Korçë, April 17, 2025

Helvetas, in collaboration with Partners Albania and the Korçë County Council, organized a roundtable to discuss strengthening strategic partnerships in tourism and creating sustainable regional structures, such as Destination Management Organizations (DMOs).

Ms. Edlira Muedini, Helvetas Manager for Albania, emphasized the importance of developing year-round and sustainable tourism that generates tangible benefits for local communities and increases the impact of local businesses on the region's economic development. Discussions focused particularly on empowering the private sector, with active participation from tour operators, accommodation providers, local producers, travel agencies, and the University of Korçë – Faculty of Economics, Department of Marketing and Tourism. The challenges and opportunities for increasing inter-institutional and inter-sectoral cooperation were highlighted, as well as the need to strengthen coordinating mechanisms like DMOs, which will support the development of tourism products, joint marketing, and service quality improvement.

Ms. Suela Tahiraj, an expert in sustainable tourism, shared international practices on the role and functions of DMOs, the "Green Destinations" approach, and the importance of a balanced approach between the environment, culture, and economic development in tourism. Additionally, Ms. Kristina Fidhi, Chair of the Visit Gjirokastra Board, shared experiences and lessons learned from this regional partnership, offering concrete examples of public-private cooperation and the functioning of a successful DMO structure.

Focusing on inter-sectoral cooperation, Mr. Erjon Nexhipi, Chairman of the Korçë County Council, emphasized that tourism is a shared responsibility and called for closer and more structured cooperation between municipalities and the private sector, aiming to increase the competitiveness of the tourism offer and create a coordinated approach to regional development. Representatives from the municipalities of Korçë, Pustec, Kolonjë, Devoll, and Pogradec, along with local business representatives, expressed their readiness to advance the construction of a functional regional partnership that promotes authentic and sustainable tourism, as well as the preservation of cultural heritage and natural resources.

This roundtable marked a concrete step towards further strengthening sustainable cooperation between public institutions, the private sector, and the academic world, in the function of more sustainable, inclusive, and competitive tourism development in Korçë County.