Advocating for creating DMO's in Albania

A project by DMO ALBANIA, under the IdeAl project of Co-PLAN, Institute for Habitat Development, financed by European Union.

Duration of the project 15 December 2020- 15 December 2021

Sustainable tourism is not only about bringing more visitors to a destination. It also means managing growth responsibly, protecting local resources, involving communities, connecting businesses, and creating cooperation between the public and private sectors. This is where Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) play an important role. Their purpose is to bring different stakeholders together and help destinations develop, manage, and promote tourism in a more coordinated and sustainable way.

In Albania, the role of DMOs had already been recognized in national tourism policy. However, their development remained limited because there was no comprehensive legal and institutional framework to support their long-term operation. This situation led to the project “Advocating for Creating DMOs in Albania,” implemented by DMO Albania under the Ideal project of Co-PLAN, Institute for Habitat Development, and financed by the European Union. The project ran from 15 December 2020 to 15 December 2021. Its main goal was to raise awareness about the importance of DMOs and encourage policymakers to establish the legal and institutional conditions needed for effective destination management. The project built on DMO Albania’s own experience with initiatives such as Visit Tirana and Visit Gjirokastra. These projects demonstrated how destination marketing, cooperation between stakeholders, and a shared destination identity can contribute to stronger tourism development. One of the key lessons was that no destination can be developed by one organization or institution alone. Hotels, restaurants, tour operators, guides, cultural institutions, municipalities, local communities, and public authorities all influence the visitor experience. A DMO can provide a structure that helps these different actors work towards a common vision.

The first phase of the project focused on understanding existing DMO-related initiatives in Albania. Meetings were held with 10 international donors and development partners, creating an opportunity to exchange experiences and identify areas for greater coordination. The second phase moved closer to the destinations themselves. Regional consultations in Berat, Pogradec, and Sarandë brought together local tourism stakeholders to discuss the role of DMOs, the importance of cooperation, and some of the challenges facing destination management. Through workshops and consultations, more than 180 tourism businesses were introduced to the principles of DMOs and sustainable destination management. The discussions also highlighted that DMOs are about much more than marketing. They can support planning, coordination, product development, sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and stronger local cooperation. The project also opened a wider public-private dialogue, involving the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, the National Tourism Agency, Members of Parliament, and other relevant institutions. Discussions focused on the need for clearer responsibilities, better coordination, and a legal framework that would allow DMOs to operate sustainably rather than depending mainly on donor-funded projects.

An important milestone was Albania’s first National DMO Forum, which brought together around 50 participants from government institutions, development partners, tourism businesses, and other organizations. The forum created space to discuss the future of destination management and the steps needed to strengthen it in Albania. Based on the research and consultations, DMO Albania prepared a policy paper with recommendations and a proposed governance model for establishing DMOs in Albania. The document was shared with the Ministry of Tourism, Parliament, development partners, public institutions, and other stakeholders, contributing to the national discussion on tourism governance and sustainable development. The project showed that DMOs are not simply another administrative structure. They can provide a foundation for more coordinated and participatory tourism, giving local stakeholders a stronger role in shaping the future of their destinations. For Albania, stronger destination management can help connect national tourism priorities with local needs, improve cooperation, support businesses and communities, and create tourism that delivers value over the long term. A destination cannot be sustainably developed through promotion alone. It needs to be managed, coordinated, and shaped together.

Donor

The project is implemented by DMO Albania and supported by Co-plan Albania, under the project IdeAl, financed by European UNION