With the participation of the Prime Minister Edi Rama, of the Minister of Economy Milva Ekonomi, of the Minister of Health Ilir Beqaj, of the local authority leaders, etc., the activity “Albania go your own way” was organized at the castle of Lëkurësi, Saranda for the tourist Albania 2016 and the measures undertaken by the government to welcome the progressively growing number of the tourists and visitors throughout the country.
Through the figures, the Minister of Economy Milva Ekonomi brought proofs about the year-after-year increased interest of the tourists and visitors to explore Albania. “With a great delight, we can say that we managed to have about 3 million 950 thousand tourists in 2015. We have increased the number of the tourists who come from the European countries by 12%. We have had an increase in the first four-month period of 2016 with about 14% of the number of the tourists, therefore the projections are very good for this year. As accepted even by the International Association of Tourism and Travellers, we intend to have a higher contribution of tourism in the GDP for this year, and we intend to provide 5500 new vacancies in tourism.”
Evaluating the health service as an important aspect of the tourist season, the Minister of Health stated that apart from the measures which have been undertaken by the Ministry during these 3 years, such as the process of disinsecting or the support with 24-hour tourist emergency – the number of the health centres to expand the support with health service will increase. “This year we will continue to support the 24-hour tourist emergency along the entire coastline. This year we have 25 health centres to expand the support, based on the request we had even in Kelmend, in Kala e Dodës and in Prespa. At least half a million more tourists are expected this year, which means, we will have 1500 tourists more very day in our country. From July 1st, we have a new approach of the ambulance float throughout the territory of the country, just to be closer with the tourist centres.”
The Prime Minister Rama underscored the maximal exploitation of the potentials these zones offer, such as the natural, historic and cultural potentials, to increase their attracting power.
The Prime Minister stated that with the investments made for the first time in tourist villages such as Himara, Qeparo, after having been ignored for several decades, and with the projects under development for the villages Vuno, Dhërmi i Sipërm, Jalë, etc. – the view they offer is completely transformed and the attraction for the tourists much bigger. “We have made considerable attempts to bring in this area, investments that have not come earlier. Investments which intend to help directly the municipalities themselves and to increase their capacities, to have a higher attraction power for the tourists. We have given to them opportunities they have not had earlier, including the municipality of Saranda, Delvina, the municipality of Gjirokastra and Tepelena, we have started even with Konispol and Finiq, as you might witness that Himara has been transformed considerably. Qeparo has too. We are progressing with the project of the important interventions in Vuno, Dhërmi i Sipërm, Jala and Dhërmi i Ri.”
As the Prime Minister appreciated the achievements having been made so far, he emphasized that there is a lot to be done still. The Prime Minister demanded the coordination of the work among the municipalities with each-other, and between them and the ministries of the lines to better reply to the increasing requests of the tourists, especially of the ones from Northern and Central Europe.
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This June, the tourist Himara, always preferred by the local and the foreign tourists offers a completely different view from the one of the last December, when the works stared for the construction of the new promenade nearby the sea, an already-finalized project, which increases the attractive values of Himara. Through an architectural intervention in the landscape and the urban furnishing, the existing promenade is substituted with the natural connecting line of the sea with the houses in the first line at the shore.
Referring to the objects of the first line, the new promenade resembles to a doorstep towards the sea with the length of over 350 metres, with elements 2.5 up to 5 wide, sloping and descending, which makes the access for everyone available, exploiting it for different activities, from the beach to concerts or other cultural events. The Prime Minister Rama inspected the completion of the works.
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The promenade at the sea shore in Qeparo is an important investment, which will increase the attraction significantly, not only for the foreign tourists but even for the permanent local holidaymakers, who, for the first time, find Qeparo completely changed from the infrastructural prospective. The promenade lays along the seaside with a length of 1200 metres. Its construction with a stone, characteristic for the area, is an innovation in the infrastructure.
Among other features, the works include the construction of supportive side walls, one wooden bridge and one cement bridge, decorative lighting, urban furnishing, by-the-sea systems and the construction of 10 fountains with the respective systems of water supply as well as three squares within the promenade with a surface of 1600 m2. Its construction has been favoured by the inhabitants of the area and by different tourist operators.
