SMALL-SCALE TOURISM YIELDS LARGE-SCALE BENEFITS

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TIRANA, Jan 23 2008 (IPS) - Innovative national leaders and forward-looking planners from around the world have proven that tourism that features authentic culture, nature, and experiences creates more opportunities in local communities than any other type of tourism, writes Gülden Türköz Cosslett, UN Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Albania. In this article, the author writes that at the village or town level, nature and culture-oriented tourism permits small-scale businesses to be successful tourism operators based on their own knowledge and experience, and with relatively low capital investment. Tourist spending is local, and tends to stay in the community, spread across a number of individuals in the community, and circulating in the local economy – the so-called \’\’economic multiplier effect\’\’. A study carried out in Costa Rica found that the positive economic impact of nature and culture tourism on a small community can be 5 to 10 times greater per dollar of tourist spending than for an all-inclusive mass tourism destination. Nature and culture tourism requires less public infrastructure and lower levels of private investment, per visitor.

Albania is a beautiful and fascinating country. It has a wide range of historic, cultural, and natural attractions that are of great interest to international tourists. The country is safe, and its people are welcoming. Most important, the country is still authentic: it remains largely unspoiled.

Innovative national leaders and forward-looking planners from around the world have proven that tourism that features authentic culture, nature, and experiences creates more opportunities in local communities than any other type of tourism. At the village or town level, nature and culture-oriented tourism permits small-scale businesses to be successful tourism operators based on their own knowledge and experience, and with relatively low capital investment. Tourist spending is local, and tends to stay in the community, spread across a number of individuals in the community, and circulating in the local economy. A study carried out in Costa Rica found that the positive economic impact of nature and culture tourism on a small community can be 5 to 10 times greater per dollar of tourist spending than for an all-inclusive mass tourism destination.

Nature and culture tourism requires less public infrastructure and lower levels of private investment, per visitor. And the price is determined by how good Albania is at providing these unique experiences to guests, whereas in mass sun & sand tourism, the price is set by how cheaply other high-volume destinations can sell their competing tourism products.

Last year, the World Economic Forum launched its first ever Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2007. This study is a detailed examination of the underlying factors that are likely to determine Albania’s ability to compete successfully in international markets. The country ranked 90 out of 124 countries from around the globe, ranking ahead of many countries with long-established and successful tourism sectors.

The ranking indicates that Albania has strong growth potential in tourism, and that its potential can be realised through concrete action by policy makers and the collective efforts of the private, civil, and governmental sector. However, it also points to very troubling weakness that could limit severely Albania’s competitiveness if not addressed in a coherent manner across many sectors and ministerial portfolios.

Reflecting long-established trends in the tourism industry, the top-ranking countries were noted for not only their beautiful attractions but also for their stringent environmental regulations which protect that beauty. This emphasis strongly validates the Albanian government’s decision to focus on nature and culture tourism across the country. Albania ranked 43rd in the world in its ”Natural, Cultural and Human Resources”. However, it ranked very low on environmental protection.

Perhaps the most positive result from this study shows that Albania is already very strong in areas that are difficult and require a long time to change, while most of its weaknesses are in areas that can be improved quickly with political will and concrete action.

The study confirms that Albania is a welcoming country. Travel restrictions are non-existent (tied for 1st), and the country ranked 4th in ”tourism openness”, a measure of citizen, government, and private sector openness to foreign visitors. The country ranked very high in human resource issues — 35th in the world.

A number of weaknesses are pointed out in the study, in particular property rights (116th), and infrastructure (particularly airport, roads, and Internet, all greater than 110th). These are well-known problems, understood to be long-term, which the country is addressing through increased efforts. These will improve over time with continued national efforts.

The country could improve its competitiveness (and its rankings) by addressing a number of issues that appear to be within direct control of policy-makers.

-Investment climate: rules regarding foreign ownership (113th) and direct investment (110th) are seen as obstacles. While the government is engaged in significant recent efforts, tourism investment has a number of complexities that require special attention.

-Natural resource management: The country’s weak system for solid waste management, control of deforestation and land use, coupled with its limited designation of protected areas (87th), and unstable (113th) and non-stringent (124th) regulatory system make this area the country’s ”Achilles Heel” for tourism and other critical economic sectors.

Overall Albania has ranked well in tourism competitiveness and has also made important strides in peace, stability, safety, infrastructure, and entrepreneurship. With a concerted effort by policy makers to make nature and culture the focus of its tourism investment and marketing, the country could create extraordinary development opportunities for its people, and be a recognised ”star” in international tourism for a very long time. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS)