateral partnerships.”

We discussed sustainable tourism certifications and market potential, addressing the importance of meeting international standards, and the benefits and challenges of certifications schemes in the tourism and agricultural sectors. Panelists presented financial opportunities to help entrepreneurs address the challenges, and demonstrated the impact on customer perceptions and market access.

Joining me on the panel were:

– Gramos Osmani from RisiAlbania (Helvetas), who presented the potential and the existing market
conditions of the agri-business and tourism sectors in Albania.

– Edita Bilali, Certified Coach of GLOBAL G.A.P. in Albania and Kosovo, who discussed he importance of meeting the
international quality standards, as well as certifications.

–Fatmir Nikolli, from NOA Financojme shared their opportunities for the financial and technical support of the enterprises, to help ease their access in market marketplace.

In attendance were representatives from tourism and agricultural startups and enterprises. The panel was presented in Albanian (Shqip), so I brought along my friend, colleague, and up-and-coming sustainable tourism superstar, Suela Tahiraj, to translate. She is also an experienced sustainability coordinator, and a Travelife intern and coach, and had a few insights of her own to provide.

I’d like to thank Dua Partner Invest for their work in the tourism sector, and Suela, for her for her time and her individual efforts in sustainable tourism development.

For more information about opportunities for entrepreneurs in the tourism sector, please go to: https://duapartnerinvest.com/homepage

For more information about Travelife for Tour Operators, you can contact: https://www.travelife.info

To learn about Sustainable Tourism initiatives in the Western Balkans, check out https://balkan.green

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Green Destinations Conference 2023 – Belsh Municipality on TOP 100!

admin — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 07:34:50 +0000

Green Destinations Conference in Tallinn Belsh Municipality on TOP 100!

The Green Destinations Conference 2023 in Tallinn has been an exciting event, especially for the representative of Belsh, Albania, Mr.Endrit Gjoshi, the Head of the Cultural Department for the Municipality…

In beautiful Tallinn, Estonia, representatives of destinations from over 40 countries shared their efforts in preserving natural beauty and promoting responsible tourism, some of whom have secured a place in the Green Destinations TOP 100 Awards for the best destinations in the world. To enter, destinations must meet some GSTC management criteria and submit a story of their sustainable tourism activities.

Mr. Gjoshi accepted our TOP 100 award on behalf of Belsh Municipality at the gala dinner last night, and is presenting Belsh's tourism story at a panel today on preserving culture and traditions.

The conference emphasizes that by working together we can improve travel and tourism, making it better for our visitor's, our communities and the planet.

Special thanks to Belsh's entire Green Team, led by Paolina Rusta, our designated sustainability coordinator, and everyone in the Mayor's office for their hard work, and to Ledia Meha of Spoonbill Nest Innovation Center, for their support.

For more information about the conference, you can view the full program here:

https://www.greendestinations.org/gd-2023

Media Release for 2023 Top 100 Unveiling Ceremony

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Green Destinations Conference in Tallinn

admin — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 15:01:21 +0000

Albania represented at Green Destinations Conference in Tallinn
8-10 October 2023

For the second year, I will be attending the Green Destinations global conference. From October 8-10, this year’s conference is being held in Tallinn, Estonia, and will be celebrating the achievements of destinations around the world in sustainable tourism management. I am attending as both a representative of Green Destinations in Albania and Kosovo, and as a co-foundering member of Balkan Green.

Last year, Balkan Green made their grand debut at the Green Destinations 2022 conference in Athens, with an interactive panel and workshop, as well as signing a regional management agreement with Green Destinations for the Western Balkans. And BG are once again hosting a workshop at this year’s conference, entitled:

Workshop: Think Big - Start Small - Realize Well (Room 3):
- Scaling up Sustainable Tourism in the Western Balkans, with Case Studies from BiH

Not only will Bosnian case studies will be presented and discussed, but I will also be presenting a case study from Albania, as well as supporting the breakout groups as a facilitator.

And for the first time, a representative from an Albanian destination will attend the conference and be speaking on a panel. Endri Gjoshi, the Head of the Culture Department for Belsh, will be presenting alongside representatives from Slovenia, Japan, Estonia, and Scotland. He will discuss Belsh’s efforts to preserve historical and archeological sites, and to develop sustainable tourism around the municipality’s rich cultural history.

From the official conference program:

Panel: Culture and Tradition & Thriving Communities
Presenters will emphasize community-based tourism and development, involving local communities, producers, and stakeholders in the supply chain, and they will showcase best practices in the field. Through transformative approaches, attendees will gain valuable insights into the positive impact of tourism on nurturing thriving and sustainable communities. The panel aims to inspire destinations to celebrate their cultural heritage and empower local communities to participate in tourism while preserving their unique identities actively.

I am also looking forward to seeing my Balkan Green colleagues again, and watching panels and presentations from some of the amazingly talented friends I’ve met in the last three years. See you there!

For more information about the conference, you can view the full program here:
https://www.greendestinations.org/gd-2023-estonia/program/

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Congratulations to Elbasan!

admin — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 14:21:27 +0000

Congratulations to Elbasan!

I want to congratulate my current hometown, Elbasan, Albania, for being selected to participate as one of 100 cities in the EU-funded “climate neutral and smart cities by 2030” project. While this is not specifically tourism-related, if they succeed, Elbasan would certainly meet many of the GSTC criteria required for the Green Destinations awards and certification program.

The EU Mission will offer resources, guidance and funding to achieve these goals, with a 2030 deadline. Looking at the list of cities, perhaps none have a greater challenge ahead of them to complete this journey than Elbasan, and this will be a true test of leadership in the municipality.

According to the official press release:

“The Commission will invite the 100 selected cities to develop Climate City Contracts, which will include an overall plan for climate neutrality across all sectors such as energy, buildings, waste management and transport, together with related investment plans. This process will involve citizens, research organizations and the private sector. The clear and visible commitments made by the cities in the Climate City Contracts will enable them to engage with the EU, national and regional authorities – and most importantly with their own citizens to deliver on this ambitious objective. “

As a resident of Elbasan, I look forward to reading our Climate City Contract, once completed, and to supporting the initiatives therein. It is my hope that our municipality takes full advantage of this opportunity, and of the talented people of Elbasan, who are essential to its success. I know with the proper leadership and management, Elbasan can succeed in this endeavor on every level, and uphold all the commitments needed to ensure a better future for its citizens.

For further information download the documentation below:

100 Climate-meutral and Smart Cities

European Commission – Press release

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Çdo ditë është e mirë në Mirditë!