Greece and Albania Explore Joint Ventures in Tourism

(From left): Albanian Tourism and Environment Minister Mirela Kumbaro; GNTO President Angela Gerekou; Ambassador of the Republic of Albania in Athens Luela Hajdaraga. Photo source: GNTO.

Greece and its neighbor Albania explored ways to work together for the mutual promotion of destinations and the increase in tourist flows between the two countries.

The news was announced after a meeting in Athens between Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) President Angela Gerekou and Albania’s Tourism and Environment Minister Mirela Kumbaro.

Kumbaro presented actions taken to redefine Albania’s contemporary tourism profile and tabled ideas and ways to team up with Greece for the common promotion of both countries.

Gerekou referred to the importance of preserving the identity of both Greece and Albania through a focus on culture and heritage tourism and by jointly organizing actions that will showcase the tourism offerings of both countries which will benefit both sides and boost diplomatic ties.

(From left): Albanian Tourism and Environment Minister Mirela Kumbaro; GNTO Secretary General Dimitris Fragakis. Photo source: GNTO.

Among others, referring to Albania as an up-and-coming destination, Gerekou said it was in a position to set from the start the terms and conditions of a sustainable model for tourism development.

Concluding Gerekou accepted Κumbaro’s invitation to visit Albania in the coming period for a familiarization trip.

Before the pandemic in 2019 and in 2018, Albania was among the top source markets for Northern Greece with Albanian travelers outnumbering all other nationalities in 2018 in three out of 13 Greek regions, namely those of Epirus, Western Greece and Western Macedonia.

Last year, Air Albania operated four weekly flights between Athens and Tirana.