I have a deep affection for Albania and its neighboring regions. It’s also truly inspiring to witness such passion is shared, increasingly by others too.

The more visitors experience Albania, the more of them wish to come. It might be the seaside, the unspoiled mountain areas, the valley, the rivers or the nature it has it all. Then again looking at the development stages of these incredible resources they seem so disorganized and lacking a clear vision.

In cooperation with Hosmark Hotels, I had the pleasure at the end of 2019 to advice on a potential project: To pinpoint and incorporate boutique hotels as high-end tourism experience for Albania.

In essence, I have assisted many companies with the development and implementation of new market entry strategies. This was directly aligned with the objective of elevating the value proposition within the tourism industry. We aimed to carefully integrate a vetted existing entity into a robust network of high-end tourism service providers. Thus, we could enhance the overall offering and create a seamless experience for travelers.

Since 2005, I’ve been deeply involved in examining Albania’s tourism potential through my work with international institutions and projects. This engagement has involved extensive analysis and the development of proposals aimed at enhancing the sector. Our approach has been comprehensive, considering demographic trends, social changes, sustainability practices, and macroeconomic factors. Our benchmarking efforts have focused on internal, competitive, functional, and generic aspects.

I strongly believe that Albania should prioritize the development of high-end tourism as soon as possible, leveraging its unique attractions and creating a distinct niche in the market.

As Albania undergoes a transition phase, it copes with significant challenges, including the absence of a robust judicial system and the shift toward a new capitalist society. These hurdles, compounded by insufficient investment in knowledge transfer, Research and Development, and innovation, as well as low labor productivity, exemplify the adoption of short-term populist policies by the government. Consequently, the tourism sector has experienced rapid yet undiversified development.

There remains a promising opportunity to establish high-end tourism experiences in at least one location such as in northwest Albania, as well as in the west, and potentially two more in the very south and southeast regions. These areas possess the authentic beauty of Albania’s natural resources, yet despite thorough vetting and in-person visits to evaluate existing tourism service providers, this niche remains unaddressed.

A completed report and suggestions is available on request and approval by all parties.

Report produced in 2020.