Cultural Tourism on the Rise in Albania

TIRANA, October 5

Cultural and heritage tourism plays an important role in the development of tourism industry in Albania. According to official data, the number of visitors to monuments of culture, castles, museums, archeological parks, and other sites in 2016 increased by 17.5 percent compared to 2015. Meanwhile, the data for 2017 will be available by the end of the year.
Three out of the five sites inscribed in UNESCO heritage in Albania, Butrint, Berat, and Gjirokastra, are cultural sites. Meanwhile, authorities are working on inscribing the Albanian part of Ohrid Lake in UNESCO World Heritage sites.

“The Albanian part of Ohrid Lake is expected to be part of UNESCO World Heritage in 2019. This was confirmed at the conclusion of the Sixth Transboundary Platform Meeting for the safeguarding of the Lake Ohrid Region that was held in the city of Pogradec on September 14-25.”

The Macedonian part of the lake is inscribed in the World Heritage as a natural and cultural site. Ohrid Lake is one among the 27 mixed sites, both natural and cultural.

Moreover, Gashi River and Rrajca were inscribed to UNESCO Natural Heritage during this Year.

“Lumi i Gashit (Gashi River) and Rrajca are now part of the WORLD Heritage Property ‘Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany’. The World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow voted in favor to the extension of the Beech Forests.”
Income generated from cultural tourism in 2016 increased by 19 percent.
Albania is doing major efforts in order to manage cultural heritage sites for encouraging sustainable economic development by promoting new destinations, encouraging tourism products from local communities, and by implementing several projects that contribute to poverty reduction and more employment

News Source: ATA