Tirana, October 9 – Tourism in Korça County took center stage in a meeting between Prefect Nertil Jole and Rémy Privat, Cooperation Attaché at the French Embassy in Tirana.

Experts from the French organization Tétraktys, specialized in mountain tourism, also attended. They discussed the project to draft a masterplan for sustainable tourism in the Korçë region. The project co-finances with the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sports, with a total budget of around 400,000 euros.

Prefect Jole said consultations with institutional and non-institutional actors have already started. These include local municipalities, “Fan S. Noli” University, and successful tourism and agrotourism businesses. He added, “These consultations will help create a masterplan following the French model, adapted to our context.”

The project includes strategic planning, an investment plan, and stronger technical cooperation with French local authorities. Partners include the city of Chambéry and the Savoie department. It will also involve actors from the Alpine region of the Bauges Regional Natural Park in France.

Jole stressed that these exchanges aim to strengthen local capacities. He said, “We aim to promote knowledge transfer for sustainable tourism development while enriching the tourism offer in our region”.

In May, AFD and the Albanian Ministry of Tourism and Environment signed an agreement to support the project. The agreement will guide tourism development in Korça over the coming years. The plan combines environmental protection, sustainable territorial planning, and the preservation of the region’s architectural and natural heritage.

The project also complements other France-led efforts in Korça. These include the planned reopening of the French High School and ongoing decentralized cooperation supported by the French Embassy.

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