ABSTRACT

This study presents a plan for the development of tourism in Kora County, Albania.
It covers the historical background, what the present situation is, what the most likely
developments will be, what potential exists, and what actions should be included in any
further tourism master plan. Through an analysis of the development of tourism in a
number of nations and regions with similar challenges (China, Hong Kong, Turkey,
Dubai, and Greece), tourism in Eastern and Central Europe, and in particular, tourism in
the Balkans, the study provides a comparative framework for examining the ways in
which the transformation of the tourism industry may take place. This comparative study,
along with an intensive examination of the history of the problems associated with
tourism development in Albania, offers a better understanding of the Albanian tourism
process and potential with the hope of eliminating past mistakes and developing a
strategy that limits the potentially negative effects of tourism while maximizing the
benefit to the region.

A TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR KORA COUNTY,

ALBANIA
by
Nertila Astrit Gegollari

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of

Utica College
August 27, 2010

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Master of Science in Liberal Studies

Copyright 2010 by Nertila Gegollari. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents
Introduction.......1
Methodology .............3
Tourism Development: Some Examples from Around the World................................. 6
General Considerations on Tourism in Europe and the Balkans ................................. 15
General Considerations on Tourism in Albania ....................................................... 23
Why Kora County? ........................................................................................... 48
A Plan for Tourism Development in Kora County ................................................. 58
Summary and Conclusion ..................................................................................................70
Reference Works ................................................................................................................96

Index of Tables
Table 1 International Tourist Arrivals 1990-1995 ............................................................ 21
Table 2 Population in Kora County by Distric, January 2008 ........................................ 49
Table 3 Tourism Services in Kora County...................................................................... 57
Table 4 Students Graduated in Albania in Tourism Major Related 2008......................... 70

vi

Index of Appendices
Appendix I The interview and Survey Protocol ............................................................... 76
Appendix IICultural Monuments in Kora County, Tourism Resources and
Annual Events Calendar ................................................................................. 81
Appendix III Surveys ........................................................................................................ 90

vii

Acknowledgements
To Utica College, especially my academic review board Dr. Jan J. DeAmicis, Dr.
Herbert Rau, and my advisor Dr. John H. Johnsen who guided and motivated me through
the whole research project. Thank you for your time, critiques, advice, and kindest help.
Thank you to my friends Daphne Davis and Patti Fariello who were always there for
me from the very start. Your support will be not forgotten. The same can be said for
Jeremy Zogby for his useful suggestions and encouragement.
I cannot thank enough my family for their blessing and confidence in me.
Above all, I extend my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Laurence W. Roberts. Without his
support and his friendship I could not have done this. I am deeply indebted to him and I
could not have wished for a better assistance and guidance.

viii

Introduction
Tourism development is an economic and social necessity. Identifying issues that
limit its potential is a very important step toward future improvements. This study is an
effort that aims at providing a clear strategy to develop tourism, focusing specifically on
Kora County in Albania, an area that has great tourism potential. Albania is located in
southeastern Europe, in the western Balkans. It has a population of 3,619,778 and the
total area is 28,748 sq km (Biba, et al, 2009). This plan willcontribute to the preservation
and development of the historic, artistic, and cultural traditions of the region, stimulating
a healthy development of the tourism industry. The economic and social context in
Albania makes this plan a difficult challenge. Nevertheless, a well-organized strategy
with clear goals can put into gear the tourism development of Kora County and this
study may be seen as the basis for a future Action Plan which will allow for regional
improvements. My work will emphasize the importance of the following actions:
Raising awareness within the Kora County community of the socio-economic
importance of tourism development;
Collecting tourism data and anticipating tourist behavior;
Analyzing the tourism industry and its market;
Improving the tourism product and its components, including transportation
services, accommodations, and entertainment venues;
Training professionals to offer high quality service;
Developing a marketing and promotion strategy.
1

A well-planned strategy is an important factor in this billion-dollar industry. We are

already aware of how important tourism is to the economic development of a country.
We should also be aware of the negative effects that it might bring, such as
overcrowding, prostitution, crime, environmental degradation, and the loss of the
authenticity of cultural traditions (Duggan, 1992). This study will help to offer a better
understanding of the tourism process in Albania from different perspectives with the hope
of eliminating the past mistakes and developing a future strategy that limits the negative
effects but at the same time puts Albania in the tourism market.

Methodology
The main purpose of this study is to assess the tourism performance in Kora County
and create the basis for a future development plan. The planned methods to achieve it
were through interviews, surveys, and literature review. The main goal has been to
measure tourism progress, identify areas that need attention, and strengthen the bond
between consumers and the tourism industry that Kora County has to offer.
The bulk of the paper derives from an extensive literature review using online and
print resources. It helps in developing a general picture of tourism in Eastern Europe, the
Balkans, and more detailed information on Albania and Kora County. The plan was to
combine the literature review and the data collected through the interview and survey as
more likely to produce a rich qualitative study.
For this reason, the intention at the beginning of the study was to gather information
not only from the literature review but also through interviews and surveys. The plan was
to conduct five interviews with individuals whose views are relevant to the tourism issue.
They were selected because of their interest and involvement in tourism. Since their
professional position is important to the subject, and since their views are significant,
they were to be identified by name and position title. However, I was going to send to
them a preliminary text with my summary of their response so that they could correct any
mistakes that I might have made in understanding their perspective. After getting
approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Utica College, letters of consent
were emailed to the selected interviewers. Only two out of five released permission to be

interviewed and were willing to collaborate in this study even though all had previously
agreed verbally. Due to the long distance I proposed that the interviews be done by means
of Skype, an Internet-based program that allows televised conversations, but the subjects
requested that the questions be emailed. After receiving the fifteen questions, none of
them replied. Although several attempts were made to finalize the interviews there was
no response.
The study also used a survey design to assess Kora County Tourism Development. It
was delivered to thirteen anonymous individuals who are involved in tourism. The
sample for the survey was not selected through a random technique but a purposive
consideration. The subjects were all located in Albania. The survey was delivered
through an on-line survey program, Survey Monkey, with the help of the Utica College
Academic Affair Office. It contained fourteen items, such as profile questions, multiple
choice questions, a rating scale, and room for comments. Like the interview, letters of
consent were emailed after getting the IRB approval. Only two out of thirteen agreed to
participate. Their responses will be discussed in A Plan for Tourism Development in
Kora County. The interview and the survey protocols are available in the Appendix I.
The fact that very few of the people who had agreed to be involved in my study
actually followed-through with their agreement not only make this research difficult to
carry out, but it is an example of an Albanian attitude and the way Albanians deal with
foreign collaborators as well. As I will explain later, this phenomenon comes as a result
of lack of professionalism and serious commitment. I will refer to it as the Ska Problem
[No Problem] attitude. Generally speaking, Albanian business partner(s) are very eager
to collaborate with any foreign investors, but while the project is underway they fail to
4

fulfill their duties as partners by neglecting to do what is required and what they had
promised. As a result the collaboration might fail and the investments will be transferred

to a more reliable country.

Tourism Development: Some Examples from Around the World

Worldwide, tourism is an important socio-economic activity. It has become a mass
activity for the developed world, and at the same time a social necessity for the
underdeveloped world. Tourism affects dimensions of social life such as the economy,
environmental activity, culture, society, and politics. It should be considered one of the
main sources of national income, and through the tourism industry there are more
chances for members of the community to increase their own incomes. The cases of
China, Hong Kong, Turkey, Dubai, and Greece reflect the economic importance of
tourism and offer examples of how Albania should build its tourism development plan,
either by implementing the successful strategies of some of these countries or avoiding
some of their mistakes.Albanians need to expand their knowledge about tourism issues. A
good way to do this is by familiarizing themselves with what other countries have done.
Albania is not a unique case. There are other countries in the world that share similar
advantages and disadvantages in the tourism industry. Some of these countries have
managed to transform their tourism sites into international destinations, bringing
considerable profits to the economy. The following cases will illustrate some successful
examples that might suggest solutions for overcoming the current difficulties in Albania,
making tourism development real. As a result, Albania has the necessity to learn from the
mistakes of others and come up with a better way to avoid problems.
One of these countries is China. During the Communist period Albania and China
built the so-called China-Albania Friendship (1970-1978). Due to this, they shared their
cultural, economical and political experiences. After breaking with the Peoples Republic

of China, the Albanian dictator, Enver Hoxha 1 , focused on the principle of self-reliance
to sustain his country. Currently Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, while
during 2006, according to Farhoomand and Huang (2008), China was ranked fourth
among the most popular destinations for international tourists. In their article, Chinas
Interlaken: Competitive Advantage through Cultural Replication, they show how the
reproduction of Switzerlands Interlaken, a Western-themed park, can be a smart strategy
to attract tourists. Its location was perfect. It was surrounded by mountains and the sea,
and it was close to the highway and railway network, and thus it was ideal for cultural
tourism, sport tourism, and ecotourism. In this case China not only offered something
new, but carefully modeled it after a successful tourism venue.
Another example is offered by Hong Kong Disneyland (HKD) (Liu & Young
2007). It is the third park that Disney opened outside of the United States, after the Tokyo
Disney Resort and Disneyland Paris Resort (Liu & Young, 2007, pg.1). The reasons they
chose Hong Kong instead of China were because
the Chinese infrastructure was still substandard by world standards and the
Chinese currency was not fully convertible. Hong Kong, however, had a world
class infrastructure and a reputation as an international financial center. Most
importantly, Hong Kong has always been a gateway to China. Hong Kong, with
its unusual blend of east and west, of Chinese roots and British colonial heritage,
of ultramodern sophistication and ancient traditions, is one of the most diverse
and exciting cities in the world (Liu & Young, 2007, pg. 5).

Enver Hoxha was the Communist leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985.

Also, tourism has been one of the major pillars of the Hong Kong economy. In
2005, the total number of visitors was more than 23 million, a new record and about a
7.1% increase over 2004 (pg.5).
Two years after its opening to visitors, however, HKD has fallen short of meeting its
targeted figures. According to the Hong Kong Disneyland official site (n. d.), the 2007
attendance was up at the park by almost 8%, but attendance actually decreased 23% in its
third year of operation (already falling short of the 5.6 million expected visitors) to just
over 4 million in the 2007 (Tang, 2007). This makes it by far the worst performing
Disney Park.
One issue that is creating difficulties for HKD is the poor quality of products. Blogs
on the Internet revealed many complaints about the products and service. People have
expressed their disappointment since opening day because HKD could not accommodate
the number of visitors predicted by Disney officials. They also claim that the rides are
falling apart and there is not much that children can do. Most important, the food does not
offer a great variety and there are no childrens meals. Consumers who have the ability to
pay a considerable amount just for entertainment expect international-standard products.
According to Rein (2008), who is the Managing Director of the China Market Research
Group, Disney has not been aggressive enough about quality control, so that Disney
products stay expensive while quality gets worse and worse. Under such circumstances
they will never win the sympathy of the customers, and will not encourage them to come
back. Yet, Kester (2009) claims, in Tourism 2020 Vision, that Hong Kong itself will
become one of the top tourism destinations.

Vietor and Thompson (2004) offer another case to be taken into consideration,
Turkey. The Republic of Albania has experienced almost the same situations as Turkey,
such as crises, political instability, and difficulties with the repayment of debt, and like
Turkey it is working hard to meet European Union (EU) standards. The difference is that
Albania has been slower in achieving these long-term goals than Turkey. Both countries
have had difficulties with economic development due to the lack of mechanized industry
and a business lite willing to invest. Long-term economic fragility is the result of lack of
political stability. These circumstances make both countries less attractive to investors.
Yet, Turkey is in a better political and economic shape than Albania. According to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey (n.d.), the views and policy approaches of the two
countries on regional and international issues are almost identical, and the relation
between the two countries is excellent. However, Turkey is more developed than Albania
in the tourism industry because of a higher quality of services and better prices. Also, the
Turkish community is more involved in the process and more aware of the importance of
tourism than Albanians. Most important, Turkey has gained more experience due to the
fact that it has historically been an empire and highly influential in religious, political,
and economic development. It has also been exposed to many more ups and downs than
Albania has.
Turkey is attracting more and more tourists from outside the country, not only
because it has the potential but also because the institutions in charge of tourism and the
government know how to sell the tourism product, combining the right price with good
quality. According the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, from January to June
2010 Turkey attracted more than 11 million foreign tourists (n. d.). The Ministry of
9

Culture, Tourism, Youth, and Sports of Albania has not published any tourism statistic so
far for 2010, but if we refer to the January-June 2009 date, Albania attracted only
522,167 foreign tourists (Ministry of Culture, 2009). Although the number increased
during the summer, it still remain quite low compared to Turkey.
The next case study focuses on Dubai. It is important to understand how a state like
Dubai, located in a region famous for instability, has managed to overcome a bad
reputation and build an economy that mostly depends on tourism.Like the Middle East,
with its bad reputation concerning safety and regional terrorism, Albania has a major
disadvantage in the negative reputation that circulates in the world, depicting the country,
and the Balkan region generally, as unstable and hazardous. Yet Dubai, one of the seven
states that makes up the United Arab Emirates, managed to attract 12 million visitors
during 2005 (Dillon &Matly, 2007). Due to the governments vision, Dubai attracted
millions of tourists in a short period, and it has become a destination of choice.
According to Dillon and Matly there are three reasons why: the speed with which they
work in the construction field, the preservation of culture, and the collaboration between
government and institutions involved in the tourism industry (pg. 6). As Goetzmann and
Taris specify in Dubailand: Destination Dubai (2006), Dubai has been blessed with
core competences such as visionary leadership, an action-oriented society, a model
government-private sector partnership and highly trained human resources (pg. 5). This
is one of many reasons why Dubai has placed itself on the global map as an economic
power and tourist destination. Cases like Dubai are a positive tourism development model
for countries like Albania. Although they are different in many ways, they share the same
vision of tourism development as a generator for the economy. For many, the economic
10

growth of Albania seems light years away from Dubai standards. Even though Albania
offers many places where the tourists are welcomed, still few tourists come and fewer
still are willing to return.
Even though comparisons between Albania and Dubai are not perfect, we should also
not ignore Dubais problems in order to prevent the same unpleasant situations. It is true
that due to the pace of development Dubais growth rate is one of the highest in the
world. Yet, speed sometimes can result in poor quality construction, which will lead to
problems in the future and the necessity of further expenditures in the repair process.
Another problem often discussed in respect to Dubai is labor abuse. Human Rights
Watchershave expressed their indignation about the way Sheik Mohamed and the United
Arab Emirates government treats the working class (Dillon &Matly 2007). The
government has done little to protect the workers rights.
On November 2009, Dubai declared itself to be in a deep financial crisis. Dubai
World 2 , one of the biggest global corporations, had a debt of about $59 billion in its
financial sector (Bhatt, 2009), and the Emirates are immersed in a debt of $80 billion due
to rapid expansion in banking, real estate and transportation (All about Greece, 2010).
Due to this unstable financial situation the UAE is facing a drop in property sales and, as
a result, half of the construction projects have either been put on hold or even cancelled
(Bhatt, 2009). Consequently companies have been forced to close and workers have been

Global holding conglomerate Dubai World focuses on the strategic growth areas of Transport &
Logistics, Drydocks & Maritime, Urban Development, Investment and Financial Services. It contains some
of the worlds leading companies in their industries, including Drydocks World, Economic Zones World,
Istithmar World, Nakheel and majority ownership of Dubai Ports World. (Dubai World, n.d.)

11

laid off. Madhi Matter, chief economist at SHUAA Capital 3 , declared that investors are
now skeptical about Dubais future and are still worried during this crisis (IANS, 2009).
Dubais crisis is a major issue because it has not only affected the Emirates but India as
well. Dubai is a job market for many Indian families and half of the countrys remittances
derive from the UAE (IANS, 2009).
To resolve this outrageous situation, in December 2009 Abu Dhabi stepped in with
$10 billion package, $4.1 billion of which was allocated to Dubai World to take care of
its immediate debt obligation, said Sheikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of
the Dubai Supreme Fiscal Committee (IANS, 2009). Despite the crisis, Dubai has not lost
its importance in regard to tourism and the analysts predict that it will mature Dubai and
lead it toward a more sustainable growth.
All that glitters isnt gold and Greece, like Dubai, proves it. Although Greece had
economic growth from 2000 to 2007 and an increase of foreign investment in the
country, this did not make it invulnerable during the 2008 global financial crisis. On the
contrary, Greece is one of the countries that were most severely hit and tourism is one of
the most highly affected industries. In January 2010 Greeces debt was estimated 261
billion. The Greek government had paid Goldman Sachs and several banks hundreds of
millions of dollars to cover up the real level of borrowings since 2001 (All about Greece,
2010). The county is going bankrupt. The government hopes that tax hikes and spending
cuts will resolve the problem, but they are only bringing massive protests all around the
country. Other countries, whose economies are on the edge of bankruptcy, such as

SHUAA Capital is a public shareholding company regulated by the UAE Central Bank and listed on the
Dubai Financial Market. HUAA Capital provides a broad range of financial services to corporations,
governments, institutional clients, and high net worth individuals. (SHUAA, n.d.)

12

Portugal with a deficit of 11.4% of GDP, Ireland at 14.3% of GDP, and Spain 11.2% at of
GDP, might fail in the same way as Greece. This has forced the European Union (EU) to
reevaluate not only the Eurozone and the members of the EU, but also the new
applicants countries, one of which is Albania. The crises will not only bring instability in
the continent, but also less chance for Albania to be accepted in EU.
Despite the harsh global financial situation, investments in tourism must not stop.
Albanias future strategy should be developed around the need to learn from the
experiences of other countries and to develop a plan that avoids the mistakes and follows
the successful examples.
Overall, if considered carefully, these cases provide elements for a more detailed and
successful tourism development plan for Albania. The case of China suggests the
possibility and importance of implementing new ideas and inspires creativity. Hong Kong
has the potential and the new ideas, but it sometimes lacks the right people to succeed, at
least as exemplified by the experience of Hong Kong Disneyland. Turkey, on the other
hand, presents a positive example to be followed. The Turkish government has proved to
be an asset in the development of the tourism potential of the country because it knows
how to manage and promote tourism (something that seems very difficult in Albania).
The case of Dubai is more mixed in results. Dubai overcame the regional conflicts
and image and built an economy mainly dependent on tourism, but, although Dubai is
listed among the most powerful economies in the world, it could not stop the financial
crises that hit it recently. Excessive ambition brought poor quality construction, abuse of
the labor force, and a too-rapid expansion in banking, real estate and transportation.

13

LikeDubai, Greece is going through a harsh economic downfall. Since 2001 the Greek
government managed to hide its real level of borrowings and presented to the world the
appearance of successful development, but in reality the country is going bankrupt. Cases
like Dubai and Greece serve as a warning to the Albanian government of the need for
flexibility, transparency, accountability, and rigorous democratic participation to avoid as
much as possible the mistakes of these two countries.

14

General Considerations on Tourism in Europe and the Balkans

Tourism should not be considered as an isolated issue from everything else that goes
on in the international, national, and regional arena. It is important to take a look at
Europe and, in particular, the Balkans because in one way or another they can have a
great influence political and economic development in Albania.
Relevant to the Albanian situation is the report Tourism 2020 Vision by the Kester
(2009), which provides a long-term forecast and also presents an account of what has
been done with tourism from 1995 to 2009. Experience has shown that this forecast was
correct in many of its predictions, at least in the short term, such as which would be the
top tourist destinations and the origin of international tourists. Based on recent data
gathered from the same report, in the coming years the regions near the Mediterranean
Sea will be the top destination for a great number of international tourists. Albania is
located in a favorable position, which will enable it to take advantage of this trend.
Generally speaking, Albania is already blessed with some of the right elements to
succeed in tourism, but it requires work and preparation, as well as the management of
that potential. Thus, it is important to develop a tourism plan which will result in a wellprepared tourism policy for the upcoming years.
The latest report published by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) 2009
International Tourism Results and Prospect for 2010 (2010) indicates that, although the
world has gone through a harsh global economic crisis, WTO specialists are convinced
that 2010 will see a growth of 3% to 4 % more international tourists than 2009.
Compared to 2008, last year had 4.3% fewer international tourists. The only destination

15

that had a growth in international tourists was Africa with 5% more than in 2008. Europe
and the Middle East were the regions with the least international tourist arrivals for 2009,
and both of them attracted 6% less than in 2008. The subregion of Central and Eastern
Europe attracted fewer tourists than any other subregion, 8% less than 2008. The
following chart shows the results from 1996 to 2009 for the world:

1000
900
800
700
600

567

593

610

633

1998

1999

2000

762

682

682

702

691

2001

2002

2003

2004

901

920

2007

2008

880

802

500
400
300
200
100
0
1997

2005

2006

Chart 1 International Tourist Arrivals 1996-2009(million)

Note. The data on tourist arrivals 1996-2009 are retrived from "International
Tourism Results and Prospect for 2010 " by World tourism Organisation (2010).

Tourism and Environment in European Countries (Ellul, 1996) is another interesting

report that focuses on more specific issue such as the impact of tourism on the
environment. It examines tourist development in Europe during the second half of the
20th century, identifies initiatives that have positively affected tourism, and gives
recommendations on how to improve the tourism industry without damaging the
environment. Some of the recommendations are as follows (pg.11);
Rehabilitation of damaged areas and introduction of measures to prevent further
erosion and degradation of environment resources;
16

2009

 Introduction of fiscal and other control measures to direct private investments

towards environmentally conscious investments and to prevent environmental
degradation by imposing fines on polluters;
Carrying capacity studies.
It also reflects on the importance of tourism, how it has influenced life-styles, and
how it has changed the economies of many countries. According to Kesters Vision
2020, the number of international tourist arrivals will reach 1.56 billion by 2020. Europe
will hold the highest level of participation in international tourism (pg. 5). This suggests
where to orient a marketing plan for Albania, though not to the extent of excluding other
countries from the marketing strategy. Europe will remain the most visited touristic
destination in terms of absolute numbers (pg. 5). This contradicts the WTO tourism
results (2010); nevertheless, any Albanian tourism agency should focus on making
Albania known in the dominant tourism market. Eastern European countries have some
common features in their history. Analyzing the path that these countries have undertaken
to be where they are will help to find where Albania has gone wrong so far and what
needs to be done in the near future.
Ellul, supported by the Council of Europe, sheds light on some successful regional
stories, such as the Czech Republic. Like Albania, Czech Republic is going through a
transitional economy. It was 8th in the top 10 European countries in regard to tourism
arrivals during 1996 (pg. 8). The report summarized tourisms negative and positive
impacts in the Czech Republic. The government, assisted by institutions involved in
tourism, managed to make Prague a permanent tourist site, and at the same time offer

17

many job opportunities, mostly seasonal. It also implemented a new tourism policy aimed
at the development of less known but attractive sites. All this process has its
disadvantages, which were reflected, for instance, in the damage to vegetation by the
widening the roads. Mass tourism brought car pollution and the widening of car parking
spaces, which were a threat to other national park areas (pg. 12). Ellul identifies the lack
of environmental training before and during the time of the report. Nevertheless Prague
succeeded in becoming one of the top tourist destinations in Europe. This created many
job opportunities, improved regional policies, and transformed unfamiliar sites into
attractive places for the tourists.
For a better understanding of Central and Eastern Europe tourism, Derek R. Hall has
published several studies that explore the past and the recent tourism situation and its
progress. Sustainable Tourism Development and Transformation in Central and East
Europe (2000) focuses on three important aspects. First, it discusses the geographical
position and political situations that are relevant to sustainable tourism development in
Central and Eastern Europe and the need to keep a sustainable level of tourism without
exhausting natural resources or causing severe ecological damage. In Eastern Europe
international tourism did not flourish under Communism; most of the tourists came from
other Communist countries, whereas domestic tourism was usually for urban workers and
their families (pg. 446). After the collapse of Communism, the attitudes and the laws
toward tourism changed. The borders were open now to the rest of the world, which
brought to Eastern European societies a new mentality. Visitors were free to come and
visit Eastern Europe and, in the case of Albania, they were freed from the heavy
restrictions that were implemented during the Communism time.
18

A second aspect of Halls study concerns the issues related to tourism development
and the management of tourism potential in the region, focusing on aspects of rural
tourism and heritage. He discusses the benefits of rural tourism and the services that it
offers, such as carpentry, silversmithing, textile production, and pottery production.
Finally, the study summaries and compares the past Communist experiences in several
nations and regions, using the work of Puczko and Ratz on Hungary; Jordan on Croatia;
Verbole on Slovenia; Holland on Southern Albania; and Simpson and Roberts on Central
Eastern Europe in general. Generally speaking, the post-Communist countries are
referred to as being in transition. Their attempts to shift from central economic
planning to a market economy and the ambition to be integrated in the European Union
(EU) are part of this transition period. According to Hall, for countries like Albania the
transition process is made difficult by the presence of some Communist-period
institutions, practices, and mentalities that are not willing to give a chance to the newer
generation that is of the proper age to lead.
The collapse of Communist governments was associated with weak enforcement of
environmental legislation, fiscal uncertainty, and inadequate information about
environment damage (pg. 444). All over Europe, the necessity to protect nature has been
emphasized. The situation in the Central Eastern Europe 4 countries differs from Western
Europe because the transformation process has been different. In addition, accession to
the EU has led to a new regulatory framework to which national legislation has had to be

Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kosovo,
Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Ukraine.

19

adapted. In the case of Albania, the country needs to meet the EU requirements and the
government is working in that direction.
Hall carries on the same discussion in his book Tourism and Transition: Governance,
Transformation, and Development (2004). He examines the relationship between the
government and the tourism industry in the time when Albania was under Communist
control and explains why Albania is still in a stage of economic infancy. He relates this
situation to the restrictions imposed by the dictatorship. Hall also claims that the old
traditional family and clan honor customs have restrained tourism development. Women
were not free to travel and to choose a holiday destination. He identifies the tourism
problems related to the transition from authoritarian rule to a liberal democratic economic
and political system by making comparisons with societies from Central and Eastern
Europe (CEE), the Central and Eastern Mediterranean, Central Asia, China, and South
Africa that have been through the same path of transition. He explains the lack of
development as being a result of economic instability and inefficiency.
Based on accounts in newspapers, magazine articles, and advertisements Hall
collected the following taglines for the countries in CEE (pg. 41): Albania Land of sun
and hospitality; Croatia Small country for a great holiday; Czech Republic In the
heart of Europe; and others. He refers to the marketing message and logo as an
important tool to attract international tourists and investors. Investors are unwilling to
risk their money in an unstable region like CEE, but Hall argues that nonetheless Central
and South-Eastern Europe has the potential to emerge from this instability. In his paper,
Tourism Development and Sustainability Issue in Central Europe and South-Eastern
Europe (1998), he analyses tourism development and the post-Communist
20

reconstruction process in CEE. According to him, rural tourism is a vehicle for

sustainable development in South-eastern Europe. The example that the author brings to
support his idea is the case of the villages in southern Albania where the habitants are
trying to refurbish traditional homes for small-scale tourism purposes. Also, they have
returned to the local craft artifacts as a source of incomes.
Hall provides statistics about the number of international tourist arrivals during 19901995 in CEE (1998). The most visited country is Hungary, while the least visited is
Macedonia, followed by Serbia-Montenegro and Albania. 5
Table 1
International tourist arrivals 1990-1995 (in millions)
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
0.03 0.13 0.28
0.45
0.28
Albania
4.50 4.00 3.75
3.83
3.90
Bulgaria
7.28 7.57 10.90 11.50 17.00
Czech Republic
7.05 1.35 1.27
1.52
2.29
Croatia
20.51 21.86 20/19 22/80 21.43
Hungary
0.56 0.29 0.22
0.21
0.19
Macedonia
3.40 11.35 16.20 17.00 18.80
Poland
3.01 3.00 3.80
2.91
2.80
Romania
0.08
0.09
Serbia-Montenegro 1.19 0.38 0.16
0.82 0.62 0.57
0.65
0.90
Slovakia
0.65 0.25 0.62
0.62
0.75
Slovenia
Note. The data are retrieved from Tourism Development and
Sustainability Issue in Central Europe and South-Eastern
Europe (Hall, 1998). The original source is World Tourism
Organization (1996).

1995
0.40
3.47
16.50
1.32
20.69
0.15
19.20
2.61
0.10
0.90
0.73

Hall divides these countries into two groups: more advanced (Hungary, Czech
Republic, Poland, and Slovenia) and less developed (Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and
Romania). For the second group he argues that those countries are characterized by a
considerable tourism potential that is neglected in the literature. The media do not always

In another table in the same publication that deals with travel abroad there are no data about Albania at all.
The author states that by 1994 the outbound rates for Albania were minuscule (officially at least).

21

represent the region well, so that its reputation continues to be characterized by

economic, political, and cultural instability. Under Communist regimes in the countries in
the second group the culture heritage promotion was not intended to be for the
international tourists, but was aimed to reinforce a sense of identity and pride among each
urban citizen and to act as a strong reminder of their rural roots (pg. 428). Hall claims
that today the tendency for the first group is to emphasize its Central European
credentials and to distance itself from any Balkan association. This is clear evidence of
the desire of countries in this group to join the EU and everything associated with it.
Tourism development will help them to make this process easier because through it they
will meet some of the EU economic requirements. The advantages they will gain by
joining the EU are membership of a single market, which will increase competiveness;
free movement of citizens, which will result in more job opportunities around the EU;
grants and other financial support; better representation in the international arena; more
awareness of humans and worker rights; and better rules and regulations to avoid
corruption. Albania is expected to join the EU in 2015.
What happened to Albania and how have past events influenced the path to
integration with Europe? Many researchers had difficulties finding the right answer when
they focused their work during the Communist or immediate post-Communist period.
The lack of publication creates a gap of information. This is the case of Gianaris
bookThe Economies of the Balkan Countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania,
Turkey, and Yugoslavia (1982). While analyzing the other Balkan countries economies,
in addition to Albania, he claims that the main problems of the economies of Greece,
Turkey, and the former Yugoslavia are inflation, unemployment, and unfair distribution

22

of income and wealth. On the other hand, the economies of Albania, Bulgaria, and
Romania face the problems of low production incentives, inadequate consumer choices,
and inefficient resource allocation (pg. 5).
Gianari focuses on the establishment of the Balkan states and their expansion, and he
starts with Albania. He gives the history on how Albania was born, continues with
other significant historical events, such as the five hundred years of Ottoman domination,
the proclamation of independence in November 1912, the creation of the present
boundaries during the negotiation of the Treaty of London in 1913, the National
Liberation Movement during WWII, and ends with the situation during Hoxhas regime
(pg. 30-33). This helps the reader to gain an understanding of the historical aspects of
Albania and its identity, and to understand the stages that the country went through.
These historical events are important aspects that have influenced future economic
development in Albania and other Balkan countries.
One significant part of Gianaris analysis is when he discusses the tourism issue in the
Balkan countries and makes comparisons between Bulgaria Greece, Romania, Turkey,
and Yugoslavia tourism revenues. Apparently there is no evidence about Albania and the
author does not give any explanation as to why he does not include any data about
tourism revenues in Albania. Gianari is not alone in this regard. Many authors provide
either no or very scanty information about Albania, in response no doubt to the difficulty
of accessing information and statistics easily. Overall from the literature the image that
emerges of Albania is one of darkness and mystery.
Considered as a whole, the literature documents the transformation of Europe and the
Balkans with respect to tourism. Other European (especial Eastern European and Balkan)

23

countries have similar characteristics to Albania and the literature helps bring to the fore
new possibilities for Albanian development. Over time, European and the Balkan nations
have established their strategies. Some countries have advanced more and some less, but
in all cases they constitute a lesson to be learned for a country like Albania, which is still
in its transitional phase. Meantime, the amount of literature available for this topic is
limited. Reports conducted by World Tourism Organization, Council of Europe, and
Halls publications have contributed to some extent in filling this lack of data. These
publications helped by comparing Albania with similar conditions in some Central
Eastern European (CEE) countries. By analyzing and comparing the ex-Communist,
countries light is shed on the condition inherited from Communism and how it has
affected economic, political, and social life. In his studies Hall goes into detail about CEE
tourism, considering it an economic tool that is transforming this part of Europe. He
highlights the importance of sustainable tourism and refers to the government as an
important tool to boost tourism development and, thereby, meet the European Union
economic requirements. This study of Europe and the Balkans and the understanding of
theframework in which tourism transformation has taken place, can contribute to
formulating proposals for the tourism development plan for Albania.

24

General Considerations on Tourism in Albania

Although Albania is part of the CEE and the Balkans, it manages to preserve its
distinctiveness. Throughout the centuries, Albanians were noted for their strong feelings
of nationalism. Albanians justify this pride with the assertion that Albanian is the oldest
language in the region, and that this country has produced distinguished personalities
such as Mother Teresa, Ismail Kadare, and John Belushi. As Todorova explains in her
book, Imagining the Balkans (2009), famous travelers like Edith Durham and Edward
Lear experienced Albania and through their works they introduced it to the Western
world. Todorova work has important historical examples that support the idea that
Albania has always been an interesting tourist destination, such as the case of Edward
Lear, the British painter, who was inspired by the Albanian scenery in the 1840s, and
Edith Durham, who undertook a trip in Albania during 1913. During her trip in the
Albania highlands, Durham fell in love with the country and the people there. The
problem that Durham met during her visit is the same problematic issue that frightens
many international tourists from visiting Albania the fear of violence. This distorted
stereotype has negatively affected the tourism industry. Instead of being known for its old
and rich history, the world thinks of Albania as a dangerous place to be in. Actually, this
is only a stereotype. According to Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2008),
surprising as it may be, the Balkan region is one of the safest in Europe. On the other
hand, David Rothkopf lists the European Union collectively as 8th among the 10 most
dangerous countries in the world, and this shows that great threats can come even from
those who have means to preserve stability, but do not (2009).
25

The following extract from the Todorova book shows that, while this stereotype has
been in circulation for a long time, it needs to be kept in perspective. Edith Durham was
told by the Albanians that:
You think in England you are civilized, and can teach us. I tell you
there is no one here that would commit crimes as are found in London
Our brigands are poor men. By working hard in the fields they can only
just live. They are quite ignorant, and have never been to school. They
rob to live, and do so at the risk of their lives. But your brigands have
often been to a university, and rob to obtain luxuries by lies and false
promises. You have had all the advantages of education and civilization
for years, and this is what you do. But you call us savages (pg.121)
Travel is the activity that best formulates our understanding of tourism, and Durhams
traveling experiences are worth listening to. The Albanians she describes are the people
one will meet even today. They are certainly very hospitable and their attitude is guestoriented. Accommodating and honoring the guest is an old Albanian tradition. It is
known as besa,which means the word of honor. It is a concept encountered in Kanun
i Lek Dukagjinit (The Canon of Lek Dukagjin) 6 developed by Lek Dukagjini around the
15th century, which made besaone of its four pillars. Besa refers to the importance of
respecting and protecting guests.The Canon is considered to be a regulator for
community and private life. It was orally transmitted from one generation to another until
the Franciscan ShtjefnGjeov collected and published it in 1933.It is divided into twelve

A book with rules or laws that set the framework of the life-style in the north territories of Albania from
the 15th century until now.

26

parts: The Church, The Family, Marriage, The House, Cattle, and Property,
Work, Loans, Pledge, Honor, Damages, The Canon against Harm, The
Canon of Judgment, Exemptions and Exceptions (Mangalakova, 2004, pg. 2).It has
been followed in the regions of Northern Albania until the present, particularly in rural
areas (mostly due to the inaccessible terrain). Although the ideas in the Kanun are
characteristic of other Balkan countries, it survived among Albanians the longest due to
the fact that they have lived longer in a patriarchal society, a form of social organization
that fits best with the customary laws of the Kanun (Trnavci, n. d.). For a long period of
time it had priority over any other kind of legal system.During the Hoxha dictatorship it
was banned, but democracy brought theCanonback in a distorted form. In an interview
with the Albanian painter ShpendBengu, conducted by Mustafa Nano in the talk show
Dj Vu, Bengu declared that after 1945 the pseudo Marxist-Leninist researchers of the
Albanian Science Academy published misinterpreted retellings of Gjeovs version of
theCanon (Bengu, personal communication, February, 2009). These days theCanon has a
connotation of crime and blood feud because many crimes in Albania are claimed to have
happened in the name of theCanon. Based on 2007 statistics the
lives of 6000 Albanians have been taken with self-justice. Over 20,000 families
were involved in sharp conflicts causing most of them to confine themselves.
These families' children have abandoned school and have been confined for years
inside the house, without being able to meet their friends and the relatives even
for a moment. (Albanian Canadian, 2008).
GjinMarku, the Chairman of the Committee of Nationwide Reconciliation, claims
that there are 12 major problematic counties in Albanian with a total of 1310 families
27

suffering from blood feud and 1277 children that have no access to education. In reality
theCanon condemns any act of violence against children and women. One of the purposes
of theCanon was to preserve the identity of the Albanians of that period, but now it is not
only misunderstood and misused but it is even adjusted to accommodate the personal
needs of the individual.
The Canon itself is a fascinating book that preserves the old traditional Albanian
customs. In one of the codes the Canon requires that the Albanians house belongs to
God and guests (Mangalakova, 2004, pg. 5). Therefore, all guests in Albania are treated
with high respect. Albanians have not abandoned these customs even in times when their
lives were threatened. Shirley CloyesDioGuardis article Jewish Survival in Albania &
the Ethics of Besa (2006) recounts that in the early 1930s, there were about 200 Jews
living in Albania. At the end of World War II, there were close to 2,000 Jews living in
Albania the only nation that can claim that every Jew within its borders was rescued
from the Holocaust (pg.7). The reason that drove Albanians to the rescue of Jews has
mainly to do with theCanon and the code of besa. DioGuardi associates besa with several
meanings,
ranging from faith, inviolable trust, truce, and word of honor to a sacred promise
and obligation to keep ones word to offer hospitality and protection. Also, it
involves uncompromising protection of a guest even to the point of risking ones
own life (pg.8).
Taking into consideration that societies evolve and that our target is mass tourism,
accommodating and honoring the guest, or as Albanians would say besa, is not sufficient
to attract the attention of tourists and make them return. Obviously, besa is an advantage
28

in the tourism industry because Albanians have a natural tendency to make the guests and
visitors feel at home.Nevertheless, Albania needs to undertake important reforms in the
quality of service and human resources if we want to make it the new Mediterranean
Love. 7
Although Albania is blessed with a great tourism potential, the international public is
not very familiar with this country as a tourist target. Its potential is not enough to attract
tourists. It needs more professionals to promote and manage the entire tourism industry.
Some of people who are involved in this industry do not have the proper qualification to
work in any of the tourism areas. The Albanian tourism industry needs to undertake a
rigorous transformation not only in the mentality of Albanians but also in the worlds
eye.
In the Albania Real Estate Market Report 2009, it is reported that the revenue from
foreign visitors in 2007 and 2008 are US $1 billion and US $1.3 billion respectively (pg.
15). In Albania's Changing Tourism Environment (1992), Hall examines the distinctive
historical-cultural evolution of Albania and how these elements will affect the tourism
development process now. Before the 1990s, Albania experienced a harsh time, but it still
presents a variety of natural and cultural attractions to which Hall refers as some of the
greatest potential for tourism development anywhere in Europe. The author provides
information about Albanian tourism from the King Zog regime (1928-1939) to 1990. He
also discusses the anti-tourist environment that had been present in Albania from 1920 to
1990. An example of this is the requirements put by the Communist government that the
tourists were supposed to meet if they wanted to enter in Albania, such as (p. 38):

The slogan used for the spots advertised on CNN in April 2008.

29

 To apply for a visa two months prior to the visit in Albania;

Contact with local population should be minimal;
The itinerary had to be made by the official guide;
Religious documents were confiscated;
Tourists should conform to particular sartorial requirements and hair styles.
These kinds of restrictions help explain the low statistics presented by Hall in his
several publications. For example in 1989, only 14,435 tourists were admitted to enter the
country (pg. 40).
Hall (1992) still believes that Albania could present itself as a model for sustainable
tourism within a Mediterranean environment (pg. 41).In Rural Diversification in
Albania (1999) he evaluates the post-Communist context and focuses on the possibility
of considering rural tourism as a vehicle for Albanian development because of the wealth
of natural and cultural heritage. Based on the experiences of Italy, Croatia, and Greece,
the new non-Communist Albanian governments have considered tourism as an essential
tool toward development, yet Hall argues that due to the post-war Communist
collectivization, rural tourism in Albania will be difficult. During the 1980s, the
cultivated land increased by 240% but the population growth was even greater. The
centralized rural economy was not helping the rural community escape poverty. As a
result of its isolation, at the end of the 1980s Albania was unique in Europe in that twothirds of the countrys total population was living in rural areas and the rural population
was still growing rapidly (pg. 284).

30

Beginning in 1991 a series of reforms tended to help Albanian agriculture by

introducing privatization. The rural population was not mentally prepared for this
transformation and lacked managerial skills. Due to this, the results were harsh, not only
for the rural community but for the whole country. Within three years of the removal of
Communism the countrys 8.3 million fruit trees had been reduced to 3.2 million. On the
other hand, Hall argues that with the collapse of industries, agriculture accounted for
more than the half of Gross Domestic Product (pg. 283). However, he is still positive that
rural tourism has a significant development potential and can be considered as an engine
for rural development in particular. Some of the services that rural tourism can offer are
organic farming, quality wine production, and fishing. Hall suggests that local products
be used as much as possible; that visitors be accommodated in locally owned and
managed lodges; that the local manufacturers be engaged to produce more crafts goods
and other products; and that the service sector remain in local ownership (pg. 285). He
notes, however, that the removal of Communism has brought emigration and rural-tourban migration, and the results have been a loss and diminution of traditional rural skills.
Hall continues to explore Communisms influence on tourism in his other paper,
Tourism as Sustainable Development? Albanias Experience of Transition (1999). He
analyzes post-Communist reconstruction and rural tourist development as a way out of
instability. Hall argues that rural tourism is an essential vehicle for cultural expression
and employment. Political and economical instability have been an obstacle for tourists
and investors as well. Despite these problematic issues, Hall claims that tourist activity
has increased dramatically. Looking back, Hall describes Albania as the Soviet Unions
playground during the 1950s. All the tourist resorts were built based on the Soviet
31

classic design and any chance for international tourism development was minimal (p.
34). After the collapse of Communism, Albanians oriented their anger and violence
toward all forms of state property. At the same time, Communisms fall gave them the
opportunity to emigrate. Hall sees emigration as a relief for the economy because
emigrant remittances constitute a third of Albanian GDP. Many migrs incomes,
however, are earned from tourism-related employment in Greece and Italy, and bearing in
mind the current financial situation in the above mentioned countries, the question that
comes to mind is whether Albanians will still be able to earn enough income so that they
can send money home.
Further, Hall continues to analyze the post-Communist situation in Albania. He
recalls the pyramid investment scheme, which collapsed during the first months of
1997 and produced domestic chaos. He refers to the underground economy of drugs, gun
running, and kidnapping girls or women for prostitution, as the only successful
businesses at that time. Today, the country has gone through a series of reforms to leave
behind the unrest of 1997. However, the image of Albania is still associated with the
troublesome state of 1997. As Hall points out, this country possesses many tourism
resources and wide-ranging activities. It has made great progress in offering security and
order so it can advertise properly and in the right markets so that the international
community will realize that Albania today is a chaos-free place. Still, there is a long way
to go before it reaches the European standards for tourism. Hall uses the example of the
countrys overall communication system, which at sixteen telephone lines per one
thousand people is the lowest in Europe. As a solution to develop tourism he proposes
once again rural tourism and the services that it offers, such as carpentry, silversmithing,
32

textile production, and pottery production. Hall is confident that 200,000 people could be
employed in this way.
An important role in easing this transition period has been played by foreign
organizations with their development projects. According to Hall they are motivated by a
wish to cut the danger of villages being shadowed by large-scale coastal tourism. An
example of non-governmental organizations that help the tourism development is
presented in Consensus and Conflict: The Socioeconomic Challenge Facing Sustainable
Tourism Development in Southern Albania (2000) by Holland. She analyzes consensus
and conflict within the community involved in tourism, exploring the problems that have
arisen, and concludes that sustainable tourism development in southern Albania or
elsewhere in the Balkans may be an alternative economic development. Sustainable
tourism development means development which meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs (pg. 511).
One of the problems that Holland refers to is long years of totalitarian oppression which
still produce social tension and conflict. On the other hand, countries in transition, like
Albania, suffer from low human resources, inadequate governance, weak institutions
and immature democratic structures at the national and local level (p. 513).
By examining the experience of rural development in the communes of Himara and
Saranda in southern Albania (1995-1998), assisted by the European Union programs of
Link Inter-European Non-governmental Organization (EU-LIEN) and Poland and
Hungary: Assistance for Restructuring their Economies (PHARE) 8 , Holland discusses the

PHARE is one of the three pre-accession programs financed by the European Union to assist the applicant
countries of Central and Eastern Europe in their preparations for joining the European Union.

33

difficult social relations within the local community in the rural areas. The main aim of
EU-LIEN and PHARE was to enable the local population to take part in the decisionmaking process. The way to achieve this was by creating a framework for business, local
government, and community organizations to analyze tourism issues within the village
and region. The project not only planned a list of activities to develop tourism but also an
implementation strategy. Unfortunately, all this was happening at a bad time. During
1997 the countrys pyramid investment schemes collapsed and Albania plunged into
chaos. Such events will not be seen positively in the eyes of the international community
and it will not provide any support, nor will Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) or
donors release any financial support. If this happens the government cannot financially
support any tourism development plan. Time has proven that the Albanian government is
incapable of financially supporting, organizing, and promoting issues relating with
tourism without international assistance.
The publication by the Albanian National Tourism Agency and the Ministry of
Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Sports (MTCYS), Statistics on the Number of Visitors in
Albania January-June 2009 (2009), presents information about tourist revenue for
January-June 2009. It also provides information on the number of tourists that entered
Albania during that period, and their origins. The total number of tourists in 2009 was
951,495 persons, 522,197 of them international tourists and 429,298 Albanians. Seventyone percent of visitors who came to Albania came by land, 19% by air, and 10% by sea;
82

% came for vacation, 5% for business, and 10% for other unspecified reasons.

The total of 522,197 is 10% more than in 2008. These statistics, however, do not match
the numbers given in the MTCYS report Tourism Revenue 2008-2009. Collecting
34

statistical data about Albania is not easy and in most cases the source or the method of
gathering the data are not specified, making the information less reliable. Another
difficulty that an international researcher can face with the official sources is the fact that
they are not provided in English.
Another way to get the information is through the media. An article published on the
official website of the private national television channel, Top Channel, claims that the
number of tourist arrivals from January to August 2009 was around two million, 42.5%
more than in 2008 (2009). This information was announced by GencPasko, a
representative of MTCYS. It is difficult to identify the right statistics related to tourist
arrivals when we have the same source that publishes different data. This shows the
urgent need for data consistency otherwise it will be difficult to plan a future strategy.
Other important publications from governmental sources that are related to the
current tourism situation and that provided statistical data are the documents that are
published in the official site of Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports such as,
Tourism Resources in the Albanian Districts (2009). This publication presents the rich
culture heritage of Albania. It describes nine districts in Albania and their most important
tourist resources, one hundred seven in total. This list includes the sites in Kora County
with its seven tourist resources and their components. The list is published in the MTCYS
official website and it is available only in Albanian (refer to Appendix II for the full list).
Albania from the History [sic] (2007) provides a more detailed history of Albania,
aiming to provide information to tourists about the old archaeological and cultural
heritage of the country, and the people's hospitality. It starts with Prehistory, 6000-3000

35

BCE, and ends with the present time. This modest book will not only serve an instructive
purpose in the academic environment, but it will also provide useful information to
tourists. Too little is known outside of Albania about the country's rich history. Through
publications like this, tourists will be introduced to a country that has a lot to offer in the
tourism industry.
In Albania, Yours [sic] to Discover by MTCYS, (2007), the Ministry in collaboration
with National Tourism Organization provides a general thematic guide to Albania
focusing on five areas: general information, traditional cuisine, museums, underwater
heritage, and sport activities. The cuisine section presents the specialties of the northern,
central, and southern regions. Due to the geographic location, between East and West,
one can easily see the influence of oriental and occidental culinary arts in Albania. An
important feature of the cuisine is the rich variety of vegetables and fruits that keep their
natural features, color and flavor. The country also has a long tradition in the production
of alcoholic drinks. The most traditional is raki,a flavored brandy distilled from grapes,
plums, blackberry, and other fruits. Viticulture also has a long tradition. In this section of
the guide, Pogradec is presented as an area known for wine or raki production in each
household. Almost everybody makes wine according to recipes handed down from one
generation to the other (p.20). Due to this, one of the annual festivals is Wine Day in
Pogradec.
The pocket guide continues with the description of twenty-two museums in fourteen
major cities, but it is far from complete. In the city of Kora it mentions just three
museums, out of the five that may be found there.

36

The section on underwater heritage is mostly focused on the Adriatic and Ionian Sea.
The last part of this section mentions slightly the lakes, among which arePrespa and
Ohrid Lakes. Both of them are in Kora County and are known for their archeological
artifacts and underwater reefs. Their fauna and flora also have great tourism values, such
as the National Park of Prespa.
The last part of the pocket guide presents culture and sports activities planned for
2007 throughout Albania.
Tourism Industry Strategy for 2007-2013 (MYCTS, 2008) is a report that examines
the situation in tourism during 2005-2006 and lists the most problematic issues that
restrain tourism development, such as (p. 3):
Lack of political will for concrete action;
Lack of federal and local institutions that monitor and guarantee the
implementation of any tourism development plan;
The fact that urban plans are not based on clear and effective economic,
sociocultural, and environmental analyses;
Lack of an international standardized system to gather tourism statistical data;
A poor infrastructure system;
Lack of sufficient accommodations to support the target number;
Lack of a dependable land legalization and ownership law;
Lack of highly qualified human resources in the tourism industry;
37

 Insufficient investments to protect and conserve the natural and cultural sites;
Low quality of telecommunication and Internet services.
Regardless the above obstacles, the Ministry of Interior Affairs has recorded about
1.1 million tourists during 2007, with 73,402 in June alone.
Through examination of the current situation the authors come up with a strategy on
how to improve tourism in the future years 2007-2013. First they identify the main
tourism types (pg. 9):
Cultural Tourism, which includes focus on galleries, studios,

performing and visual arts, festivals, celebrations, rituals, events, and

buildings;
Rural Tourism, which engages tourists in rural activities and

environments;
Natural Tourism (Adventure and Ecotourism); which includes outdoor

activities such as sightseeing, scenic driving, beach experiences, wildlife

viewing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, horseback riding, river and
lake canoeing and fishing, caving, scuba diving, trekking, water rafting,
kayaking, rock and mountain climbing, cross-country skiing, safaris,
surfing, windsurfing, ballooning and sea sailing (Tourism New, n. d.),
aiming at conservation and nature appreciation;
Curative Tourism, which is a therapeutic type of tourism that offers

treatment for ailments by using natural factors such as hot and mineral
springs, mud and herbal baths;

38

 Sun and Sea or Lake Tourism, which consists of all the activities in

water and sunbathing;

Business, Congress, Expo Tourism, and Conferences, which encourage

exhibitions, traveling, corporate hospitality, and outdoor activities.

Due to the above variety this strategy aims to bring a great diversity of tourism
products, to create new opportunities for the local subjects affiliated with tourism to
express themselves, and to give better chances to the provinces and rural communities to
contribute in the tourism development strategy. More precisely, for 2013 they aim for
sustainable ecological, sociocultural, and economic development, partnerships, and
quality. The steps that they will follow to meet these will be through:
Community awareness and marketing;
More investments;
Better qualified human resources;
A developed infrastructure system;
Evaluation of the tourist feedback;
Gathering data and managing an effective information system.
The Ministry would be well advised to add the need for a Capacity Study so that
they will not only be ready to provide better service but also to protect the environment
without abusing its capacity. Considering tourism only as an economic generator may
lead to more disadvantages than advantages for the society. While planning a strategy we
should, for instance, protect the vegetation from road widening and car pollution. As
39

Environmental Research in Albania (Pambuku&Proku, 2009) shows the level of

expenditure and their efficiency on environmental protection and prevention of
environmental degradation both by the public and the private sector is extremely low,
and efficiency poor (pg. 7). Even though Albanian laws on environmental protection are
in accordance with European standards, they are not well enforced or implemented (pg.
7).
Based on the report Tourists Revenue 2008-2009 by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture,
Youth and Sport (2009), Albania had about one million tourists from January to June
2009, 10% more tourists than in 2008. The Ministry predicts that the number of
international tourists will increase, and with it the contributions of tourism in the
Albanian economy. However, the fact that the authors do not specify the source of their
information makes the data not very useful. In 2008 Albanias revenue from tourism
reached 1.2 billion, a growth of twenty 20% compared to the previous year according to
data from Albanias Central Bank, cited by the MTCYS website. The statistics for 2009
have been not made public yet, but the MTCYS claims that the revenue has increased.
According to the Albania Business and Investment Agencys paper Albanian Tourism
Today (2009), Albania is a new opportunity for investors. The tourism industry is open to
any interested individual or company to invest capital in enterprises that will affect
positively the economy of the country. According to the authors, investors should invest
in Albania for the following reasons:

40

 Albania is characterized by a favorable geographical position. It has a great

variety of natural resources, and untouched natural beauty. It also has excellent
climate conditions for year-round tourism activity.
Labor cost is relatively low.
Albania has a rich cultural and historical heritage.
Due to this, Albania offers a large number of specific sectors where an investor can
expect a good profit. The intact Mediterranean coastline, from Velipoja in the north, to
Xara in the south, through its long sandy beaches and clean water, can easily become an
investment hotspot. Interior areas are famous for lakes and spectacular mountain scenery
(though it should be emphasized that mountain areas require considerable investments in
infrastructure to ease meeting the tourists needs).
Investors are sorely needed since, as already documented, there are many deficiencies
that inhibit tourism development. The Albania National Tourism Agency delivered a
survey to private and public institutions that deal with tourism to identify the problems
that restrict tourism development (2009). Based on the results of the survey, tourism in
Albania deals with the following problems:
Poor quality of infrastructure, such as roads, electricity, and water, which has
always been an issue in Albania;
Lack of a clear and consistent land legalization law;
Inadequacy of institutions of public order, such as medical service, fire
protection, and public safety;
41

 Poor service quality, which leads to a considerable number of complaints due to

the lack of trained professional people;
High prices that are not harmonized with the service quality, so tourists who
visit Albania do not come back again and they spread bad publicity to their
communities;
Poor Internet service, which limits marketing (so, in the meanwhile in Albania
the news is still spread by word of mouth);
Lack of seaports, despite the fact that Albania has a 450 kilometers of coastline,
and airports, there being just one international airport, Mother Theresa, near the
capital, Tirana.
Many of these issues are common problems in less developed countries, but the
legacy of the communist regime contributes the problem of disputes over land ownership.
Land ownership and legalization have become a real issue and as the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has reported, disputes over property
ownership in the coastal region have caused social strife and blocked initiatives to
develop the region's tourist potential. (Organization for Security, n.d.). The Agency for
Legalization, Urbanization and Integration of the Areas/Informal Buildings in the
Republic of Albania, which is referred as ALUIZNI, blames the past Communist regime
for the problems that have accompanied the processes and management of the land in
Albania. During that time that the owners were dispossessed of their property and the
people had no right of ownership (Agency for Legalization, n.d.). At the time of the
transition to democracy, village land commissions were created that had to distribute
42

collective farm land among the villagers in proportion to the family size. In this way the
property did not go to the former owners. Yet, only after 1995, did the people gain the
right of ownership and the right to sell the property allocated by the commission. This has
been causing registration problems and increased insecurity among the potential
investors.
The case of Club Mditerrane is an interesting study of the problem with
development that continues to exist in Albania. Through Club Mditerrane (Club Med),
Albania had a chance to become a major tourism destination, but the government was not
able to manage the situation with professionalism. As a result, they probably lost one of
the biggest potential investors. Club Med was the ninth-largest hotel company in the
world in 1986 (Hart, 1990). It started its journey in 1950 as a nonprofit sport association
and by 2008 the resort company operated 80 villages in Europe, Africa, the United States,
the Caribbean, Brazil, Southern Asia, French Polynesia, and Australia. Due to increasing
competition, in 1983 Club Med elaborated a strategy to increase the loyalty of its
customers. The strategy included educating the travel agents about the Club Med
vacation package; binding in Club Meds promotional efforts exclusively with expert
agencies; rotating a flying team of GOs 9 who would hold informational seminars in
North American cities; and creating travel-agent schools and placing the graduates with
expert agencies (pg. 3).
In 2003 Club Med started to consider the opportunity to build a sea resort with their
brand in Kakome, which is located on the southern Albanian coast, on the Ionian Sea.
Club Med specialists chose the Bay of Kakome for many reasons. It is located near the

GO's are members of the staff (gentils organisateurs, "gracious organizers").

43

Albanian city of Saranda, and is across from Corfu Island. It is characterized by

extraordinary beauty, with virgin nature, and limpid blue seawater (Koleka, 2005).
DritanCelaj, chief of the Albanian construction company Riviera, has stated that,
Kakome Village was going to be one of the most beautiful in the world. It was going to
put Albania on the tourism map as an important location (Koleka, 2005). As Koleka
points out, tourism in Albania makes up just 8.5 percent of Albanias Gross Domestic
Product, much less than the neighboring countries. Through this project things probably
were going to change for the better for the Albanian economy, turning the country into a
destination of choice for international tourists. Through the help of international experts
in the leisure real estate business Club Med made the final master plan of the project and
calculated every minor detail so that the project could be successful. They chose Corfus
airport for their clients departure and arrivals. The trip from Corfu to Kakome was
supposed to be carried out by a ship or fast boat to give this vacation a sense of
adventure. Another reason they chose this route was to avoid bringing visitors in from the
airport in Tirana, a six-hour journey over poor Albanian roads.
Club Meds villages have created jobs and tourism revenue to economically
depressed countries. This could have been the case for Kakome as well.This project had
the full support of Prime Minister Fatos Nano, but this was not enough for Club Med to
succeed in this project. It faced opposition from local villagers in regard to the property
rights, claiming that they owned the location. This inconvenient issue slowed the process
of developing the project. The continuous protests made it impossible for Club Med to
start construction four years after the government gave the green light reported (Koleka,
2009).
44

The development came to a halt in June 2009. ALSAT Television announced that,
the major project of tourism in Albania, the Club Med for Kakome, no longer exists.
They gave up the project in the Albanian Ionian Coast after an exhausting conflict with
the land owners (Darsi, 2009). This decision was announced by Florence Le Gall, Club
Meds director of regional development. (In the local Saranda media it is still reported
that the Kakome Bay Resort will go ahead with the original developer; it is unclear
whether that refers to Club Med or the Riviera Company.) After 46 years of isolation
Albania needs Western experience to meet the international tourists need. Club Med had
its own interest in investing in Kakome, but Albania was going to gain benefits from this
project. The European Union (EU) has always urged Albania to solve the problem over
land ownership to attract foreign investors and meet at the same time the requirements of
the EU. This is not the first case where foreign investors have canceled their project due
to land ownership issues. The government needs to work harder in solving such issues
because all the money that they are spending in advertising Albania on CNN or other
globally circulated media will not be effective otherwise.
In addition to all the internal problems that have been endlessly identified by
government agencies and students of the Albanian society and economy, another
challenge for Albania is control over information available to the international tourism
audience. Misinformation about Albania abounds. The first source that the tourist will
refer to before undertaking a trip will be Internet and travel guides. Through these
sources they try to create a mental image of the destination and make a choice. Hudman
and Jackson's book Geography of Travel and Tourism (2008), provides information that
is not common in the travel brochures. It is a helpful book not only for travelers, but it
45

also has pedagogical value. It gives a general geographic description of the world and its
most important geographic regions. Also, it explores specific regions and gives a detailed
overview of their cultural and physical characteristics and shows the elements of the
tourism industry in these different regions. The authors help travelers with information
about the most significant attractions by emphasizing the originality of each region. In the
chapter about Central Europe and the Balkan states the authors include Albania and
provide the reader with a short description of it. Yet, even in this well-researched
resource, the information about Albania is not quite accurate. For instance, they state that
Albania is subject to destructive earthquakes and tsunamis. Actually, Albania was
identified in the 13th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering as a geologically and
seismotectonically a rather complicated region, but with a low-risk for major
earthquakes. The authors of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Maps for Albania claim that
Albania is characterized by an obvious high number of small earthquakes and rare large
earthquakes. (Aliaj, et al., 2004). In regard to tsunamis, this is quite an unfamiliar
phenomenon in Albania. Another inaccuracy is when Hudman and Jackson state that the
language in Albania is Albanian and Greek (p. 295). True, throughout the country there
are Greeks, Macedonians, Vlachs and Roma minorities that are bilingual, but he only
official language in Albania is Albanian. Hudman and Jackson also presents superficial
tourism characteristics that will hardly motivate any visitors to come in Albania. As far
as the Southeast region is concerned, which includes Kora, it is not mentioned at all.
This is one of the books available on the market for those who are potentially interested
in travel to Albania, and there is a considerable number of other published works which
provide misleading or insufficient information. The main goal should be as much as

46

possible to circulate accurate and detailed tourist information about Albania. So far, the
international travel guides have not done a good job of this. Generally, they provide
broad information on Albania and focus briefly in some of its main cities.
Examination of this literature leadsto some conclusions. The transition from
Communism and the ensuing political instability is a strong element that shapes the
emerging economy. It is obvious that Albania is still in its transition phase because the
government has not yet developed a clear strategy. At least in part this is due to the lack
of experience and to the difficulties inherited from the past. It is widely demonstrated in
the literature that despite its great touristic potential, Albania has had a hard time
succeeding because of generally unprepared and inexperienced managers in the private
sector who lack knowledge about business.

47

Why Kora County?

Archaeological evidence and historical documents shed light on the antiquity of
Kora County. The archaeological findings in the Kora basin show that it has been
inhabited since the Neolithic. The traces of this period are found in two areas: in the
village of Podgorie and at the place where the Devoll and Dunavec rivers join. The last
site has artifacts from the oldest period of the Neolithic and represents the oldest traces of
the population of the Kora basin (6000-3000 BCE). The last traces of the Neolithic were
discovered at the prehistoric site of Maliq. This marks the beginning of the Copper Age
(3000-2100 B. C. E.). Also, this is clear evidence of the active and continuous life during
the prehistoric times in the Kora County territory.
The register of Kora and the nearby commune of Prmet for the year 1431-1432,
immediately after the Turkish invasion, chronicles that Kora County was included in a
vilayet with its center in Kora, which the Turks called Gjorixhe (Qyteti im, 2008,
pg.12). At that time Kora was a well-built and important economical center that had a
favorable position, with a castle, a bazaar, and a strong economy. The city of Kora,
which used to be called Peshkpia, was founded in the 15th century. It was given to
IljazMirahori as a reward for his participation in the conquering of Constantinople, and
for also being married to the Sultans 10 daughter. Mirahori built a mosque in Kora
around 1496 (IljazBeyMirahori Mosque), as well as Turkish baths, and quickly turned the
city into a trading and artisan center (Qyteti im, 2008, pg. 12). This mosque is not only
one of the oldest monuments in the city but also it is important for its historical, cultural,
religious and architectural values (Sula, 2009, pg. 38).

10

Sultan Bayazit II (14471512)

48

In the second half of the 19th century Kora developed into one of the biggest
economic, commercial, and cultural centers of the country. As the Your Key to Kora
(Sula, 2009, pg. 39) reveals, the old bazaar is evidence of this flourishing period.
Merchandise from Greece, Turkey, Trieste, and Venice was exchanged and more than
1,000 shops made this an important and economically active zone. Visitors can still
admire its cultural and architectural values.
Today Kora is the main city in southeastern Albania and sits on an 869-meter-high
plateau west of Florina, Greece, 30 km south of Lake Ohrid. The city is a gateway to
Albania for anyone arriving from Greece via the Kapshtica border crossing 28 km east.
Its regional population is about 360,191 inhabitants. The city of Kora is undergoing
sustainable population growth, with a 2008 population of 86,179 inhabitants (Shapo,
2008). In addition to the Albanian majority, the county also has population of Vallachs,
Slavs, Romanians, Romas, and Egyptians. The county has four districts, Devolli,
Kolonja, Kora, and Pogradec. Kora County has six municipalities, (Bilishti, Erseka,
Kora, Leskovik, Maliq, and Pogradec), thirty-one communes, and three hundred fortyfive villages (Shapo, 2008). The Albanian Statistics Institute (n.d.) provides the following
data on demographics for the Kora County:
Table 2
Population in Kora County by District, January 2008
Districts

TOTAL
MF

URBAN
MF
M

RURAL
MF
M

33,850
15,818
18,032
8,199
3,672
4,527
25,651
Devoll
14,412
7,120
7,293
7,226
3,247
3,979
7,186
Kolonje
140,659
69,884
70,775
62,914
27,702
35,211
77,746
Kora
71,969
36,495
35,473
27,858
12,760
15,098
44,110
Pogradec
Note.The data are retrieved from the Albanian Statistics Institute website (n. d.).

49

12,146
3,873
42,182
23,736

F
13,505
3,313
35,564
20,375

Kora County is blessed with a great touristic potential. Its attractions consist of
distinguished features that will be a generator for the tourists and investors. Publishing
these attractions in the target tourism markets will help the tourism development plan.
Even though it has a territory (Alac, et al., n.d.) of just about 3697 sq km, it consists of a
variety of tourism destinations with year-round tourism activity. According to Tourism
Strategy for 2007-2013 (MTCYS, pg. 12), these days tourists all over the world are
showing interest in cultural tourism, adventure tourism, and ecotourism. Kora County
has several opportunities for different type of tourism, such as culture, rural, natural,
curative, sun and sea (lake), business, ecotourism, and adventure tourism. Through the
Kora Event Calendar, which is an annual publication, the Kora Municipality provides
year-round options to make the stay more active by engaging the visitors in various
activities and focused on interesting recreations. Through the Events Calendar 2009
(Kora Municipality, 2009) one realizes that there are good reasons why the Kora
District is classified as the district of celebration. The importance of these activities to
Kora can be gauged by the fact that just the main annual activities for 2008 required
about $172,327,30. Appendix IIcontains a full list of annual activities. Tourists can find
updated information in the three largest cities (Erseka, Kora and Pogradec)
municipalities. However, the Municipality of Korajust recently published the Events
Calendar 2010. From the planning point of view at this point they should have published
the Events Calendar for 2011 so that the visitors could view their options for the next
year. It is summer time and tourists have already made plans for the holidays so that few
of them might consider useful the Events Calendar 2010 at this point.

50

Ecotourism has great possibilities in a county like Kora. This county has a
continental-Mediterranean climate, which is dry and healthy, with a cold winter and
warm dry summer. There are three major lakes, Macro Prespa, Micro Prespa, and Ohrid,
and three-fourths of the county territory is occupied by mountains and hills (Alac, et al.,
n.d.). This diversity offers a variety of choices, like boat trailing, climbing, camping,
cultural activities, skiing, swimming, hiking, and hunting. In the Macro Prespa area is the
Prespa National Park, which not only offers the tranquility of the lake but also beautiful
mountains and woods with a unique fauna and flora. One of the rare species found there
is the Dalmatian pelican (Pelicanuscrispus) (Sula, 2009, pg. 30).
An important natural monument located in the Lake Macro Prespa is Liqenas. It is the
place where the Macedonian, Albanian and Greek national borders meet. It is Macro
Prespa Lake that connects these three nations, on the shores of which are evidence of
prehistoric life. A series of villages are situated along the shores of the Prespa Lakes and
work is in progress to promote the development of rural tourism in these areas. Major
activities could include boat trips, sunbathing in summer, bird observation, and fishing.
The restaurants near the lake offer tasty fresh fish, including the well-known bleak, a
small fish similar in appearance but not in taste to sardines. Liqenas inhabitants hang
bleak on hooks affixed to the ceiling, and let them dry over the smoke of a specific herb.
West of Liqenas it is located the small unpopulated island of Maligrad, which contains
the ruins of a 14th century basilica (Sula, 2009, pg. 30).
Experience has taught us that visitors will greatly appreciate destinations where the
community takes pride in its tourism and is involved in its activities. Due to this, Kora
municipality organizes a number of projects that promote the local products and
51

encourage the community to be part of the tourism industry. Such activities are the Pie
Fest, the Beer Fest, the End of the Year Fair, and others. However, in Kora County,
many tourism sites are located in rural areas. The communities in these areas are very
difficult to deal with when it comes to changing the old ways of thinking, acting, and
working because the Communist theories have taken root in their life style. Rarely are
they willing to respect new ideas, views, and believe, and most of the times they are
characterized by preconceived opinions regarding the tourists way of dressing and acting.
Voskopoja is one of the most famous villages and it is included in almost all the
tourism tours and national guides. It is at a distance of about 21 km from Kora, in the
mountains of southeastern Albania, at an altitude of 1160 meters above sea level.
Voskopoja started to develop into a town as early as the 17th century, and flourished in
the 18th century. There used to be twenty-two churches, but vandalism, two world wars,
and an earthquake during the 1960s have reduced that to five churches and one monastery
(Sula, 2009, pg. 89). Places to be seen are the Academy Hotel, Saint Nicholas Church,
Saint Mary Church, Saint Thomas Church, Church of Prophet Ilias, Trinity Church and
Saint John the Baptist Monastery. Apart from visits in the old churches, you can hire
horses from local farms and trek around the beautiful countryside. In the Constitution of
the Republic of Albania, decision number 558, approved on January 8, 2003, declares
Voskopoja, as a historical center protected by the government. Due to this, the
government considers it as an area with priorities on tourism development and
conservation and protection projects (2003). As such, the Voskopoja Commune
undertook a reconstruction project of the Kora-Voskopoja main road. This will make the
village more accessible.
52

Boboshtica is a very attractive village that once was large and flourishing. It is just
seven kilometers from Kora, to the southeast. For Koras inhabitants it is considered a
weekend destination to escape the routine and stress of the week. Boboshtica is famous
for its mulberry trees. The local people produce the well-known yellow to green mulberry
raki. Boboshticas women are also known for their traditional carpets made on looms
(Sula, 2005, pg. 83). The traditional food specialties are delightful, like the traditional
regional specialties of lakror [pie], grilled or roasted lamb and veal, country salad with
fresh vegetables, and bakllava. A very important celebration that brings visitors in
Boboshtica is Saint Mary Day on August 15th. Some tourist sites are the Nicholas
Monastery, and the churches of Saint John and Saint Demetrius.
Dardha is located 20 km southeast of Kora, at an altitude of over 1300 m. It is well
known for the characteristic architecture of the houses, which are built with stones. Its
inhabitants are known to be hospitable, generous, and, unlike many other places, they
have a close connection to folklore and tradition. There is a good chance that tourists
could see Dardhas inhabitants wearing the traditional regional dress. Also, Dardha is a
good place for those who love hiking and skiing. Unlike Boboshtica, Dardha is famous
for plum raki.
Rehova is located east the city of Erseka, and can be reached by a five-minute drive
or just a twenty-minute walk along the stone-paved road. It is one of the villages that
represent the best of the region of Kolonja. Like the other villages mentioned above,
Rehova has old stone houses. The residents of this village still live in a traditional
lifestyle. They produce milk, eggs, and meat by themselves. A walk through the village

53

of Rehova can bring you to a trout farm in the base of Mount Gramozi, a challenging but
rewarding hike to Albanias third highest mountain (Erseka Municipality, 2010).
Apart from the natural monument sites, Kora County offers a variety of museums.
There are eight museums, five of them located within the city of Kora.
1. The National Medieval Art Museum.

Its rich archive includes historical, cultural, and artistic exhibits from the medieval
period. As many as 6500 icons are registered, with only 200 of them exhibited. This
museum not only exhibits art work, but also promotes, protects, conserves, and
restores them. During 2008 the Kora Mayor announced that the municipality has
started to build a new museum complex to replace the National Medieval Art
Museum, financed by the Greek Consulate with about 480,000, but so far there is no
evidence of progress on the project (Qyteti im, 2008, pg. 11).
2. The First Albanian School, Education Museum.

The museum is housed in the building where the first Albanian school opened on
March of 1887. The museum displays the first and second Albanian reading primer.
Also, there are pictures of the people who contributed to the opening of the school,
which was not an easy aim to achieve.
3. The Archaeological Museum.

This museum is housed in two 19th century dwellings that are acknowledged
monuments of culture. It focuses on the pre-history and history of the district, starting
from the Neolithic and going up to the Medieval period. The museum has about 1,200
artifacts.
4. The Bratko Oriental Art Museum.
54

The works housed in this museum, around 430, include Chinese altars, Japanese
womens clothes, Chinese accessories, Indonesian swords, European medals,
Japanese paintings, and many photos. George DhimitrBoria (1903-1990) was an
esteemed world class Albanian-American photographer, artist, collector of Asian arts,
and friend of many international notables such as General Douglas MacArthur. He
collected these antiquities and hoped that one day the public was going to appreciate
them in a museum. Although it was only opened in June 2003 it has quickly gained
great popularity.
5. Vangjush Mios Museum House

This was the house of the impressionist painter from Kora, Vangjush Mio. There are
40 oil paintings, including landscapes painted in a particular colorful style. Mio was
the first Albanian painter to open an exhibition in Tirana in 1920, and later in Bari,
Italy. He was an outstanding painter.
6. The Kamenica Tumulus.

This is the only open-air museum in Albania, and it is the biggest tumulus in the
Balkans. This artificial Illyrian grave dates from the 13th century to the 6th century
BCE. At this site tourists have a chance to experience the antiquity of the region,
while students will be offered the opportunity to join the archaeological training
school. The main purpose of it is to transmit values by which the new generation will
more appreciate the cultural heritage.
7. The Erseka Ethnographic Museum.

55

It is located in the center of the town and possesses a wide collection of artifacts and
documents related to the history of the area, dating back to the Neolithic period. It is a
modest museum that displays the history of the region of Kolonja (Explore, n. d.).
8. The Pogradec Museum

Pogradec has a rich museum with evidence about antiquity and about the National
Liberation Movement during World War II.
Among a variety of cultural and historical sites that the tourists find interesting are the
churches, mosques, museums, and archaeological sites situated all over the county. The
Constitution of the Republic of Albania lists the cultural monuments in the Albanian
Republic (2003). There are approximately 116 cultural monuments in total in Kora
County (Kolonja 16, Kora and Devoll 80, Pogradec 20), but not all of them are
accessible to visitors. The main problem has to do with the lack of proper infrastructure.
A useful reference guide is Your Key to Kora [elsi Turistik] (Sula, 2005). It is a
light book to carry and it is published in Albanian and English. It includes useful
information about Kora city history, weather, its location, and demographic and
economic data. An important section is reserved to the tourist sites and suggested tours.
The tourist can find practical information about hotels, restaurants, bars, and different
events taking part in the city throughout the year. In addition to the City of Kora, it
includes other sites such as Boboshtic, Vithkuq, Voskopoja, Dardha, Devolli, and
Mborja. The information is accurate and entertaining. The publication includes high
quality pictures that help to visualize what is offered to the tourist. The only thing left to
be improved is the map, which is impossible to read. The street names are printed in very
small letters and any tourist would have difficulties moving around the city with it.
56

Apart from the sites already mentioned, the main cities of the county offer to the
tourists the following services and amenities;
Table 3
Tourism Services in Kora County
Food/Drinks

Tourists services

Traditional Art and Crafts

Emergency

Fast Food
Bar ( 25)
Traditional Food restaurants and Pizzeria(13)
Bed and Breakfast
Banks / ATM
Bookstore
Casino
Cinema (1)
City Center
Fitness Center (2)
Go-carts(1)
Hotels (16)
Internet Cafes
Library(3)
Museums and Culture Monuments
Night Clubs
Parks
Shopping Centers(2)
Ski Resort
Supermarkets and Local Farm Bazaar
Theater(1)
Tourists Agency(13)
Craft Work
Embroidery
Pottery
Woolen Works
Drugstore
Fire Brigade (1)
Hospital (1)
Police (1)

57

A Plan for Tourism Development in Kora County

There is so much to say about Kora County. It attracts tourists with its charm,
sweetness, dynamism, and simplicity. It is known as the cradle of culture and education
and has an endless array of festivities, such as serenades, carnivals and masked balls, and
beer fests. Those interested in nature, forests, mountains, lakes, and historic sites, should
make sure to visit this County and have a fabulous experience.Regardless of its rich
potential and numerous attractions, Kora County is not yet ready to develop a
sustainable tourism industry unless it focuses on offering something unique that will
distinguish it from other national and international destinations. To realize this we need
first to identify any possible obstacle and later give solutions to improve the current
situation. One important piece of literature is the recently developed Action Plan for
Tourism in Kora County (2008), by the municipality of Kora. It presents a realistic
picture of the tourism potential in Kora. It also identifies the main partners in assisting
the tourism development. In some respect, this plan is the basis of my future work,
because it helps inform my strategy for Kora County and helps me understand the
problems in the County. Very useful information is presented at the end of the action
Plan, where the authors have listed a variety of resources, including published works,
travel guides, and websites. The authors of the draft examine six international
publications and just three of them briefly mention Kora County and dedicate to it no
more than two pages. In the 36 guides that are examined, Kora County is poorly
introduced, with very general and sometimes inaccurate information. Only five of them,

58

which are GTZ 11 publications, focus specifically on the regions of the county, such as
Kora, Dardha, Voskopoja, Liqenas, and Vithkuqi (pg. A-6). Of the 19 tourism agencies
website, only 16 mention the County and include Kora in one of their tours.

11
The Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) is a federally owned
organization (Gesellschaft, 2009).
59

Problems inhibiting development

However, to fully understand Kora Countys potential and needs, it has been
necessary to refer to a much wider body of literature, which has served as a reflection on
the tourism field and has helped to identify the following issues that restrain tourism
development and some of the suggestions on how to overcome this transitional stage. I
have already discussed a number of these issues, which have been identified by other
commentators for the nation of Albania as a whole. Among these are:
Problems with land ownership. There is a need for the establishment and
enforcement of a land legalization law, the lack of which is driving away foreign
investors. Land use planning also falls short of accepted standards. Landowners often do
not consult with the Territorial Planning Office in their respective region and, therefore,
frequently negatively affect the planning of the city or village when they undertake
construction.
Problems with data. There is a lack of an international standardized system to
gather tourism statistical data on both the national and local level. Data are acquired and
assembled haphazardly, which undermines their credibility and makes planning more
difficult.
Problems with infrastructure. The quality of roads, electric service, and water
availability has always been an issue in Albania. The lack of airports and seaports is
another issue that requires immediate attention.
The fact that, although service quality is low, prices still stay high. Since prices are
not harmonized with the service quality, tourists who visit Albania do not come back
60

again and they spread bad publicity to their communities. Service quality is poor due to
the lack of highly qualified human resources in the tourism industry and insufficient
facilities to support the target number of tourists.
Lack of sufficient investment to protect and conserve the natural environments and
culture sites. This leaves these resources vulnerable to degradation, undermining the
potential for sustained tourism.
Institutions of public services, such as medical service, fire protection, and public
safety are insufficient.
In many countries the Internet is the main source to publish and advertise the
tourism industry while in Albania there is low quality of telecommunication and Internet
services. Meanwhile, the news in Albania is still spread orally. This means that the
marketing sector cannot function properly.
In addition to these that have been identified repeatedly in the literature, based on my
own experiences in Albania I have identified two more that are essential to acknowledge
in order understanding the true dimensions of the problems with tourism development in
Albania and in Kora County. In many ways these two lie at the heart of all of the other
problems.
Lack of political will on the part of the government. Many of the problems just
identified could be solved through government action; in fact most cannot be solved
without government action. Yet in Albania there has historically, particularly since the
demise of the Communist regime, been great difficulty creating and sustaining the
commitment for concrete actions on the part of the federal and local governmental
61

institutions that monitor and guarantee the implementation of any tourism development
plan. Lack of follow-through and consistency is evident in many different areas, like the
implementation of the land-legalization procedures, or the development and maintenance
of infrastructure. Government action tends to be too heavily tied to the political fortunes
of particular politicians or parties, and as a consequence, government actions tend to
proceed with fits and starts.
Ska Problem [No Problem]. 12 This is a sort of attitude that characterizes
Albanians in general. It is a phenomenon that has not only affected tourism development,
but the economy of Albania in all its aspects. Every successful strategy requires
professionalism, commitment, and reliable partners. When an opportunity is presented to
Albanian institutions and individuals, they typically show initial interest in it and are
highly enthusiastic about the collaboration. They make clear to the partner(s) that there
will be no problem [ska problem] in meeting each others needs and successfully
finalizing the project. Unfortunately, in the majority of cases there will indeed be
problems preventing the project from running smoothly and in the worst-case scenario
drive away the investors, since the Albanians do not follow through with their
commitments, or have not resolved the impediments that they assured their interlocutors
would be no problem.
There are several explanations for the Ska Problem attitude, such as lack of
professionalism, commitment, and reliability as partners in business. The Albanian
government, by neglecting to battle corruption forcefully and consistently, has aggravated
the Ska Problem attitude and makes it hard for any foreign partner to continue the

12

Ska Problemis an example of a general Mediterranean characteristic/problem

62

collaboration. An example of the Ska Problem is the response I got from my

interviewees and questionnaire respondents. When the subjects were introduced to the
project they made it clear there was going to be no problem with collaboration. When
the time came to conduct the interviews or complete the questionnaires, none of them
fulfilled their previous commitment, or in the case of the questionnaire, only two.

63

Confirmation from the survey responses

The two survey responses that were completed in this study offer confirmation of
some of the problems I have identified. Both participants answers give the impression of
disappointment about what has been done so far in the tourism industry. According to
them, the business investments in the Kora County tourism industry are poor. The
tourism services quality is failing due to poor management and lack of understanding of
the needs of tourists. Both respondents consider the social infrastructure (for instance,
trained professional people), physical infrastructure (such as roads and hotels), and
management as priorities that require investments. One respondent thought that the level
of prices, of community cooperation with the tourism industry, and of the quality of
services as indicative of the need for investment. They both stressed the importance of
improving the cultural heritage and tourism legislation. (It is an issue often discussed in
the Albania Parliament. The last time the vice minister of MTCYS brought up this topic
in the parliament was May 2010 and yet the issue is not finalized.)
With regard to the question of how Kora Countys tourism packages are promoted,
both answered poorly. They consider electronic media as the best way to convey
information to the audience, and in particular television. Although they consider tourism
service prices as being reasonable, the prices are nonetheless not harmonized with the
quality of services. They both agree that professionalism is lacking in the tourism
industry.
The last three questions were descriptive/essay questions. When asked, What do you
think local government can do to improve tourism in the county? one answered that the

64

local government will need to change its mentality. The other said that, the local
government needed to elaborate more realistic and applicable tourism development
strategies by considering the natural and historical resources of the county. Also, they
should provide better training programs and support initiatives which aim the tourism
development based on contemporary standards.
When asked, What you would change in regard to business investments in tourism?
one answered, the concept, the other said that, businesses should respect more the
traditions and customs and offer products which justify the price.
In their additional comments they emphasized the importance of investments and
better planning. Although tourism is an important element in economic development, it is
not treated that way by the local government. The Kora Municipality is mainly focused
in organizing a handful of activities so that Kora will be known as the City of
Celebrations. Yet, this is not enough. The social and physical infrastructure is not
sufficiently developed. There are not enough hotels, and as a result the prices are high.
Due to this, only a certain group of people can afford to visit it.

65

What needs to be done?

The following are some of the important steps that need to take place in the near
future if we are aiming for the development of tourism industry and to overcome the
present impediments.
Overcoming the negative opinion that Albania has in the international communitys
eye. While going through the traveling books in the New Hartford Barnes and Nobel
bookstore I discovered that Albania is poorly promoted in the tourism guiding books.
Also, the information that can be googled is sometimes inaccurate and insufficient.
Interested travelers have difficulties getting the proper information about Albania and this
drives many of them away. An example of this is the movie Taken, produced in the 2008.
It is about an Albanian gang of human traffickers who kidnap girls into sexual slavery.
Due to this, many consider Albania as a dangerous place to travel to. In reality, they are
ignoring the fact that Albania is a beautiful and friendly place. To provide the tourism
world with an accurate image of Albania the institutions involved in the tourism industry
should work more on promoting the countrys real qualities. We still lack basic things
such as an official website for Kora County tourism to directly deliver comprehensive
travel information. International tourists are increasingly using travel websites, making
the travel products globally accessible at a lower cost. There is a scarcity of information
in the guidebooks and a poor representation of the county in the international tourism
fairs.
Boosting horizontal and vertical cooperation among government levels. By vertical
cooperation I mean interaction between the federal and local institutions in decision
making about tourism. Their relationship should be characterized by flexibility,
66

transparency, accountability, and rigorous participation. Through this collaboration we

will move gradually from regional to interregional tourism. This collaboration might
happen faster if the local government prepares a strategy with annual investment
priorities and segment the targets and requirements. This will not only provide
transparency in the eyes of the investors and taxpayers but also will be a sign of a clear
vision for economic development. Both national and local government should work on
eliminating bureaucratic barriers; this will not only boost the tourism investments but will
also make its development feasible.
Horizontal cooperation is important as well. Government institutions, such as the
Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Sports, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry
of Finance, and the Ministry of Work, Social Issues and Equal Chances, should cooperate
and share rights and responsibilities with each other. Horizontal cooperation also includes
relationships among local entities, such as that between the municipalities and the
County. In Kora County, the political divergence between these local entities has been
affecting the outcome of economical development of the Kora, Kolonja, Porgadec, and
Devoll districts. It is in the Countys interest to set aside the political competition and
focus in what will boost economical development.
Undertaking a capacity study and adopting an international standardized system to
gather tourism statistical data. This will help to analyze the tourism industry and its
market. This statistical information will reflect different aspects of domestic and
international tourism, such as numbers of travelers, numbers of overnight stays, purposes
of travel, types of accommodation, and the economic value of expenditures. These
studies will not only help to work out the big picture and determine the future model, but
67

they will also make it possible to use tourists feedback to bring about continuous
improvements. We should not forget that tourism statistics are relatively new in Albania.
For this reason the MTCYS should ask for technical support from experienced agencies
or even countries. Together with the MTCYS, the local institutions should create a
tourism database. It will not only serve as a repository for all the information regarding
tourism but also these data will be accessible to researchers and businesses. Researchers
will evaluate the information and will offer advice, while the businesses will be informed
of the possible investment areas. The MTCYS should allocate financial bonuses or ease
somehow the fiscal responsibilities of those tourism operators and businesses that
rigorously submit the required data for the database. Some general aspects that should be
included in the surveys are personal characteristics of the tourists, purpose of the trip,
feedback on the accommodation services and expenditures, and tourism products and
activities.
Developing a safe and adequate service and physical infrastructure. Something as
simple as ensuring running water all day is a challenge. Compared with the rest of the
country, Kora is the only city in Albania with all-day running water, giving it a
significant advantage over the rest of the country. Yet, the same thing cannot be said for
the other cities and villages in Kora County. Another important aspect of the service
infrastructure is Internet and telecommunication. We live in the era of Internet and
technology; therefore, we should be ready to provide tourists with the facilities they use
in their everyday life. Public transportation is also an important feature in the tourism
industry. All the main cities of the County have decent public transportation, but the
suburban and rural areas often provide only informal transportation. The main difficulties
68

that the tourists encounter are finding the station where they can pick up the bus, taxi, or
minivan (furgon) to the suburban areas, and the ticket price which are not standardized.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports (MTCYS) in close cooperation with
the local government, should work on providing a better transportation system.
The central government and the local ones are now doing a decent job improving the
conditions of the main roads. Work to be done involves the installation of traffic lights
and of welcoming signs at the tourist sites. The highways that exist in Kora County,
however, are still below European Union (EU) standards. Considering that the County
plays a strategic role, with its geographical position near the Greek and Macedonians
frontiers, the government needs to increase the level of safety and accessibility. The
construction of an airport will make the County a more easily accessible place as well as
a stopping point for many travelers. This is not only a convenient solution for
international tourists but it will prolong their staying as well.
Preparing a highly qualified human resource department to provide good service.
One of the key ingredients in any tourism development plan is the people operating in the
tourism industry. Right now Albania has an acute shortage of qualified staff in almost all
the tourist services. To solve this problem, businesses should attract and keep talented
managers and employees, motivate the workforce, and train them. Very important for
building and sustaining labor quality will be frequent seminars that will keep workers
updated with the new trends in the tourism market. These tourism seminars will also
improve the skills, knowledge, and experience of the workforce. Relevant topics could be
marketing, budgeting, and improving customer service. I suggest the use of surveys to
measure customer satisfaction and at the same time rate the quality of products and
69

services, and human resource performance as well. The local government has to work
with local businesses and the tourism operators. In the case of newly formed tourism
businesses, local government should assist them in creating contacts and orienting them
toward the right links.
Little is done currently in regard to people with disabilities. For this reason special
tourism projects should be developed to help this population and involve it in different
travel activities. This should not only apply to the tourists but also to the tourism staff.
I also suggest a certification system or test that will help select the best-qualified
labor force. Quality of service is highly dependent on the level of education of the work
force. The MTCYS should collaborate with the Ministry of Education and check the
curriculum of any professional high school or state or private university specializing in
tourism. The following table presents the number of students that graduated with a
tourism degree in the state universities in Albania during 2008. The low number says
something about the poor quality in the human resources involved in the tourism
industry.
Table 4
Students Graduated in Albania in Tourism Major related 2008
Shkodra University

Tourism
0

Tourism
Marketing
0

Kora University

Vlora University

Tourism
0

Tourism
89

Note. The data are retrieved from the Albanian Statistics Institute website (n. d.).

Yet the Civil Society Development Center (CSDC) Bulletin claims that during 2008
there were 147 students enrolled in Tourism and normally 20 of them graduate annually.

70

Although there is a contradiction between the two sources, the general picture is the
same, low number of students that graduate with a tourism degree (CSDC, 2009).
Improving the tourism product and its components, including transportation
services, accommodations, and entertainment venues. When creating tourism products we
should keep in mind the tourists profile. (Refer to Appendix III).In addition there is a
need to organize activities to exchange the services among individuals, groups, or
institutions. In this way all the involved subjects can get to know each others products. A
good way to achieve high quality in the tourism products will be by increasing the
competitiveness among the actors in the tourism market and diversifying tourism
products and their types by extending the season throughout the year. Innovation
should be the motto under which any tourism business has to operate. More concretely,
Kora County should standardize the star classification system in accommodations,
which in most cases now is misleading. There is also a need to produce a wide range of
souvenirs and to reorganize the store locations, since they are distributed in a confusing
manner even for the local people, and shops do not have settled business hours.
Agricultural and craft items should be produced since they are important part of our local
culture and heritage.
Rehabilitation of damaged areas and introduction of measures to prevent further
erosion and degradation of environmental resources. There need to be fiscal and other
control measures to direct private investments towards environmentally conscious
investments and to prevent environmental degradation by imposing fines on polluters.
Simultaneously there need to be incentives for those companies and institutions that not
only invest in tourism but also protect the environment. Solutions in regard

71

toenvironmental problems should start in the regions where tourism activity gets denser.
The government needs to introduce laws that require conservation and the economical
and ecological uses of the natural resources that avoid exceeding carrying capacities.
Other action can be reduction in the use of energy and natural resources, consuming
minimal fuel, and decreasing deforestation. Focus on environmental friendly and natureoriented tourism, such as eco-tourism, will also help.
Developing a marketing and promotion strategy with year-round promotional
campaigns that will serve as an image creator and will be used in the local and
international market. This strategy should be focused not only on the domestic arena but
also on the international one. It is very important to raise awareness among the public and
private sector, and non-governmental organizations as well. The more we extend the net
of actors in this process the more results we are bound to get. For a feasible marketing
and promotional strategy we should make use of the data gathered by the capacity study
on possible markets, and their characteristics and expectations. Local institutions should
not only cooperate with the government but also with the private sector and make an
efficient use of new technologies to increase the chances of reaching the customers
worldwide. We should be very careful to not just develop a mass promotion but a
sustainable one as well. As part of the promotional activities we can use movie
production as an instrument, as in the case of The International Human Rights Film
Festival in Albania (IHRFFA) in Tirana, which educates people with the human rights
concepts. The local government should cooperate with the Academy of Film &
Multimedia Marubi or other professional agencies to produce promotional movies with
touristic purposes.

72

Another need is an Information Tourist Service Center, which will not only reflect the
image of the County but will also assist tourist in their needs. Last but not least is the
publication of guides, brochures, and pamphlets to be distributed in a wide market, not
only locally.
Kora County is rich with tourist sites, but not all of them should be open to the
tourists since the County lacks the resources to maintain all of them. The priority sites are
the following.
Erseka Saint Koli church (Rehova);
Kora and Devoll Voskopoja bridge, Saint Thanas church, Saint Mehilli church,
Saint Koli church, Saint Mary church, Saint Delliu church, (Voskopoja); Saint Jovani
church, Saint Mitri church (Boboshtica):Saint Ristozi church (Mborje);Zoto bridge, Saint
Pjete monastery and Saint Kozma church, Saint Prodhom, Saint Mitri church, Saint
Mhilli church, (Vithkuq);Saint Gjergji church (Dardha);IliazBeyMirahori mosque,
Elbasaniinn, Manastiriinn, Old Bazaar, Saint Mary cathedral, Vangjush Mihos studio,
Historic Museum, National Education Museum, Themistokli Germenjis house, Mihal
Gramenos house, National Warrior Monument (Kora);
Pogradec Pogradec Castle; Gradishta (Selca e poshtme); Golik bridge; Saint
Marena monastery; Lins mosaic, Byzantine church remains; Maro Mokras house.
To be considered a priority tourist site a place or monument should meet several
criteria. From the 116 cultural monuments presented by the MTCYS, I retain just the
above to be open for the public because all of them are significant sites and are worth
visiting, and as a whole the list will appeal to a variety of tourism types. People interested
in cultural and historical tourism will gravitate to the selected cultural monuments. For
73

those who prefer the rural tourism, ecotourism or adventure tourism, Rehova (Erseka),
Voskopoja, Dardha, Boboshtica (Kora) and Lin, Gradishta, Marena (Pogradec) are a
great way to enjoy in-depth the traditional life style of the rural community. Tourists will
be delighted not only by the friendly hosts but also by the breathtaking nature and
delicious food. Although Kora County is a mountainous region, it still can offer the sun
and sea tourism through Ohrid lake in Pogradec. A great advantage for these sites is their
infrastructure. All of them are easily accessed by the available transport in the area. Any
tourist will have no difficulties finding them due to the tourism signs positioned in visible
locations with information in Albanian and English. Another important factor that
influenced my choices is the fact that the communities near these sites are more
predisposed to accommodate the tourists and are more familiar with tourism industry.
Due to this, they offer a better service. It is not always professional, but without any
doubt it is hospitable because this is what Albanians are famous for. The rest of the
culture monuments that I did not include are worth visiting as well, but trying to get there
can be difficult and sometimes impossible or dangerous. The entire list of the cultural
monuments in the four respective districts can be found in Appendix II. With the right
tour guide information tourists will have the chance to explore these sites, which will
make them realize it was worth coming in Kora County. Currently people rely on
personal guides, but making these arrangements can be very difficult. For those who do
not have any Albanian acquaintances it is quite an impossible task to do so. For this
reason I urge the publication of more accurate tourist guides, maps and updated contact
information of the persons in charge of tourism in the county.

74

Raising awareness within the Kora County community about the socio-economic
importance of tourism development. This should involve creating community awareness
of the cultural and artistic values and the heritage of the region. It is important to spread
across the country the idea of traveling inside the country, in our case in the County of
Kora. Operators and businesses are crucial in the local tourism so we should bring them
together and encourage their partnership.
Encourage and support the use of local products as much as possible. The service
sector should be locally owned and visitors should be accommodated in bed and
breakfast establishments. The local manufacturers for more craft goods and other

products should be encouraged.

75

Summary and Conclusion

The interest in tourism is a result of its role as an income generator that increases
economic benefits throughout the country. In this way tourism can also be used as a way
to reduce poverty. Yet, successful tourism requires rigorous cooperation among the
government, private institutions, and individuals involved in this process. Taking into
consideration the experience of tourism markets like China, Turkey, Dubai, and Greece,
will help countries like Albania understand how the tourism industry evolves. In the case
of China we realize the importance of adapting situations that have been successful
elsewhere and incorporating new mentalities in the service workforce. Turkey is
attracting more and more tourists from outside the country, not only because it has the
potential but also because the institutions in charge of tourism and the government know
how to sell the tourism product, combining the right price with good quality. Dubai is
still living its moment of glory, although the financial crisis created by Dubai World has
had a bad impact not only on the United Arab Emirate and the workforce coming from
abroad, but also on the investors. On the other hand, Greece has always been one of the
top tourism destinations, but the way the government managed the country in these recent
years made Greece a good example of the saying all that glitters isnt gold. We cannot
ignore the lessons of these cases if we want to build a strong future for tourism
development in Albania.

In addition to focusing on the future we should also consider the past and how it is
affecting current events. In General Consideration on Tourism in Albania I examine the
rich literature from various authors that depict the economical and historical development

76

of Albania in terms of tourism. Hall is one of the authors whose works were focused in
the Central Eastern Europe and Albania, focusing on the late Communism period and the
transitional to democracy. He argues that rural diversification is one of the main ways to
reach sustainable tourism.

Important parts of the paper include information governmental reports and

publications. They not only provided data but also helped me understand what needs to
be done, like reorganizing the system, training the human resource, and developing a
more Western approach rather than the Albanian Ska problem attitude.

The focus of this study is Kora County. Historically this county has played an
important role in the economical development of the country. It has the right potential to
offer cultural, rural, natural (ecotourism and adventure), curative, sun and sea and
business tourism. Regardless of its rich potential and numerous attractions, however,
Kora County is not yet ready to develop a sustainable tourism industry. After careful
consideration of the literature, survey data, and personal experience, I present the
following suggestions as important actions that will help the development of tourism:
Overcoming the negative image that Albania has in the international community;
Boosting horizontal and vertical cooperation among government levels;
Undertaking a capacity study and elaborating an international standardized system

to gather tourism statistical data;

Developing a safe and adequate service and physical infrastructure;
Preparing a highly qualified human resource department to provide good service;
Improving the tourism product;
77

 Introducing regulatory measures to prevent further erosion and degradation of the

environmental resources;
Developing a marketing and promotion strategy with year-round promotional

campaigns that will serve as an image creator and will be used in the local and
international market;
Prioritizing tourism sites and deciding which should be used for tourism purpose,

in order to develop a more manageable structure for investment, maintenance, and

promotion. In this way the investments will be easily allocated. On the other hand
the tourism activity will be easily organized and controlled. This will also prevent
environment degradation;
Raising awareness within the Kora County community of the social and

economic importance of tourism development;

Encouraging and supporting the use of local products.
If we understand the problems and circumstances, we can take steps to overcome
them. In order to succeed, the government, businesses, and interested organizations need
to be united and collaborate in building strategies to develop, keep up the tourism
product, and raise tourism awareness within the community.
The government is the main actor in the development of tourism, and it needs to take
a series of concrete actions. Among these are: the creation of an institution to monitor
and guarantee transparency in the implementation of any tourism-related issues and
harmonize prices with the service quality; the development of a safe and adequate
transportation infrastructure, equipped with simplified and standardized tourist
signs.While developing urban plans both the federal and the local government need to
78

consider the economic, sociocultural and environmental analyses in order to protect and
conserve the natural and cultural sites from further environmental degradation, and to put
stress on culture, heritage, and eco-tourism. Other actions that require joint federal-local
governmental action are the betterment of the medical services, public safety, fire
protection, and telecommunication and Internet service.
The highest priority of the government should be to solve the problems and
contingencies created due to the land legalization law. As in the case of Club Med,
there are other foreign investors that have been driven away feeling unsafe in investing
their money in Albania. To this end, the government has already taken some steps to
make Albania more attractive for investors. The Albania Real Estate Market Report 2009
(Biba, et al., 2009) presents a list of reasons why one should consider investing in
Albania, such as (pg. 2):
Free trade agreements with EU member countries;
Reduction in health and social contribution from 20% to 15%;
Foreign companies being allowed 100% ownership in Albania;
A national registration center already in place making possible shorting the time
needed for registration of new businesses;
Simplification of licensing procedures;
A reputation for being second in the world for protecting investors needs.
The report reveals that the holiday homebuyers are looking into Albania, not only
for its favorable location, yet also for its great tourism and investment opportunities (pg.
79

3). In addition, the government has developed policies to ease the foreign investors
experience such as no purchasing restrictions or company set-up requirements, along
with no purchasing taxes. Based on the same report, Kora has already 10% more
Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) than the rest of the country.
Supported by international economic-assistance organizations, the government should
also train professional people to provide adequate service. Organizations such as GTZ
and Netherlands Development Organization 13 (SNV)often offer training programs and
advice on tourism product development. Both organizations assist local governments and
businesses to plan for successful tourism in the long-term from cost-effective to
environmental reactions. They also help individual tourism operators, associations and
educational institutions to effectively meet their goals.
A very important step will be the elaboration of an international standardized system
to gather touristic statistical data. For a better understanding of the tourism industry and
planning we need feedback from the visitors in regard to the accommodation and travel
service. To anticipate tourist behaviors and preferences we should make use of a tourist
survey. In this way we will be more aware of what they need and where we should focus
our planning, and in this way building a strategy will be easier and effective (Refer to the
Appendix III for examples of the kinds that should be used.)
The key ingredient in almost all successful tourist sites is originality. Kora County
has the right potential to offer a unique experience to tourists. One way to do so is
through local products. If the service sector is locally owned and the local manufacturers

13
Netherlands Development organization (SNV) is a non-profit, international development
organisation, established in the Netherlands in 1965 (Netherlands, 2009).
80

produce more craft goods and other products, tourists will be exposed to a more
traditional and authentic local culture.
We have a lot of work ahead of us. I have attempted to offer suggestions and
solutions based on international standards so we will have a greater chance to penetrate
the international tourism market. This plan will be presented to interested investors in
Kora County. The only way for this plan to come true will be if it has enough funding.
My primary intention will be to create contacts with the local government and through
them, to get familiar with the best way to carry on this plan and get the desired results.
In summary, there is a need for better planning to secure accommodation,
infrastructure, and adequate tourism services. It is necessary, therefore, to increase the
accommodations in the County with affordable prices. We should improve the standards
of services based oninternational standards. Transportation should be improved and the
roads that link the County withother national and international locations should be
upgraded and given scenery surroundings. Successful tourism development involves
conserving an unspoiled landscape and preserving distinctive lifestyles and cultural
products. Tourism development cannot be achieved in a short period of time. It requires a
well-planned strategy, better cooperation between the Albanian political forces, and more
support by international actors. Despite the many political and economic problems,
progress in the development of tourism will bring progress in other areas as well.

81

Appendix I
The interview and the survey protocols

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The interview and the survey protocols are designed to assess tourism performance in
Kora County and create the basis for a future development plan.
Interview Questions
1. Can you provide me with a short description of the tourism situation in Kora
district?
2. What is the level of involvement of your organization in tourism development?
3. Which are the main problems in regard to tourism in Kora district?
4. What is the impact of tourism on regional economic development, employment
and land use planning?
5. What is the tourism revenue in Kora district?
6. Do you think that Kora district can afford mass tourism?
7. What policy tools must be implemented to maximize tourism development?
8. What is the role of the central tourism administration in the development of
tourism at regional levels?
9. Should tourism be promoted outside established administrative channels?
10. What are long and short term plans of the municipality in relation to tourism
development?
11. What are the activities of Tour operators?
12. What are the effects of the hotels standards and service in the tourism
development of Kora district?
13. What made you chose Albania, and more specifically Tirana, in opening your
university?

83

14. Compared with the European case, what is your opinion in respect to Albanian
tourism?
15. What is your tourism vision for Kora district?

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Kora District Tourism Development Plan Survey

1. Information about you:
Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy) ________________________
Gender:
Female
Male
Nationality ______________________
Country of residency ___________________
Current Occupation ____________________
Education level:
High School
College Graduate
Post College Graduate
2. How do you evaluate business investments in the field of tourism in Kora
district:
Very Poor
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
I do not know

3. What do you think about tourism services quality that the district has to offer?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

4. How would you evaluate them?

Very Poor
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
I do not know

85

5. What do you think are the priorities to improve investment in tourism:

Law of land legalization
Social Infrastructure (for instance trained professional people, etc.)
Physical Infrastructure (such as roads, hotels, etc.)
Management (how well are tourists sites managed)
Service quality (such as quality of hotels, etc)
Community Cooperation with Tourism Industry
Public Order (such as medical service, fire protection, etc.)
Prices
Tourists Information Centers
Others (specify please): ___________________________________________
I do not know
6. How are Kora districts tourism packages promoted?
Very Poorly
Poorly
Fairly
Well
Excellently
I do not know
7. What do you think is the best way to convey information for tourism:
Media (such as local newspapers, governmental publicity, etc.)
Friends
Internet
Other (please specify): ____________________________________________
8. Which media is most important?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
9. What is your opinion in regard to the tourism services prices in Kora district?
Low Prices
Reasonable Prices
High Prices
10. Are prices in the tourism industry harmonized with the quality of service?
Usually
Not Usually
I do not know
86

11. Is there professionalism in tourist services?

Usually
Not Usually
I do not know
12. What do you think local government can do to improve tourism in the district?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
13. What would you change in regard to business investments in tourism?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
14. Please share your additional comments.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to fill out the survey. We rely on your feedback to help us
improve tourism services. Your input is greatly appreciated.

87

AppendixII
Cultural Monuments in Kora County, Tourism Resources, and the
Annual Events Calendar

88

The first two tables include the cultural heritage sites in Kora County and the tourist
resources that this county has to offer. The third table is a collection of all the annual
events that take place in the county, which would stimulatetourism activity if they are
properly promoted.
Culture Monuments in Kora County
Culture Monument
Gradishta Castle
Gradec Castle
Gradec Castle
Nina Rock Castle
The Tumulus East of Erseka
Postenan Bridge
Orgocka Bridge
Radova Little Bridge
Saint Mary Church
Saint Mhillit Church
Saint Mary Church
Saint Mary Church
Saint Kolli Church
Jani Vertos Guests Inn
Baba Braho Masjid
Hasan Zyko Kamberi Tomb
Mborja Castle
Kolca Castle
Koa Castle
Symiz Castle
Trajan Castle
Bilisht Castle
Bellovoda Castle
Menkulas Castle
Podgori Castle
Zvezda Castle
Dishnica Castle
Ku i Zi Castle
Gobesh Castle
Gradishta Castle
Gradishta Castle
Prehistoric Settlement
Prehistoric Settlement
Prehistoric Settlement
Ventrok Castles Wall

Location
Barmash
Bejkova
Vrpok
Luaras
Erseka
Leskovik
Orgocka
Leskovik
Lashova
Shala
Barmash
Crcka
Rehova
Postenan
Qesaraka
Starje
Mborja
Kolca
Koa
Symiz
Trajan
Bilisht
Bellovoda
Menkulas
Podgori
Zvezda
Dishnica
Ku i Zi
Moglica
Shuec
Zerca
Vashtmi
Maliq
Bar
Tren
89

Polena Mosaic
Wolf Cave
Spile Prehistoric Drawings
Turan Tower
Shulin Tower
Gorica Tower
Dishnica Tower
Gopesh Bridge
Voskopoja Bridge
Moglica Bridge
Zoto Bridge
Saint Pjetr Monastery and Saint Kozma Church
Saint Prodhom
Saint Mary Church
Saint Thanas Church
Saint Mhilli Church
Saint Kolli Church
Saint Mary Church
Saint Jovani Church
Saint Mitri Church
Saint Ristozi Church
Saint Gjergji Church
Saint Triadha Church
Saint Mitri Church
Saint Mary Church
Saint Mhilli Church
Saint Gjergji Church
Saint Mary Church
Saint Mary Church
Saint Dlliu Church
Iliaz Bej Mirahori Mosque
Elbasan Inn
Manastir Inn
Old Bazaar
Elpiqini Nies House
Vask Xengos House
Plokseni Theoharis House
Xhafer Ypis House
Aleksandra Avramis House
Sokrat Mias House
Evanthi Dvoranis House
Vangjel Budos House
Anastasi Dhimitris House
Vask Kotes House
Frashri Brothers House
Margarita Gramenos House
Ngjelina Anastasis House

Polena
Tren
Shuec
Turan
Shulin
Gorica
Dishnica
Gopesh
Voskopoja
Moglica
Vithkuq
Vithkuq
Vithkuq
Lubonja
Voskopoja
Voskopoja
Voskopoja
Voskopoja
Boboshtica
Boboshtica
Mborje
Shipcka
Lavdar
Bezmisht
Vithkuq
Vithkuq
Dardhe
Bezmisht
Maligradis Cave
Voskopoja
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
90

Andromaqi Melkos House

Filip ekanis House
Afroviti Dushanis House
Ollga Mingas House
Marika Stratobrdas House
Ollga Xhamballos House
Sotir Mihalis House
Donika Melos House
Haki Spahos House
Zafir Backas House
Nazif Karametos House
Ilo Kuneshkos House
Ramadan Kantas House
Murat Jos House
Syrja Haxhillaris House
Qamil Beqirajs House
Dalan & Rushan Bashllaris House
Ramadan Kapllan Qoses House
Beqir Hibrahimis House
Idajet & Fuat Mirashis House
Halim & Ismail Xhaferis House
Fani Kotas House
Saint Mary Cathedral
Vangjush Mihos Studio
Old French Lyceum Building
Archaeological Museum
National Education Museum
Themistokli Grmenjis House
Mihal Gramenos House
Old School
First Females School
Manushe Sheris House
National Worrier Monument
Themistoki Grmenjis Monument
Pogradec Castle
Ballca Castle
Zema Castle
Gradishta
Gradishta
Prehistoric Settlement
Jolla & Llngea Bridge
Gollik Bridge
Ni Bridge
ezma Bridge
Zgalla Bridge
Servatina Bridge
Terziu Bridge

Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Koisht
Sul
Sul
Miras
Boboshtica
Xerje
Xerje
Gjonbabas
Gopesht
Zvarisht
Qeska
Strela
Strela
Popisht
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Kora
Panarit
Kora
Kora
Kora
Pogradec
Ballca
Zema
Selca e Poshtme
Sallabinja
Zagradia
Jolla & Llngea
Gollik
Ni
ezma
Zgalla
Servatina
Proptisht
91

Citys Rocks
Mokras Cave
Saint Marena Monastery
Llnga
Lins Mosaic
Lin
Byzantine Church Remains
Lin
Maro Mokras House
Podgozhan
Tushemishts Mosaic
Tushemisht
Trens Mosaic
Tren
Note. The contents of the above Tables are taken from
Constitution of the Republic of Albania (Republika, 2003).

92

Kora County Tourism Resources

Attraction
Sites

Water
Resource
s

Nr. Tourism Resource

Gold Spring
1
Old Lady Spring
Izvori
Saint Gjergji
Drenova National Park
2
Mountain Chains of Morava, Bozdovec, Goats Stone (Guri i
Cjapit), and ardhaku.
Cold Water
National Prespa Park
Saint Mary Church
Thermal Sources with Curative Value (Sulphurous Gases)
3

Tourism
Sites

Flora and Fauna

Monuments

Hydro
monu

Geo-monuments

Big Rrapi Tree (300 years old)

The Hollms Treasure
Ballabanos Foerst
Glacial Lake of Gramoz
Sotira Spring
Rodokali Rrapi Tree
Upper Selca Rrapi Tree
Saint Marena Blackberry
Tushemish Sakllm
Leshnica Oak
Bishnica Cold Spring and Cave
Guri i Topit Lake
Cypress
The Rock of Wealth
Stoned Stack
The Groom and the Bride Rock
Memelesh Cave

Rodokal Cave
Baribardh Cave
Saint Marena Cave
Najazma Cave
Qaf Thana Cave
Selca Canyon
Razhani Rock
Long Rock
Kozici Mountain
Driloni Springs
Lukovas Lakes
Lenies Lakes

Location
Voskopoja
Bozdovec
Bozdovec

District

Kora
Drenova

Bellovoda
Prespa
Liqenas
Vromeri
Sarandopori
Postenam
Grmenj
Leskovik
Ballabano

Vithkuq
Kora
Liqenas

Kolonja

Tushemisht
Bishnica

Pogradec

Trebinja
Senishta

Kora

Tushemisht

Pogradec

Pogradec
Kora
93

Homezh Fall
Nika Rock Spring
Tren Cave
Tren Mummy Rocks
Saint Thanas Forest
Dobragora Forest
Vishja Fir
Pihiri Poplar
Bear Stone
Progri Springs
Note. The table is taken from the Tourism Resources in the Albanian Districts published in the
MTCYS website (Ministria, 2009).

94

Pogradec
Devolli

Kora

Annual Events in Kora County

Month
January
March
April

May

June

July

August

September
October
November

December

Date
7th- 9th, 14th
17th-25th
7th
8th
16th-20th
13th-18th
22nd
1st
13th-14th-15th
17th
21st
30th
1st
5th
6th
15th-19th
20th
21st
24th
25th-July 6th
29th
29th
30th
n.d.
n.d.
June-July
1st
6th
10th
n. d.
2nd-10th
13th-16th
16th
n. d.
22nd-29th
29th
11th
25th-28th
28th-29th
6th
20th
30th

Event
Christmas and New Year
European Animation Show Xinxifilo
Teachers Day
International Womens Day
Youth Show
Pottery Fair
Earth Day
May Day, International Labor Day
Sotir International Photography Contest
Serenades Voices
Saint Constantine
Protagonist Show
Childrens Day
For a Cleaner Kora
The Carnival
Cinema Week
The opening of touristic season
Ohrid Lake Day
Saint Prodhomi
Park Sculpture Symposium
Saint Peter Fair
Saint Peter Fest
Saint Ristozi
Poetry Nights
Book Fair
Live Music Week
Satrivai
Borova Martyrs Honor Day
Saint Nicholas, Vithkuq Fraternity Assocation
Lakror Fest
Cultural Summer Week
Beer Fest
Saint Marie Celebration
Folk Music and Popular instruments Festival
Culture Week
Cultural Heritage Day
Folk Fest
International Painters Colony, Mios Day.
Liberation and Independence Day
Wine Day
Saint Nicolas Day
National Painters Competition
Santas Parade
Years End Fair
95

Place
Prespa
Pogradec
National
Kora
National
Kora

Kora

Pogradec
Voskopoja
Kora
Vithkuq
Erseka
Mborja
Kora/Pogradec
Kora
Erseka/Borova
Vithkuq
Kora
Prespa
Kora
Dardha
Kora
Prespe
Kora
National
Prespa/Pogradec
Erseka
Kora

Appendix III
Surveys

96

To anticipate tourist behaviors and preferences we should make use of the following
surveys. In this way we will be more aware of what tourists need and where we should
focus our planning, and in this way building a strategy will be easier and effective.

Hotel Accommodation Survey

We hope you enjoyed your stay with us! To help us better serve you, please complete this
survey and return it to the reception desk at your convenience. Thank you!
Statement

Strongly
Agree

My overall experience here was good, and I would

recommend this hotel to my friends.
Check in
My reservation record was accurate.
The check-in process was timely and efficient.
The check-in staff was courteous.
Guest Room
My room was clean and comfortable.
My room was furnished appropriately.
My bed and bedding were comfortable.
Guest Staff
The guest staff was prompt, reliable, and friendly.
The guest staff was knowledgeable and fully
answered my questions about the area.
Security was available if needed.
Housekeeping staff was friendly and reliable.
Management was available to solve problems.
Food and Dining
The food and dining staff was courteous.
The food quality was good.
Room service was timely and efficient.
Room service delivered the correct food order.
Amenities

97

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Hotel amenities (pool, hot tub, exercise room) were

clean, attractive, and properly equipped.
Check out
The check-out process was timely and efficient.
I received a complete and accurate bill.
Additional Comments:

98

Tourists Survey
1. Information about you:
Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy) ________________________
Gender:
Male
Female
Country of citizenship/Nationality _____________________
Country of residency ___________________
Current Occupation ____________________
2. What was the purpose of your visit?
Vacation
Business
Visit Relatives
In Transit
Other (please specify)
_____________________________________________
3. How long did you stay in Kora?
_____________________________________________

4. How much money [in Lek (L), Euro (), USD ($)] were you willing to pay on:
-Accommodation
-Meals
-Transport
-Tour Guide
-Entertainment
-Shopping
-Other Spending
5. Have you ever before visited this part of Albania?
No

Yes

If you check Yes, give approximate time and

reason of your visit.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

99

6. How would you rate the service received during your stay?
Excellent Good
Fair
5

Poor
2

Very
Poor
1

Accommodation
Food
Touristic Sites (Historical buildings,
museums, etc.)
Shopping
7. What are the activities you did during your stay?
Visit Historical Buildings
Visit Museums
Visit Parks
Hiking/Climbing
Shopping
Take part in a Sport Activity
Visit the Traditional Villages
Take part in Celebrations/Events
8. What other activities would you have liked to do?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
9. Would you like to visit this place again?
No
Yes
Todays date (dd/mm/yyyy) __________________________

Thank you very much for your collaboration. Have a pleasant and safe staying.

100

Travel Services Survey

Travel Agency Name __________________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Phone (_____) _____________________
Fax(_____) _______________________
Web Site www._____________________
We hope you enjoyed your trip! To help us better serve you, please complete this.
Thank you!
Gender

Age

Female

16 24
45 54

Male

25 34
55 64

35 44
over 65

Nationality
Education
Profession
Strongly
Agree
Agency responded promptly.
Agent was courteous and professional.
Agent was knowledgeable about the travel
industry.
Agent explored several options and offered the
lowest fare according to my needs.
Agent explained ticketing and fare options
thoroughly.
Agent explained airfare rules and restrictions
thoroughly.
Agent recommended appropriate lodging.
Lodging reservations were accurate.
Agent recommended appropriate ground
transportation.
Ground transportation reservations were accurate.
Itinerary was accurate and was received
promptly.
My overall satisfaction with your service is high.
I would recommend you to my friends.
Additional comments:

101

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

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