Albania launches international tourism academy with UNWTO support

Strengthening cooperation between Albania and Italy in the promotion of mutual tourism was the focus of a meeting between the Director General of the National Tourism Agency, Zana Çela, and the Italian Ambassador to Tirana, Marco Alberti.

The meeting was also attended by Letizia Fischione, Deputy Director of the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation (AICS), and Michele Picariello Signori, Director of the Italian Trade Institute (ICE), CE Report quotes ATA.

The discussion also centered on partnership with the neighboring state and the National Tourism Strategy 2030.

During the meeting, the Director General of the National Tourism Agency emphasized the importance of promoting Albanian destinations in the Italian market and the need for experience-sharing, including through the opening in Albania of the International Academy of Tourism and Hospitality, a joint initiative of the Albanian government and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Çela also highlighted the Albanian government’s vision to develop elite and sustainable tourism by 2030, through infrastructure improvements, reducing seasonality, and preserving cultural and natural heritage.

For his part, Ambassador Alberti stated that Albania is becoming increasingly attractive to Italian tourists, thanks not only to coastal tourism but also mountain, rural, agrotourism, and adventure tourism.

He stressed that the return of Italian tourists for vacations is a key indicator of growing confidence in Albania as a destination.

Ambassador Alberti also underlined the importance of the 2030 Tourism Strategy having a concrete impact on local territories and communities, while emphasizing the need to maintain a balance between service quality and costs.

From January to September 2025 alone, over 1 million visitors from Italy entered the country, placing Italy among the main incoming tourism markets for Albania.

At the conclusion of the meeting, a group photo was taken near the “Red Chair” in the courtyard of the Italian Embassy as a gesture of reflection and awareness against violence toward women.