21 local festivals, 21 tourist destinations to discover in Albania this Summer!  “Festa e Traditës” is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, supported by Swiss-funded project Risi Albania. It aims at revitalizing rural areas through the promotion of traditional and cultural values.

On June 9th 2018, the PAN Festival, a full day event, brought together local farmers, inhabitants from upper Kurvelesh region, local government representatives and tourists in the village of Nivica, Tepelena Municipality.

Participants enjoyed the photo and traditional costumes exhibit in the village center, and participated in guided tours of the most beautiful attractions of the area, including the castle and the Nivica canyons. They also tasted local food products and cuisine during the fair, enjoyed iso-polyphony singing and participated at the “best goat” contest that was dedicated to PAN, the god of shepherds in Greek mythology.

The Mayor of Tepelena, Mr. Termet Peçi, said that the activity, which was organised with the support of the Albanian National Coastline Agency, will be included henceforth in Tepelena’ s annual calendar of tourist events.

“Creating jobs is the mission of the Risi project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and implemented by Helvetas. In remote regions and in the agriculture and agritourism sectors, this is a challenging mission”, said Stefan Joss, Risi project director in his brief remarks. “Risi Albania is supporting the initiative of the two Ministries since they follow a long term objective and an economic aim, bringing finally a benefit to all: farmers, food processors, and guest house owners.”

The festival was a good opportunity, not only for promoting the beautiful resources of the area but for local farmers and guesthouse owners to generate income. Villages where the festivals will take place are also part of “100 Villages” initiative launched by the government of Albania.