Addressing the Socialist Party’s Youth Congress on Saturday, the government head highlighted a series of incentives “for young people either in Albania or abroad, who wish to invest in their family lands and homes to embark on various agritourism businesses and guest house establishments and become part of the chain of economic success of this nascent branch of tourism industry.”

The Premier called on young people to return back home and renovate their family homes and lands in remote and mountainous regions to launch successful businesses, underlining the incentives and tax breaks to encourage business development in these underdeveloped areas.

The “Mountain Package” is designed to fight rural depopulation by making it easier for businesses to invest.

Under the package, investors can buy land from the government for only 1 euro, but they will only receive property certificates after completing their development projects. The first 500 businesses to invest will be exempt from several taxes, including a 10-year break from income tax, and no VAT, property, or infrastructure taxes.

This new initiative follows Albania’s 100 Villages Program and is another attempt by the government to encourage investment in rural areas.

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“We are working hard to build effective intercity transport system and a very good interconnection network from the country’s main ports and airports. Albania is completing its second international airport,” Gonxhja said in his remarks at the “Tourism Investments and Economic Development in Europe” conference, jointly organized in Tirana by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and the UN World Tourism Organization within the framework of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Europe.

The Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation said that a new strategy on development of mountain and rural tourism is being designed, as part of the government target on year-round tourism in the country.

“Seasonal tourism in a country with over 300 sunny days a year is insufficient. That’s why we are making preparations to launch a package and project called “Invest in Your own Land” for the country’s north, through which we will urge many local residents, currently living and working abroad, to return back home and invest in their family land and a very interesting one stop shop package will be made available to them,” he said.

Gonxhja said that the initiative will give a boost to rural economy in the country’s northern regions.

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The Sustainable Rural Tourism Development project focuses on development policies and innovative practices in agriculture and rural tourism, promoting green growth, cultural heritage, digitization and diversity, culinary and adventure tourism in rural areas across Albania.

To this end, the project has most recently launched Tourism Innovation Platform (TIP) for anyone seeking to launch initiatives in rural tourism area.

“Tourism Innovation Platform (TIP) represents an exciting opportunity to contribute to development of sustainable rural tourism in Albania,” according to an announcement by the Sustainable Rural Tourism Development project, inviting everyone to file application via tip.com.al until September 10 to benefit financial support worth 10,000 euros.

Applications are open to rural tourism professionals (individuals or businesses) with active business status.

The tourist products to be proposed should be implemented in the regions of Tirana, Shkoder, Vlora, Gjirokastër, Korça, and Diber.

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