At this meeting the key members of the European tourism authorities tried to propose solutions and opportunities for the development of the tourism industry worldwide following the impact of the pandemic.
The 70th meeting of the UN Tourism Commission for Europe brought together 40 high-level representatives in the Albanian capital. With the participation of nearly all UN Tourism’s Members in the region, the meeting served as a platform for dialogue and collaboration, providing a ground for exchanging knowledge, sharing best practices, and addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the tourism sector.
The Secretary General has commended Albania’s leadership in tourism recovery after the pandemic – the country has been one of the best performing destinations in 2023, showing 53% increase over the international tourism arrivals registered in 2019. The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister also discussed the importance of sustainable tourism development and opportunities to further enhance the tourism sector in Albania. They underscored the value of fostering a resilient and inclusive tourism industry that benefits local communities and preserves cultural heritage.
The assembly held in Bulgaria in June 2023 set a number of strategic objectives and priorities, with emphasis on:
- Political outlook and the situation Europe
- The rebranding of World Tourism Organization
- Latest data on tourism arrivals and receipts
- Events and initiatives
In Tirana, Members adopted the Rules of Procedure of the Working Group, the Selection Criteria and Key Performance Indicators for the evaluation for the projects supported through the Agenda for Europe and agreed on the priorities for the elaboration of the workplan of the Agenda for 2024. It aims to ensure a regional focus that will benefit and address the specific needs of the members at a regional and subregional level.
The purpose of the meeting was to foster an in-depth discussions on the specific challenges facing the tourism sector in Southeast Europe. Representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia shared their ideas, insights, and opinions, with a special focus on short-term rentals and regional investments. The speakers, experts, and other participants of the event will discuss the global tourism investments trends and opportunities, identify avenues for accelerating tourism investments for positive change and for the benefit for all and share success stories and future prospects of tourism investments in Albania. 
