Prime Minister Edi Rama said the “Mountain Package” aims to solve long-standing property issues in mountainous areas. At the same time, he said it will create new economic opportunities for residents and emigrants who want to invest in their hometowns.

Furthermore, Rama said that people who have inherited land in mountain regions should be able to use it productively. He explained that they should develop agritourism, agro-processing businesses, or farms.

In addition, he said many mountain residents currently cannot benefit from financial support. This happens because of unresolved property documentation issues.

He stressed that without property certificates, citizens cannot access permits, subsidies, bank loans, or EU funding. As a result, many rural areas remain economically blocked.

Moreover, Rama said the “Mountain Package” will close this legal gap. He explained that it will allow emigrants to invest their savings in rural Albania and support sustainable tourism development.

Meanwhile, he addressed concerns about protected areas. He said people often wrongly believe that development and environmental protection cannot coexist.

He added that protected areas have different categories with different levels of restriction. For example, he said some zones allow limited development under strict conditions.

Furthermore, Rama referred to Austria as a model of balanced development. He said the Austrian Alps are heavily protected but still host tourism infrastructure such as hotels, ski resorts, cable cars, and villages.

In addition, he said Austria did not sacrifice nature for tourism. Instead, it built tourism around nature, turning landscapes into economic assets.

Moreover, Rama said Austria’s approach is based on controlled, high-quality development. He emphasized building carefully, building where appropriate, and protecting what is irreplaceable.

He also noted that tourism now generates billions of euros for Austria’s economy and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Finally, Rama said the real challenge is not choosing between nature and development. Instead, it is building a model where both strengthen each other. He concluded that Albania must turn nature into a core economic asset while pursuing high-quality tourism growth.

/a.c/