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The potential of wine tourism, like Albanian wine, is "getting drunk" on foreigners

2024-10-26 17:29:00, Aktualitet CNA

The potential of wine tourism, like Albanian wine, is "getting drunk"

Wineries had more tourists, with high interest in tasting tours, but the lack of a better connection with other links such as bar-restaurants significantly limits the growth of this industry. Their representatives think that consumption should be encouraged towards Albanian labels. Albania, on the other hand, has high potential in oenotourism (wine tourism), a segment that has a high impact on the local economies where it develops and that should be supported through promotion. As far as production is concerned, the year 2024 is considered good for viticulture, but the challenges for the wine industry have become greater. From human resources, to new fiscal burdens on the horizon, stocks built up over the years or climate change, all are heavy weights for a fragile sector.

Albania continues to enjoy its fame as a new tourist destination, where visitors are eager to get to know everything they've seen go viral on social media.

From the special points of sand and sea tourism, to historical and cultural sites or natural and culinary monuments, they are all making the rounds of the network, attracting other curious people who say they are planning a visit.

The year 2024 will be better than the year 2023 in terms of numbers of entries of foreign nationals, but the real success of this year is spring and autumn, where the figures are significantly better than in the same periods in previous years. By the end of September, foreign arrivals totaled 9.7 million, very close to the 10.5 million recorded in all of 2023.

The positive performance of the tourism sector has been the biggest driver of several related supporting industries in recent years. But how has this year's tourist success actually been reflected in one of them, specifically the wineries, and does our country have the potential to be channeled towards a more consolidated segment of what is known as oenotourism (wine tourism)?

The potential of wine tourism, like Albanian wine, is "getting drunk"

Canteens, increase in visitors, but require better connection with restaurants

Wineries report that during this year, the number of visitors to their premises on tasting tours has increased. However, the extent of a greater effect in this sector would only be achieved if there was a better connection with restaurants, which should offer, among other things, Albanian wine labels.

"The year 2024 has seen an increase in demand for our wine, not only from the Albanian consumer but also from tourists, who have tasting in Albanian wineries part of their list of activities. Besides this increase, our challenge remains the same in terms of consumer awareness to buy and consume Albanian products.

Gjithashtu, edukimi për të konsumuar shqip duhet të vijë në bashkëpunim edhe me sektorin restorator (restorantet) duke i dhënë përparësi një vere shqiptare në raport me një verë të importuar”, – shprehet Rigers Kaçorri, nga Kantina Arbëri.

Edhe Admir Pupa, nga Kantina Pupa”, pohon se 2024 ka qenë një vit i jashtëzakonshëm me një frekuentim masiv nga turistë nga e gjithë bota por edhe vendasit.

Tërheqja e një kategorie turistësh që nuk shpenzojnë apo kërkojnë të jenë tepër ekonomikë në përzgjedhje, e ka bërë në tërësi sektorin e turizmit disi kaotik. Të paktën kështu mendon Flori Uka, nga Kantina Uka, i cili thotë se do të na duhet kohë të mësohemi me kulturën e shërbimit.

“Ka qenë një vit shumë i dobët për sektorin e restoracionit. Pavarësisht rritjes së numrit të turistëve krahasuar me 2023, këto numra nuk besoj se kanë sjellë rritje ekonomike në Shqipëri. Mendoj se këta turistë “low cost” (kosto të ulët) ose “cheap” (të lirë), thjesht kanë krijuar kaotizëm, madje duke ikur edhe të pakënaqur për shkak të keqmenaxhimit të turizmit në vend.

T’i shërbesh një turisti është një kulturë shumë e vjetër, që ne shqiptarët nuk e kemi kultivuar ende. Jemi në faza fillestare, ku gabime do këtë shumë dhe shpresoj që t’i bëhet mësim edhe shtetit, edhe bizneseve abuzuese” shprehet z.Uka.

The potential of wine tourism, like Albanian wine, is "getting drunk"

Turizëm “low cost”

“Ka qenë një vit shumë i dobët për sektorin e restoracionit. Pavarësisht rritjes së numrit të turistëve krahasuar me 2023, këto numra nuk besoj se kanë sjellë rritje ekonomike në Shqipëri. Mendoj se këta turistë “low cost” (kosto të ulët) ose “cheap” (të lirë), thjesht kanë krijuar kaotizëm, madje duke ikur edhe të pakënaqur për shkak të keqmenaxhimit të turizmit në vend. T’i shërbesh një turisti është një kulturë shumë e vjetër, që ne shqiptarët nuk e kemi kultivuar ende. Jemi në faza fillestare, ku gabime do këtë shumë dhe shpresoj që t’i bëhet mësim edhe shtetit, edhe bizneseve abuzuese”

Potenciali i oenoturizmit në Shqipëri mbetet i lartë

Shikoni, rrotulloni, nuhasni, pini dhe shijoni. Këto duket se janë rregullat e arta sesi një gotë verë, shijohet nën petkun e një somelieri apo të dikujt që thjesht pëlqen pijen dhe eksperiencën. Me disa dhjetëra kantina anekënd vendit, Shqipëria paraqet një potencial të rëndësishëm në atë që njihet si oenoturizëm apo turizmi i verës.

Ky është ndoshta një nga segmentet më të njohur, por edhe më të pëlqyer në botë, jo vetëm prej eksperiencës që ofron, por sidomos për ndikimin lokal të tij.

Rajonet ku zhvillohet ky lloj turizmi shohin ndikim të drejtpërdrejtë në ekonominë e tyre, e lidhur kjo me shifra turistësh në rritje, qarkullim më të lartë parash, punësim apo biznese të tjera mbështetëse (p.sh. zejtari). Serxhio Prelashi, enolog dhe somelier që prej vitesh jeton në Lion të Francës, ku edhe është i angazhuar në sektorin e verës, shprehet se në vendin tonë prodhohet verë cilësore, e cila mund të nxisë turizmin.

"Our potential is great because we have the basic production that is good: grapes. Some wineries produce really high quality wine. This is being liked more and more by tourists who are already looking for wine tourism guides for Albania", he says. Of course, this will take time to mature as a tourist segment, but Albania has what it needs on the basis.

The next step that needs to be taken is the wider promotion to be known as a wine producing destination as it is a fact, which is almost unknown.

He refers to the participation in similar international events, such as the most recent one, the World Wine Tasting Championship where Albania participated for the first time, as a form that can promote us more.

"At the wine professional level, since I have been dealing with wine for many years, when they learn that I am Albanian, the first question they ask me is: Is there wine in Albania? Years at the World Championship that took place at Château Sainte Roseline in France was learned from many countries that we produce wine.

And in French wine literature, our country is unfortunately never mentioned. But events like this last one, with worldwide participation, help us to make Albania better known in this aspect as well", Mr. Prelash.

The potential of wine tourism, like Albanian wine, is "getting drunk"

Grape production in 2024, quite good, but the sector faces challenges

The year 2024 has turned out to be good for wineries for the production of grapes, but the challenges they face are among the most varied.

"It has been a good year for viticulture. As a winery, we have cooperated with about 250 families, from whom we buy grapes. Families that spread across the entire map of Albania.

Our objective has always been to increase the number of these rural families as much as possible, but in fact the opposite has happened. Every year we are reducing the amount of grapes we are getting. This has happened for many reasons, but the main one is the state of the wine stock. The local market is not promising for Albanian wine" says Mr. Uka.

Even for Admir Pupa and Rigers Kaçorri, encouraging consumption in the country is one of the main challenges in order to educate the consumer towards Albanian wine labels and Albanian products as a whole.

"The challenges of the wine sector are the policy that Albanian wine is present in every restaurant, that when a tourist comes to Albania, he wants local wine and not imported wine that comes to Albania," said Mr. Pupa.

Human resources and unconsulted policies or policies that do not promote local production can turn into the next challenges, if it happens as it is being talked about according to Mr. Boy.

"Another challenge that affects Agriculture as a whole is the lack of Human Resources. It seems that the younger generations have no interest in this sector and this increases the difficulties for us as Cantina to find qualified staff that brings new capacities.

Recently, there is talk of another challenge, but which is not yet official, the unification of the excise duty and its increase from 40 Lek per liter to 120-150 Lek per liter. This increase would be a big blow and would lead to the bankruptcy of many Albanian producers of this industry," he says./ Monitor.al

The potential of wine tourism, like Albanian wine, is "getting drunk"





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