The Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, together with the senior advisor Leman Hatashi and the Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism, Lumturije Geci, participated, through a virtual form, in the regional high-level conference – Tourism as a Key to Sustainable Development, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).
Amongst RCC representatives, the conference was attended by representatives from the European Commission, the World Tourism Organization, relevant tourism ministers from the 6 Western Balkan countries and regional experts in the field of tourism. The conference aimed to reach agreement on the "Tirana Declaration" on joint regional protocols to support the recovery and growth of sustainable tourism in the Western Balkans, but also the need to develop a joint regional offer after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Full speech of Minister Rozeta Hajdari:
Greetings to all the representatives from the European Commission, the Regional Cooperation Council, the World Tourism Organization, the Ministers from the Western Balkans six countries and all present at this conference.
I feel honoured for being invited by the Regional Cooperation Council,
The tourism sector is very important for improving relations with neighbouring countries and can significantly contribute to the overall economic development and competition in the country and the region, producing major effects on investment and trade relations, human capital development, assessment of sustainable cultural heritage and the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The Republic of Kosovo as part of the Western Balkans 6 countries (WB6), for the development of the tourism sector should be based on natural resources and cultural heritage, which represent a competitive advantage in the country and in the region.
I am aware of the crises in the tourism sector that have reflected negatively with a drastic decline during the COVID 19 pandemic, and the disturbing statistics show the drastic decline in the number of visitors and revenues in our country and in the region. However, crises present an opportunity to rethink how tourism interacts with our societies, other economic sectors and our natural and cultural resources as well as ecosystems, thus tourism presents the opportunity to "rebuild better". Furthermore, inclusion in the tourism sector needs to be supported through engagement of stakeholder and cooperation at the local, regional and international levels.
In this regard, I would like to express my appreciation for the effort of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) to bring us together through the Tirana Declaration as a useful tool to further build regional tourism development, where we can all benefit as equal partners. Otherwise, if we are not equal, these regional initiatives are very fragile and may not succeed. We are here to participate as an equal partner, along with all Western Balkans countries. I say this because our country has not benefited so much from regional initiatives so far. But with the Triple P project, within the RCC, Kosovo was equal in benefiting from the support provided for the development of cultural tourism and adventure tourism. Last year we were also involved and we have supported the process of developing and drafting the “COVID-19 Impact Assessment on the Tourism Industry in the Western Balkans.” The statistics of this assessment show that Kosovo and the region have suffered drastic losses with about -70% international visitors in the country.
The usual protocols regarding pandemic prevention recommended by the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) and other international tourism organizations are very fruitful in creating security conditions throughout our tourism destinations. A protocol such as the Safe Travel Stamp, we as a country managed to create and implement in some of the tourism organizations and other entities that deal with tourism services. The Kosovo Tourism Union in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade is implementing this protocol. Therefore, in relation to the "Tirana Declaration" on joint regional protocols to support the recovery and growth of sustainable tourism in the Western Balkans, the Republic of Kosovo is ready to participate and have its support and contribution.
It is of the utmost importance that we all Western Balkans 6 countries (WB6) coordinate with the relevant actions that bring about a rapid recovery and pave the way for a better reorganization of the tourism sector and a positive economic impact. We must work to remove the obstacles that harm our country and the region. Our tourists should be able to travel freely and cross-border bus taxes should be removed.
The Western Balkans is the next destination of interest for millions of tourists, that is growing based on the trends of the last five years, hence with joint actions, joint measures and joint regional protocols, we can attract international investment in tourism development that support the creation of jobs with long-term economic impact.
Regarding the "Tirana Declaration", we as policy makers in the tourism sector should focus on developing joint actions in order to prevent the consequences of COVID 19 pandemic with the joint protocols proposed in the "Tirana Declaration". We are ready to continue the cooperation with the RCC taking into account the strategic importance of the tourism sector, in order to increase the number of visitors to the Western Balkans six countries (WB6) to promote tourism as an important sector in sustainable economic development by:
- Continuing regional cooperation for the development and promotion of tourism;
- Developing recovery measures after the COVID 19 Pandemic and by developing joint regional protocols;
- Continuing to advance the legislation, promotion of education, training in the tourism sector, and provision of certification at national and regional level;
- Developing and implementing the health and safety standards and protocols and their maintenance in joint regional efforts.
We agree with the Tirana Joint Declaration, proposed by the RCC, and we continue to be committed as an equal partner in every effort to support and rebuild the regional and local tourism sector.
Thank you!
