The MEET Network renews its collaboration with Intrepid Travel to offer an authentic 9-day expedition in Albania. This unique ecotourism experience, perfect for those who seek adventure while supporting local communities and conservation efforts, will be departing for the first time in September 2023. Bookings are already available through this link!
Among the places visited during this tour, travellers will have the chance to discover Divjakë-Karavasta National Park and learn about the conservation efforts to protect its outstanding biodiversity. This part of the experience has been developed in the framework of the InterregMED Programme DestiMED PLUS project using the MEET methodology to develop sustainable off-the-beaten-track ecotourism experiences that valorise protected areas and their territories. The basis for it is a collaborative approach that brings together the park, the local tour operator and many local service providers.
“We are delighted that our efforts to promote protected areas in Albania through the creation of ecotourism packages that follow the principle of sustainable development were evaluated. Now, even the protected areas in Albania will be part of the international tourism market. We are very proud of the project we implemented and of the partnership we are part of.”, states Jula Selmani, Head of the Projects Unit at the National Agency of Protected Areas in Albania.
This ecotour exemplifies the efforts of the protected area to promote MEET’s objective to shape the Mediterranean into a leading ecotourism destination. As so, these trips are only offered during the shoulder season and ensure a positive impact in terms of conservation and distribution of benefits in the local community.
Visitor centre in Divjakë-Karavasta National Park © MEET Network (Green Traveller)
Travellers will discover this protected area in a low-impact manner: bikes and an electric bus will be the selected means of transport! They will take visitors to a birdwatching tower near Karavasta Lagoon, where they will be able to spot many types of birds, including the Dalmatian pelicans that have here one of their largest colonies in Europe. As part of its conservation measures, the park has recently created a visitation centre and a bird rehabilitation centre to treat wild birds on their migratory route.
This partnership combines MEET’s commitment to promoting sustainable and responsible tourism with Intrepid’s reputation as the world’s largest B-Corp-certified travel company. And it is a fantastic example of how an initiative developed with EU funding to reconcile conservation and tourism policy objectives can go a step further and reach the marketplace with a viable tourism package!
“This tourism package is a great example of how the European cooperation developed in the framework of the Interreg programme in the Mediterranean helps to design, in a collaborative manner, market-oriented and sustainable tourism offer.”, Josep Rodríguez, Coordinator of the Interreg MED Sustainable Tourism Community.
Bike riding in Divjakë-Karavasta National Park © MEET Network (Debora Barioni)
The deep knowledge of the local tour operator will allow travellers to encounter the real Albania. They will have the opportunity to stay in a family-owned guesthouse and enjoy a farm-to-table dinner made with the freshest products grown onsite. They will be also surprised with a hands-on bamboo craft experience, polyphonic singing or a Turkish coffee reading. These are just some examples of the adventure ahead!
Alessandro Galli, President of MEET, adds: “During the last couple of years, we have experienced first-hand the great need and desire for change in the tourism sector. We have worked tirelessly with our partners in Albania — from Protected Area Managers to Tour Operators, from hoteliers and restaurant owners to local artisanal craftsmen — to bring to life a totally new concept of tourism, based on fairness, local peculiarities, and sustainability. We are proud to see that this model is now being recognized by Intrepid and even more proud to see Albania in the spotlight with such a high-quality, low-impact product.”
You can also have a look at the two other tours that MEET has previously launched with Intrepid Travel: