TIRANA, MARCH 25, 2010 Last week, USAID’s Competitive Enterprise Development program, in partnership with the National Tourism Agency and the Albanian Tourism Association, participated in the world’s leading travel trade fair ITB Berlin 2010 held in Germany.  There, USAID announced the launch of a Familiarization Tours program (FAM Tours 2010) for foreign tour operators interested in selling Albania as a travel destination. 

A key goal of USAID support to the tourism sector is to increase the number of incoming visitors that will result in increased employment and sales revenue for Albania’s small and medium enterprises. More than 30 tour operators participated in business-to-business (B2B) meetings with Albanian exhibitors. 

ITB Berlin 2010 attracted over 11,000 exhibitors from 187 countries and showcased the latest products and services on offer from the international travel industry.  Organizers reported 179,351 attendees, of which 110,953 were trade visitors; it was also covered by over 7,200 journalists from 89 countries (http://www.itb-berlin.com/). Two thirds of the trade fair visitors occupied senior management positions, highlighting ITB as the most appropriate venue for engaging future business partners in tourism and a site for participating in successful B2B meetings. An estimated six billion Euros in new orders were reportedly signed over the five days.

Rritje Albania, USAID’s Competitive Enterprise Development project, advances sustained, broad-based economic growth in Albania by expanding trade and investment, increasing enterprise productivity, and improving Albania’s workforce. The project assists non-agricultural enterprises to become more competitive, increase sales, and create additional jobs by enabling Albanian private enterprises to expand their businesses. Currently the project targets enterprises from five industries: tourism, textiles/garments, footwear, recycling, and information and communications technology.

In its second year of implementation, Rritje Albania will organize and sponsor tourism B2B meetings and FAM Tours for foreign tour operators and cooperate with the Albanian Tourism Association and its main donor organization, GTZ, to implement the Authentic Albania Quality Mark standards program for accommodation facilities.

Sustainable Growth for Albanian Tourism [PDF, 1MB]

For more information on USAID/Albania’s initiatives in tourism, please contact Ms. Nevila Popa (npopa@rritjealbania.com) or Mr. Victor Luboyeski (vluboyeski@rritjealbania.com).