DIBER, ALBANIA     To grow and diversify Albania’s economy through the tourism sector and increase employment opportunities, particularly among youth and women living in the region, the USAID Diber Trails and Traditions (D2T) is assisting the Diber municipality develop its tourism business sector. Towards this goal, the D2T project began training its first class of local tour guides on September 20. The four-week course was led by trainers from the National Association of Tourist Guides in Albania (NATGA); the objective is prepare trainees to eventually qualify as licensed professional guides.

The first group of 15 trainees learned the basics of being a tour guide at national and local tourist sites as well as about the culture, history, archeology, flora, fauna of the Diber region. Trainees also practiced tour guide techniques such as how to coach others on how to best navigate the terrain. Trainees also received information that will be needed for taking the NATGA’s oral and written exams which they will need to pass to be eligible for a tour guide license from the Ministry of Tourism and Environment.

Earlier this summer, D2T reached another important milestone. On August 31, the Diber municipal council approved a Tourism Action Plan (TAP) - the first of 61 municipalities in Albania to do so. Prepared through a participatory process involving local officials, residents, USAID D2T and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, the TAP outlines strategies to further develop tourism in the Municipality of Diber, with a focus on the area’s tradition, natural assets, agricultural sector, sustainability, and issues of gender and environmental compliance.