You may often find me blogging about all things sustainable, but what about when a country hasn’t even hit the point where sustainable travel is something they should be thinking about? When a country with such limited international tourism needs to investigate their future in tourism, do they start with sustainable tourism? That’s the question I want to pick at today.
Of course you have one end of the spectrum like the mass tourism along the Black Sea in Bulgaria (of which I have blogged about in the passed) where sustainable tourism certainly wasn’t their focus in the beginning, and sure isn’t now either. Then you have places like Sibiu, Romania who are still hidden gems in the world of tourism (soon to blow up in success soon – I’m sure).
So, I guess that pretty well serves as a legitimate answer to ‘should Albania start with sustainable tourism?’ Of course the answer is yes. It’s kind of like starting a blog for the first time with a specific niche – spending two years on the thing and then realizing you want to change it all. It’s hard work, it’s a lot of money and then in the end the question comes down to ‘is it worth it?’ Thus, starting from the get-go is certainly a smarter option.
As sustainable tourism becomes more of a hot topic and popular way of travel, it certainly is worth it. Though perhaps money plays a significant role in the decision making of a city and/or country more so than sustainability does. I do understand the concern that many cities and countries have when choosing to push towards a sustainable future in tourism, but at the end of the day if something isn’t done, tourism in that region is bound to go bankrupt.
So, Albania… where to start…
I don’t think that focusing on sustainable tourism can be a point to the checklist of ‘things to do’ in order to grow tourism in any given region, but I do think that everything on that checklist should be created in a sustainable fashion. With that being said, I’d like to share with you all the reasons why I loved visiting Albania, but all the reasons why I would suggest change for the better.
Looking for quick advice? If you’re a traveller in need of a wild adventure, Albania is the place for you. If you’re looking for travel at ease… I would highly suggest waiting until Albanian tourism becomes more efficient.
Why I Loved Albania
The People are Lovely: It’s funny, before arriving in Albania I was a little uneasy about our arrival. Time and time again I had heard people telling me to be careful, as Albania is an extremely dangerous country. It was even funnier when a police officer in Albania assured me that it’s the Albanians outside of Albania that are the ones to be concerned about. Though I’m not going to tell you not to take precaution, I do want you to know that the stereotype of all Albanians being corrupt is extremely false. I did not encounter one unfriendly stranger. Everyone was happy to help and always went above and beyond to support us in any way we needed.
It’s Normal for Travellers to Hitchhike: In what right mind would someone hitchhike across Albania right? I know… I think it was due to the lack of transportation around some of the most beautiful areas that caused us to hitchhike. We were standing on a main road about 25 kilometres from our hotel with no water, sunscreen or hats. It was a matter of walking 25 kilometres or asking a friendly stranger for a ride. We were so successful that we continued to do it and met quite a few unique people along the way.
The Food Was Delicious, Affordable & Local: Cheese. The cheese in Albania is incredible. Perhaps it’s because they have many Sheppard’s still producing the cheese locally… no matter how, it is simply DELICIOUS. Not just the cheese, many other foods are locally grown, affordable and mouth watering good.
The Places are Bucketlist Worthy
- Berat’s Romantic Cobble Stone Streets: We really didn’t explore as much as I had anticipated while in Berat. Perhaps we should have, but walking along the little cobble stone roads very near to our hostel was fine by me. We had a beautiful view of the famous windows along the old town in Berat right from our bed. I spent quite a few hours catching up on work while relaxing in bed with a beautiful view.
- Siri I Kalter (The Blue Eye Springs): It’s one of those things that you can’t really explain. You must go experience it for yourself. Hands down, the Blue Eye Springs are one of my favourite bucketlist experiences that really lived up to the expectations.
- The Sunsets in Saranda: You’ll hear most people say the beaches. For Albanian standards (as there seems to be a limited amount of beaches in the area) it’s beautiful, though if you crossed over to Greece or Italy… that’s uncomparable. So, what did amaze me in Saranda was the gorgeous sunsets. We were staying in a hotel with a straight view of the ocean, drinking beer, eating dinner and watching the sun set — a perfect experience while in Albania.
Why Some People Should Wait for Change
Pollution/Lack of Environmental Awareness: Albania itself is certainly a hidden gem of this world. Places like the Blue Eye Springs are magnificent and cannot be compared to anything else in the world. However, the springs that run along into Saranda are pushed into man made canals and often blocked by road side litter and household litter. It’s a shame that there isn’t as much environmental awareness in Albania as in other countries. If there is any improvement here, I’m sure tourism would certainly increase.
Inconvenient Transportation: Though our hitchhiking experience was one for the books, I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone. For example, if I had of been with my family I would have never suggested hitchhiking. Unfortunately for us, it was the only option besides being stranded on the roadside or walking 25 kilometres in the straight sun back to our accommodation. None of the buses crossed the border into Macedonia and none of them drove direct to our final destinations – ever. Get ready to take a bus to another bus to a roadside to wait for a taxi and/or realize no one is coming and prepare yourself to tramp.
Lack of Collective Tourism Boards: I love tourism boards. Everyone should love tourism boards. No matter the type of tourist you are usually tourism boards will help you find the perfect travel destinations for your interest. Even if you go in and tell them that you prefer being alone without a soul in sight, chances are most of them will have reccommendations that are safe as well as enjoyable. I walked into the biggest tourism info point in Saranda only to find that the girl spoke next to no English, had absolutely zero brochures of Albania let alone Saranda and to top it all off had no idea where the bus station was (about 100 metres away). I also tried an infopoint in Berat and they weren’t able to provide any information besides for what they were selling which was two overpriced maps and an audio guide.
It was certainly an experience to say the least. I would love to revisit Albania and explore a few others places, more specifically the region of Vlore. Are you curious about our journey? Here was the route we took during our time in the Balkans:
Corfu via Boat via Saranda, Albania via Microbus (via Gjirokaster to Lushnje) via Berat, Albania via Microbus & Hitchhiking (via Lushnje to Elbasan to Librazhd to Border Crossing) via Ohrid, Macedonia via A Friendly Croatian Man (via Struga to Elbasan to Tirana to Shkoder to Border Crossing) via Budva, Montenegro
Here is a little more inspiration to get you thinking about where you’ll be off to next.
For inspiration about travelling the world, check out the following posts: Why You Should Travel Now, How to Create Your Own Blog, How to Break Out of Habit and Travel the World, The Best Quotes to Inspire You to Travel, The Bucket List.
