Agrotourism in Albania attracts millions of visitors each year

The spectacular natural landscape of Vjosa National Park has become an ideal destination for explorers and adventure lovers. The Albanian people have preserved the Vjosa River, turning it into an agrotourism business area, exploiting the indigenous potential of this area.

Every year, the number of tourists coming to Albania increases significantly, from 4 million in 2016 to 8.4 million in October 2023. The boom in tourism to visit this land requires people to improve the quality of food and other related services.

Sustainable Food Systems in the Mediterranean (SFS-MED) Program

In 2022, with the support of the Government of Albania and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Sustainable Food Systems in the Mediterranean (SFS-MED) project was implemented with funding from the Government of Italy. 

The project aims to enhance training and dialogue to fill the gaps in local expertise and support them in improving their agrotourism skills.

With these efforts, Albania not only increases its tourist attraction but also ensures sustainable development for rural communities, creating a stable source of income and improving the quality of life for its people.

The SFS-MED program supports farmers, agritourism businesses, microfinance institutions, culinary schools, and individuals in the agritourism sector in forming a sustainable, mutually supportive network. 

The project encourages indigenous people to create cooperative agricultural production and trade networks. In addition, people are encouraged to practice sustainable agricultural methods such as saving water, limiting the use of pesticides, increasing the use of organic fertilizers, and using drip irrigation.

When coming to Albania, tourists can enjoy the fresh air and the typical dishes of the local people. One of the prominent destinations is Liles, a tourist base famous for its winemaking tradition. The traditional wine products called Gliko and Raki are fermented from fruits, carrying the special flavor of the southern Mediterranean region. Thanks to participating in the SFS-MED Training Program, Liles has built a traditional wine brand, introducing its products internationally.

Attracting young workers to participate in agrotourism

The World Bank estimates that Albania's urban manufacturing sector is 11 times larger than its rural sector, while the urban population is only 1.3 times larger than the rural population. 

Accordingly, Albania faces challenges due to a lack of infrastructure synchronization and shortage of young labor force in the agricultural sector. Many young people tend to leave their hometowns and farms to go to the city in search of higher income or work in other countries.

Meanwhile, elderly rural workers face difficulties accessing digital transformation and meeting increasingly high customer demands for services and food safety quality. Local people must meet important criteria for food safety certification and quality standards in the market.

Attracting young people to return to their hometowns to do agrotourism will be the solution to the problem of eliminating the gap between rural and urban areas. People in Albania hope that agrotourism will become a prosperous sector for this small country, a beautiful land hidden in the middle of Europe.