Regional focus
from 525 rooms to 888 rooms. And as these varied developments imply, Albania is not simply a place for tourism. Versteeg argues that business travellers are an important target demographic too, especially in capital. That’s hardly surprising: boasting armies of cheap labour and yearly annual growth topping 4.1%, Albania has plenty to offer visiting entrepreneurs, says Ago. The local government, for its part, is doing its best to prod things along. That encompasses everything from tax breaks for internationally-branded hotels to VAT cuts on the services they offer. Together with a range of infrastructure projects – expanding Rinas International, developing six new port areas, a €53m loan for a pair of bypasses – Versteeg believes Albania also has the potential to be a destination that tourists from further north enjoy travelling through. At the moment, Germans or Austrians driving to Greece tend to avoid the country. “But once that infrastructure is more consolidated,” he stresses, “it’s obviously a much more beautiful route.”
Eagle-eyed
It would be wrong, however, to believe that Albania’s touristic future can be wrapped up with a bow. There’s the continuing question of education – though many young Albanians enthusiastically learn English, Verstaag warns there are few hospitality schools
in the country, which sometimes makes it hard for staff to “cater to the international public”. In a similar vein, Ago suggests that operators should be careful not to overinflate their portfolio while her homeland is still developing. “As a fast-growing sector,” she says, “the demand for skills in the tourism sector often outstrips the supply of the labour market. Hoteliers, restaurants and tour operators often struggle to find the necessary skills at all levels, from entry level to management. This can have a negative impact on productivity and the service provided and therefore on business reputation, profitability and future investments.” All the same, both Verstaag and Ago are optimistic. If nothing else, Verstaag is excited by the country’s sheer novelty. As one of the last European countries to be ‘discovered’ by adventurous visitors, he says that the current enthusiasm for “experiential tourism” is bound to make the country appealing. Ago, for her part, is buoyed by the warmth of local people. She describes an old Albanian motto – literally translated as ‘bread, salt and a kind heart’ – and says it speaks perfectly to the welcoming values of the country. “All that I have, which might not be much, I will share with my guest who honoured my house with their presence.” A lovely sentiment – and surely a better reflection of Albania’s future than its past. ●
_RADISSON RED LONDON GREENWICH THE O2
FROM BRUSSELS TO JOHANNESBURG, ENJOY THE RED EXPERIENCE VISIT US AT
RADISSONHOTELS.COM/RED OR GET IN CONTACT VIA
EMEADEVELOPMENT@RADISSONHOTELS.COM
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57
