TOURISM AS ECONOMIC RESOURCE FOR PROTECTING THE LANDSCAPE: INTRODUCING TOURISTIC INITIATIVES IN PROTECTED AREAS OF ALBANIA

The paper aims to investigate the relation between landscape and tourism, with a special focus on coastal protected areas of Albania. The relationship between tourism and landscape is mutually reliant: there is no tourism without landscape attractive features and, on the other hand, landscape needs economic resources to be conserved and protected. The survival of each component is strictly related to the other. Today, the Albanian protected areas appear as isolated islands, too far away from each other to build an efficient network and to avoid waste in terms of energy, economy and work force. This study wants to stress the importance of cooperation in terms of common strategies and the necessity of introducing a touristic sustainable model in Albania. Comparing the protection system of neighbor countries of the Adriatic-Ionian region and through a desk review on the best practices of protected areas that benefit from touristic activities, the study proposes the creation of the Albanian Riviera Landscape Park. This action will impact positively the whole southern Albania territory, introducing a sustainable tourism network aimed at valorizing the local heritage and stopping the coastal exploitation processes. The main output is the definition of future development scenarios in Albania with the establishment of new protected areas and the introduction of touristic initiatives.