Promoting Sustainable Tourism through Increasing Municipal and Entrepreneurship Capacities in Wider Prespa Area

Snapshot Solution

Promoting Sustainable Tourism through Increasing Municipal and Entrepreneurship Capacities in Wider Prespa Area

by Margarita Buxhaku

Albanian Center for Environmental Governance

Published: 10 June 2021

Last edited: 10 June 2021

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Summary

In early April, the Albanian Centre for Environmental Governance (ACEG) marked the end of a successful 16-month long project with the financial support of PONT and the GIZ ProSeed/Idea programme. On this occasion, ACEG organized a tour expedition and invited donors and tour operators to enjoy the beauty of Prespa National. The project was able to deliver important products, such as a Youth Tourism Academy, municipal training and cooperation, alongside financial support for the opening of a new guesthouse in Micro Prespa. The Regional Administration for Protected Areas Korça, presented the Prespa National Park values and tourist attractions such as the work in progress, and the enhancement of the 18 new hiking trails which will diversify the tourism options for various groups. The guided three-hour hiking tour delved into the values of the park, its potential and the nature attraction of the national park.

Classifications

Region

West and South Europe

Scale of implementation

Local

Subnational

Ecosystem

Area-wide development

Freshwater ecosystems

Pool, lake, pond

Urban ecosystem and build environment

Theme

Connectivity / transboundary conservation

Local actors

Protected and conserved areas governance

Tourism

Traditional knowledge

Challenges

Land and Forest degradation

Loss of Biodiversity

Conflicting uses / cumulative impacts

Unsustainable harvesting incl. Overfishing

Lack of access to long-term funding

Lack of alternative income opportunities

Lack of public and decision maker’s awareness

Unemployment / poverty

Sustainable development goals

SDG 11 – Sustainable cities and communities

SDG 12 – Responsible consumption and production

SDG 17 – Partnerships for the goals

Location

Prespa National park

Pustec, Korçë, Albania

Devoll District, Korçë, Albania

Find out more about the protected area where this solution has been implemented on Protected Planet.

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Impacts

The project established a Youth Tourism Academy, where 38 youth enrolled the whole programme of 4 modules. In the end 18 business plans were developed by YTA members on nature-based tourism in Devoll and Pustec municipalities. The winning business plan was financially supported by ACEG and PONT.

A full module of nature-based training was developed for inter-municipal tourism co-operation in Pustec and Devoll municipalities.

Organized a two day excursion tour for 20 local partners, tours and travel operators to promote nature tourism, values of the Prespa National Park and connect people with nature.

Pictures

Videos

Documentary of Nature Based Tourism in Prespa NP

Video content

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Contributed by

Margarita Buxhaku Albanian Center for Environmental Governance

Other Organizations

PONT

National Agency for Protected Areas of Albania

Portals

This solution is published in the PANORAMA 30x30 Solutions, PANORAMA Agriculture & Biodiversity and PANORAMA Nature-Culture community.

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