Minister Mirela Kumbaro welcomed her Bulgarian counterpart, Evtim Miloshev, to the Ministry of Tourism and Environment for a meeting to exchange experiences and explore opportunities for cooperation to strengthen regional tourism projects.
During the meeting, Minister Kumbaro and the Bulgarian Minister of Tourism agreed on a joint action plan to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the travel and tourism industry. The efforts to re-establish a direct air route between Tirana and Sofia was one of the topics of the summit.
According to Minister Kumbaro, increasing cooperation to develop joint itineraries increases the value of both nations to foreign visitors.
Opening our marketplaces and creating joint tourist maps is beneficial. It is beneficial for our nations and those of our neighbors to develop cooperative itineraries, especially for distant places. The action plan we signed today should encourage travelers from Asia or America to visit both Albania and Bulgaria, and vice versa. Today, tourism is more than a market, a business and an industry; it is a means of integration and emancipation, said Minister Kumbaro.
The World Tourism Organization’s barometer supports Miloshev’s positive assessment of Albania’s tourism performance during the meeting. According to Minister Miloshev, this kind of cooperation adds value between the two nations and serves as a model for expanding economies through tourism and in the Balkans.
“The fact that we signed this document today makes me very happy. Since Bulgaria and Albania have been friendly nations for a long time, this political action raises our tourism-related connection to a higher and more deserving level. Many things unite us. By establishing the “Balkan” brand, we can set a positive example for the Balkans. By uniting and using tourism to grow our economies, we will add value. The beautiful face of diplomacy is tourism. Emotions and sentiments associated with good relations and goodwill between people are conveyed through tourism. Bulgaria and Albania – united, let’s send a positive message to Europe”, said the Bulgarian Minister of Tourism.
In addition, this cooperation strategy promises to increase knowledge and promote sustainable tourism practices. Between January and September 2024, 57 000 Bulgarian tourists traveled to Albania.