Investments in ecotourism establishments will lead to improved standards, services and infrastructure revitalizing business and tourism growth, while efficient waste management especially in coastal areas will prevent pollution enhancing blue tourism opportunities (7).

Diversified tourism offerings, through the development of ecological and cultural tourism and associated infrastructure, will promote longer stays, increase tourist spending, and ensure a balanced territorial distribution.

Developing niche tourism offerings through investments in ecotourism and the associated skills will help reduce reliance on on-the-job training and tap into a more skilful workforce, whilst reducing out-migration through enhanced livelihood opportunities across various geographies.

Under the Business As Usual (BAU) forecast up to 2050, the growth of the tourism sector is predicted to increase energy consumption by 154%, elevate greenhouse gas emissions by 131%, amplify water usage by 152%, and boost solid waste production by a staggering 251% (31).

Tourist destinations often face multiple environmental challenges, including air and noise pollution, waste generation, sewage issues, and increased car usage. Overcrowded and poorly managed tourism can lead to the depletion of natural resources, decreased service quality, and a significant rise in waste and pollution (32).

Excessive tourism can lead to detrimental environmental impacts like soil degradation, excessive resource use, and amplified waste. It poses risks to biodiversity, disrupts socio-cultural ecosystems, and threatens the untouched beauty of terrestrial and aquatic environments (32).

Gender inequality and/or marginalization risk: Tourism development may commodify local cultures and lead to displacement, particularly affecting indigenous populations. Over tourism can elevate living costs, limit economic prospects, and misuse public areas, deteriorating residents' quality of life, with women and marginalized groups being most vulnerable (26).

Albanian tourist destinations encounter infrastructure challenges, including connectivity and parking shortages. The underutilization of digital technology and a lack of structured management and public-private cooperation hinder market exploration and service innovation in the tourism sector (3, 4, 28).

There's a significant risk associated with the lack of standardization in the classification system for tourism services; without it, service quality and reliability may be compromised, potentially diminishing tourist satisfaction and trust (30).

Albania's tourism sector faces risks due to inadequate data collection and analysis that falls short of EU standards, hampering strategic planning and intended impact. Lack of a coordinated regional destination-marketing network restricts access to essential information for prospective tourists (13).

Gender inequality and/or marginalization risk: The tourism sector faces gender disparities, with a significant number of women employed in informal, low-skilled roles, limiting the positive of sustainable investments for informal workers and women (8).

Safeguard national heritage and improves visitor experience, thereby generating higher tourism yield and repeated guest rates while enhancing employments for the locals.

National Strategy for Development and European Integration 2022-2030: sets the goal of attracting 10 million tourists by 2030, intending to make tourism a key driver of sustainable economic development, accounting for around 24% of total gross output, equivalent to USD 5.5 billion, including through the establishment of ecotourism packages (3).

The National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development 2019-2023: envisions Albania as a prominent global tourism destination, with a strategic focus on various subsectors, including coastal, maritime, mountain tourism, ecotourism, and cultural tourism. By 2028, it aims for significant growth in employment (8.8%) and investments (8.2%) within the tourism sector (4).

The 2021-2025 Government plan for Albania is centered around modernizing the productive economy, tourism, energy, agriculture, digital economy, transport, and services. The objective is to position Albania as the top choice for tourists in the region and a significant European destination by combining beach tourism, sea and sailing experiences, mountain and nature ecotourism, agritourism, cultural heritage, and a rich culinary tradition (2).

Financial incentives: The government promotes investment in tourist resorts by providing state-owned land under the "Albania 1 Euro scheme" for a tenure of 99 years to prospective investors (18).

Fiscal incentives: 4-5 star accommodations with internationally recognized trademarks receive a 10-year corporate tax break, starting within 3 years of achieving special status. Services in Five star hotels/resorts with this status benefit from a 6% VAT reduction. Infrastructure impact tax exemptions apply to new Five star constructions and investments in cultural sites with protective status (18).

Other Incentives: In 2018, Albania's Ministry of Culture launched a USD 213,260 project focusing on community-based inventories of intangible cultural heritage. The EU and the United Nations Office for Project Services joined forces on the USD 40 million EU4Culture initiative to restore 20 cultural venues impacted by the 2019 earthquake and improve tourism amenities. Furthermore, under the EU-funded DestiMED Plus project, Albanian Trip devised a specific ecotourism itinerary (41, 42, 48).

Law no. 93/2015 on Tourism, 2015: aims to promote Albania as an attractive tourism destination, encompassing support for the development of a sustainable tourism sector and the assurance that service providers effectively meet the needs of tourists, and establishes rules pertaining to financial support for investors, criteria for the operation of tourism-related activities, and other essential guidelines (38).

Law no. 55/2015 on Strategic Investments, 2016: aims to increase Albanian and foreign strategic investments in the sectors of the economy considered as strategic sectors, through the establishment of special favourable administrative procedures, mitigating support services to the investors (39).

Law no. 43/2020, on Maritime Tourism Activities, 2020: aims to regulate maritime tourism in Albania and defines rules, conditions, and criteria for vessels used for tourism and entertainment, along with necessary infrastructure applying to both local and foreign individuals (40).

Law No. 125/2013 on Concessions and Public Private Partnership, 2013: establishes a framework to boost investments via public-private collaborations covering sectors like transport, energy, waste management, telecommunications, education and notably tourism, leisure, and hospitality sector to attract investments (43, 44).

Saranda Diving Center, Meliá Dürres, Harmonia Hotels Group, Best Western Premier Ark Hotel, Ecotour Albania, Albanian Trip, The Adriatik Hotel.

Ministry of Tourism and Environment, Ministry of Culture, State Agency for Strategic Programming and Aid Coordination, Ministry of Economy, Culture, and Innovation, Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, Albanian Investment Development Agency, Albania Investment Council.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), European Union, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women, European Investment Bank, World Bank Group, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Foreign Investors Association of Albania (FIAA), The Visit Gjirokastra Association (VGA), Risi Albania, Albanian Tourism Association (ATA), Albanian Tourism Union, Albanian Tour Operators Association.

Albanian Adventure Resort, represents a pioneering endeavour in the adventure tourism sector and operates under a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Albanian Rafting Federation and the Ministry of Education and Sports (19).

Vlora, located in southern Albania, is adjacent to the Nartes Lagoon and the Karaburun Peninsula, and near Sazan Island, the city has seen a surge in tourism, particularly ecotourism, emphasizing its unique biodiversity and cultural heritage, including beaches, castles, religious edifices, museums, and historical sites. The region is among the main destinations for cultural tourism and is among the key tourism development clusters of the National Tourism Strategy (4, 45).

Durrës, housing 289,797 residents and accounting for 10.5% of Albania's population, is a significant coastal city and a crucial port in the Balkans. With a history spanning 3,000 years, the city is renowned for its pristine beaches and a welcoming Mediterranean climate. Durrës offers 10% of Albania's hotels listed on Booking.com and features monumental sites like the Balkans' second-largest amphitheatre and the medieval Durrës Castle (1, 53, 50).

Located in central Albania, Berat is renowned for its historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that showcases centuries of religious and cultural endowments. The city is anchored by the Kala, a castle primarily from the 13th century with origins in the 4th century BC. Berat houses numerous Byzantine churches from the 13th century and mosques from the Ottoman era, and is among the main regions visited by organized cultural tours (4, 49).

The region is known as the traditional capital of northern Albania, houses the mountainous national parks part of the Albanian Alps, and is among the key tourism development clusters set by the National Tourism Strategy. The city’s main tourist destination is Rozafa Castle, a thousand-year-old monument erected on a rocky hill at the entrance to the city of Shkodra, surrounded by the Buna and Drin rivers, with additional natural monuments including the Theth Falls, Lake Jezerce and 13 peaks of the Alps of Albania (4, 51).

Also part of the Albanian Alps, the region hosts multiple national parks and heritage centers including Tropoja town, Kukesi city, and District of Has. The development of mountain tourism in the region is among the local government's key goals for regional development, and the county is part of the National Tourism Strategy's tourism development clusters (4, 52).