Close to 100 km of local and regional roads in Albania are currently being reconstructed or extended, as part of a European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and European Union (EU)-supported programme to improve connectivity to local tourist sites and the quality of the country’s tourism offer, boosting one of its key sectors.

The programme, to which the EBRD is contributing €60 million in loans and the EU €40 million in grants, finances the rehabilitation of cultural and natural heritage sites and upgrading of municipal and environmental infrastructure across the country, as well as regional transport links to improve accessibility to certain tourist sites and villages. The programme also supports local small businesses active in the tourism value chain with targeted financing and advisory services, helping improve the overall competitiveness of the sector.

Moreover, the EBRD and EU are also working with the Albanian government on improving the responsiveness of the education system to the needs of the labour market in the tourism and hospitality sector. The newly created Sector Skills Council in Tourism and Hospitality in Albania will help establish a list of the professional and vocational qualifications that are most urgently needed by tour operators, hotels and other tourism firms in Albania, and promote those qualifications in the local education system.