The municipality of Vau i Dejës, in partnership with the Centre for Competitiveness Promotion (CCP), recently launched the project called “Vau i Dejes as tourism destination” with funding from the European Union. The launch event was organised on 19th January 2023 at the premises of Gardenland Hotel in Barbullush, of the Administrative Unit of Bushat, with the participation of a variety of stakeholders, including representatives from the Delegation of the European Union, local business owners, actors promoting tourism, aspiring workers in the tourism sector, accommodation and tourist service managers, representatives from the Labour Office and Vocational Education Centre, NGOs, travel agencies, and more.
During the opening speech, the Mayor of the Municipality, Mr. Mark Babani, stressed that besides the development of agriculture, tourism is a main sector in the focus of development, especially in the area around the lake. The Mayor emphasized the importance of the project for their Municipality that, with the help of the community, will work to transform Vau i Dejës into an attractive tourism destination through the development of tourist information, training, and promotion as a sustainable model to increase the number of tourists, create new businesses and improve the quality of life for residents.
The Head of Cooperation for the European Union Delegation, Mr. Hubert Perr, highlighted the importance of building the capacities and skills of people involved in tourism. With the slogan “Europe is here,” the European Union will contribute to the social and economic development of Albania.
Presentation of Project Activities
At the end of the event, Ms. Alida Kondi, Executive Director of the CCP, presented the project’s components, objectives, activities, and expected results until the project’s completion in March 2025, and encouraged the participants to engage with the project as beneficiaries.