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

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by Margarita Buxhaku, Albanian Center for Environmental Governance

Travel and tour guides promotion in

Emiliano Abedini

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.

Last update: 10 Jun 2021

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Context

Challenges addressed

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

Scale of implementation

Local

Subnational

Ecosystems

Pool, lake, pond

Area-wide development

Theme

Connectivity / transboundary conservation

Protected and conserved areas governance

Local actors

Traditional knowledge

Tourism

Location

Prespa National park

Pustec, Korçë, Albania

Devoll District, Korçë, Albania

West and South Europe

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.