"I Want to See Albania Promoted Worldwide Through Its Art and Culture"
As Albania becomes Europe’s hottest new travel destination, Culture Minister Elva Margariti explains her strategy to tempt visitors away from the beaches and mountains to explore the country’s rich cultural landscape.
Q: What is your current strategy to promote Albania’s art, culture, and historical sites?
A significant part of our portfolio focuses on art and culture infrastructure. We're not only preserving unique Albanian heritage, but also digital advancements that make our sites more accessible to tourists while providing young people with new economic opportunities.
Last year, with prime minister Edi Rama, we launched a major revitalization bonus, a grand scheme by the Albanian government for citizens living in historical sites being repurposed for tourism, transformed into bed and breakfasts, artisan stores, and exhibition galleries. This initiative has been bolstered by significant contributions from donors, including the US and the Albanian-american Development Fund, particularly in areas like the Bazaar of Kruja and Gjirokastra, a UNESCO heritage site.
“We see great potential in viewing our region as a unified entity rather than separate countries.”
Q: Are there opportunities for overseas investors in Albania's National Strategy for Culture?
We are looking at Albania as a new location for co-productions and collaborations with film companies. This is not limited to shooting in Albania's beautiful landscapes – from mountains to seaside – but also includes utilizing our talented individuals in the post-production sector of cinematography. We see it as an ecosystem where everybody can gain, promoting Albania not just for tourism purposes.
Q: How will the Council of Europe's cultural routes boost both tourism and business?
We have four new European routes now, connecting Albanian history and tradition with other countries. The Olive Tree route, for example, is a fast connection for all the tourists coming to Italy or Greece. The same is happening with the Eneas route next year which goes through Butrint – a UNESCO heritage site. We are working on a new way of management of the archaeological sites that is based on bringing more economic revenues through those routes all over the country – there is big potential for economic development outside Tirana.
Q: How are you collaborating with partners like North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia, to showcase a unified cultural identity of the region?
We see great potential in viewing our region as a unified entity rather than separate countries. In July, we presented an exhibition in Paris where artists from our countries exhibited their artwork. In the next years, we may see the opportunity to combine funds from different ministries to support our artists. We do have so many things in common; the main aim of the whole country is to bring economic growth to our communities.
Q: What is your long-term vision for Albania’s culture sector?
There is a strong need for interventions into spaces and restoration. We want to promote Albania through tradition – like archaeological and handcrafts – and also, looking to the opportunities of our young artists or technicians through art and culture. We are all proud of being Albanian, and I want to promote this worldwide.