TIRANA, June 12 /ATA/ – Transforming “the Stone City” of Gjirokaster into a popular weekend getaway for local visitors is one of the novelties as part of the tourism offer of the UNESCO World Heritage site in southern Albania.
Gjirokaster Mayor Flamur Golemi told an interview with the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) that the tourism and leisure businesses have developed all the required capacities to welcome visitors and offer best quality services. In addition to household tourism in the urban area, rural tourism capacities have been boosted significantly this year.
Mayor Golemi noted that a significant number of local households in the areas of Lunxheri and Antigone have transformed their private family homes into guesthouses, investing in agritourism sector and organic agriculture.
Golemi is confident the number of local and international visitors to the museum city and the rural areas will grow significantly this year, helping local economy to rebound in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The new tourism season will be more relaxed. The worst is over and the best is yet to come. With the anti-COVID measures further relaxed, the Stone City has become a popular destination for local visitors. Gjirokaster is now a weekend gateway for a growing number of local visitors, signalling a successful season and growth in tourist numbers,” Golemi said.
Regarding the investments and projects undertaken by the municipality to support the tourism sector, Golemi says that “these investments and projects aim to support the tourism sector in several directions. In addition to implementing investments in infrastructure and promoting tourist values, the municipality has programmed the organization of various activities throughout the tourist season.”
Mayor Golemi says that with the tourism development, the map of Gjirokastra’s attractions has significantly expanded.
According to Golemi, more than 60,000 tourists visited museums and cultural heritage sites in city of Gjirokaster despite the pandemic restrictions in 2020. The combination of museum values, diverse tradition with cultural events hosted by the municipality attracted a significant number of visitors on weekends.
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