On 14th May 2020, RisiAlbania hosted a Webinar where guest speakers Prof. Giancarlo Dall’Ara, President of Alberghi Difussi Association, and Dr. Brunilda Liçaj from ‘Aleksandër Moisiu’ University of Durrës, presented strategies for the Albanian tourism sector to cope with COVID-19.

Prof. Dall’Ara gave an overview of the tourism sector in Italy: it contributes 12-13% to the country’s GDP and has created 4 million jobs. Given COVID-19 restrictions and the effect the pandemic has had on tourism patterns, 50% of Italian tourists will choose to go on holidays within short driving distances. As the Professor explained, “in order to make villages and small destinations attractive, public and private actors need to collaborate to organize a credible offer”.

Dr. Liçaj on the other hand highlighted the relevance of destination management to manage the crisis, in line with the Albanian National Tourism Strategy. She stated that in preparation for the reopening of destinations, Albania will need to consider the destinations’ capacity to not overcrowd and control tourism flows, which can be done with the use of technological solutions.

Both speakers stressed the importance of sharing reliable information over the next few months: Prof. Dall’Ara highlighted the need for transparent information channels from public institutions to tourists and rural dwellers, in order to avoid the risks of over-tourism and ensure a frictionless switch toward internal tourism. Dr. Liçaj added that “it is necessary to share information in times of crisis and EU countries such as Portugal offer good examples for how to do it in tourism”.

37 participants from private businesses, public institutions, destination management associations and NGOs joined the Webinar and had the opportunity to ask questions.

At the end of the Webinar, the role of governance, transparency and communication were highlighted as crucial for the reopening phase in countries like Albania.