Blog/Corporate Retreats in Albania

Written by Juliane Zimmerman / Posted on 31 Jan 2022

Corporate Retreats in Albania

For more than a year now, organizations and businesses have been forced to cope with the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ever-changing rules and regulations, or the shift towards an increasingly flexible, dynamic, and digitized work culture are just a few to mention. Many of these impacts leave enterprises continuously struggling to adjust their day-to-day business, and their employees drained and longing for social connections. Sounds familiar? Then maybe you should consider taking your team on a corporate retreat … in Albania!

Why should you plan a corporate retreat in Albania?

First of all, the question is: Why should you plan a corporate retreat? Two benefits of a corporate retreat are that it will give your employees both a chance to recharge their batteries and plenty of opportunities to bond. Beyond that, a retreat can be much more than a fun or – depending on whether company members actually know and like each other – slightly forced and awkward group holiday: A corporate retreat will usually involve intensive working sessions, allowing you and your team to focus on the bigger picture. Far away from the noises and disturbances of everyday life. Defining macro-strategies, hatching new product ideas, giving the company philosophy that long-needed upgrade, training your staff on a new online-collaboration tool – you name it.

The next question then is: Why out of all places in the world should you pick Albania as the location for your corporate retreat? Well. Have you been to Albania? Whether you want to get away from everything, or get inspired by a vibrant urban atmosphere; whether you are looking for a rustic guesthouse, a cozy boutique hotel, or a beach resort with plenty of meeting venues and a large SPA offers; whether you want your employees to bond over an escape room game, a challenging hiking adventure, a yoga session on the beach, or while sampling some delicious Albanian wines – we have it all! And despite its diversity, Albania is also a conveniently small country. This means you will get from the airport to your retreat location no time wasted.

When should you go?

Kruje - Old Bazzar

Without doubt, Albania is beautiful all year round, and finding the perfect time for your retreat also depends on the location and the activities you have in mind. We, however, especially recommend you to plan your corporate retreat in Albania in spring or autumn. During that time, the weather will still be sunny and warm but not too hot, and you will have the natural, historical, and cultural sites almost exclusively to yourselves.

BACK TO BLOG NEWS

Blog/Spoonbill Nest Innovation Center

Posted on 24 Nov 2021

SPOONBILL NEST INNOVATION CENTER AS THE 1ST GREEN DESTINATION REPRESENTATIVE FOR ALBANIA AND KOSOVO

Spoonbill Nest Innovation Center, in conjunction with Elite Travel Group, located in Elbasan, becomes the 1st Green Destination Representative for Albania and Kosovo. Spoonbill Nest Innovation Center has signed a contract with Green Destinations, an international organization dedicated to sustainable tourism development, to become their first independent representative in Albania. Spoonbill Nest will also support destinations in Kosovo that wish to become Green Destinations.

GREEN DESTINATIONS

is a non-profit foundation aiming sustainable destination development and recognition, through a global partnership of representatives to achieve a more decentralized approach towards the same goal, building a sustainable destinations community. Green Destinations offers cities, municipalities, protected areas, and private destinations an opportunity to gain international recognition for their social, economic, and environmental sustainability efforts, through certification and competition in their annual TOP 100 competition.

*for more information about green destinations visit: www.greendestinations.org

SPOONBILL NEST INNOVATION CENTER

is a non-profit and VET Centre, focused on education, training and society building for Albanian youth, with a goal of creating a more digital, inclusive, and sustainable society. Working mostly in the IT and tourism sectors, their intention is to enhance practical skills to fill the needs of the labor market and raise awareness among Albanian youth regarding sustainable development, building a society and economy that supports and values the natural environment.

This year, Spoonbill Nest Innovation Center is taking a step forward by becoming a part of this worldwide network of Representatives, promoting the concept of sustainability in the tourism sector by representing Green Destinations in both Albania and Kosovo, and will be approaching new destinations to be a part of the program. Those wishing to find out more about the Green Destinations program should email info@spoonbillnestcenter.org for more information.
BACK TO BLOG PAGE

News /COVID-19 Status Update

Posted on 03 Nov 2021

COVID-19: Situation Displayed by World Health Organization

COVID-19 in the Balkans

Covid-19, a respiratory disease, which had its origin in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has now spread globally. Inevitably, the Balkan region makes no exception. The outbreak of this virus evolves rapidly with new cases every day, but the statistics  show as follows:

Covid-19 Balkans
Covid19-Balkans
Covid19-Balkans

For further information about travel in the Balkans, visit the websites below:

 

Bulgaria: https://www.mfa.bg/en/
Croatia: http://www.mvep.hr/en/
Greece: https://www.mfa.gr/en/index.html
Romania: https://www.mae.ro/en/
Slovenia: https://www.gov.si/en/state-authorities/ministries/ministry-of-foreign-affairs/
Bosnia & Herzegovina: http://www.mvp.gov.ba/default.aspx?pageIndex=1
Montenegro: http://www.mvp.gov.me/en/ministry
North Macedonia: https://www.mfa.gov.mk/en
Serbia: http://www.mfa.rs/en/
Kosovo: https://www.mfa-ks.net/en/

 

COVID-19 in Albania

In Albania, the cities with the reported cases are as listed below:

Covid-19 Albania - Big Table
Covid19-Albania

Following the novel coronavirus outbreak, the Albanian government started to take some measures to slow down the spread of the disease. The government presented a few prevention measures regarding tourism this year.
For further information about travel in Albania, click here.

COVID-19 Prevention Measures in Albania

Public movement is restricted from 23:00 until 06:00 A.M, except for health reasons or emergencies. Masks remain mandatory for indoors and public transportation. It is recommended to keep the mask in all those places where is not possible to keep social distance and for those which have not received the full dose of vaccination. Night clubs remain closed. Activities are restricted from 23:00  until 06:00 A.M for bars and restaurant, except the delivery service. Outdoor gatherings will be allowed for up to 50 people, following the protocol of rules and social distance, set by the Institute of Public Health Albania: http://www.ishp.gov.al/. Sports championships, the activities of theatres, artistic, cultural performances, and conferences will be allowed with the presence of fans, with a reduced capacity of up to 30% according to the IPH protocol.

Traveling in Albania

Your wellbeing is primary for us. During this unprecedented situation created by COVID-19, we have been in touch with all the public institutions and local partners, to assure maximal security on all of your travels with us.

We have strictly followed and we have implemented all the guidelines and protocols published by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection & The Institute of Public Health, against the spread of the virus.

Starting from 06th of September 2021, to enter the Republic of Albania, whether by land, sea or air, you must be equipped with:

• Vaccination passport, which is valid 14 days after the second dose of vaccine has been administered; OR

• PCR test performed up to 72 hours before entry; OR

• Rapid antigen test performed within 48 hours before entry; OR

• Valid document proving that you have passed or recovered from Covid-19 up to 6 months after recovery;

• These criteria also applies to those travelers who transit through Albania; 

• Children up to the age of 6 are exempt from these criteria; 

• Albanian citizens residing in Albania, who return and do not have a document mentioned above, must be isolated for 10 days and inform the health authorities to perform a test at the end of isolation.

• Only traveling passengers will enter the airport building, avoiding being escorted by their family members;

• Passengers must respect the social distance of 1.5 meters during the entire stay at the airport;

• Priority is given to the elderly, people in need, and families with minor children; 

 

For more information: https://www.tirana-airport.com/c/116/measures-and-rules/

News/First Flight from Yerevan to Tirana

Posted on 20 Jul 2021

First Flight from Yerevan to Tirana International Airport

Another link has been established with Tirana International Airport. On July 10, 2021, the first charter from Yerevan, Armenia arrived in Tirana. Direct flights will be carried out during the high season by Albawings, an Albanian airline. Discussions started since March 2021 and finally it was made possible with a cooperation between Visa Concord, Elite Travel Albania, and Albawings.

 

 

Visa Concord Travel Group is one of the leading Armenian travel agencies. It was founded in 1997 and has almost 20 years of experience in the travel industry. In addition, they are a member of the Lufthansa City Center franchise and an accredited partner of IATA and American Express Travel. Some of their clients are large private companies operating in Armenia.

Elite Travel cooperation with Visa Concord

We are proud that Visa Concord is cooperating with Elite Travel Albania to bring our undiscovered Mediterranean country closer to its clients and Armenian tourists. They will be offering different travel packages. These packages will include some of the best  accommodation options in Albania and tours starting from coastal cities to important historical and cultural centers. 

 

We hope that this first flight is only the beginning of many more and we start to see the revitalisation of the Albanian tourism.

Stay tuned for more updates!

BACK TO CORPORATE NEWS

News/Our experience with ISRAIR in 2021

Posted on 17 July 2021

Our Experience with ISRAIR in 2021

Ever since Albania became a green list country and was considered a no-risk destination, there have been discussions on the arrival of foreign tourists. 

 

In May, we had some great news about the restart of tourism in Albania. The first flight from Israir Airlines arrived at Tirana International Airport on May 13th. Israir is a well-known Israeli airline with an international reputation and is growing fastly in the Israeli market. 

ETG and ISRAIR

Elite Travel Group and Israir established an agreement in 2018 to provide direct flights from Israel to Albania. Just like the rest of the world, the pandemic stopped these flights. However, Israel outpaced the rest of the world with its vaccination roll-out.

Vaccinated citizens received green passes to facilitate traveling. That is why tourists from Israel were some of the first that we were expecting. Tourists arriving with Israir flights to Albania were exclusively accommodated in 4-stars and 5-stars hotels in Tirana and Golem region in Durres.

 

During July, the charters were arriving 3 times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday with a full capacity of 160 seats for each flight. 

What do they like the most about Albania?

Ohrid excursion israel tourists

Tourists from Israel have a wide range of preferred activities in Albania. Most of them are on leisure trips in hotels in Tirana and fewer in Durres beach hotels. They are satisfied with the activities and consider Albania as a well-balanced value for money destination. Mostly, they are interested in cultural trips, adventure, and outdoor activities. Their most preferred programs are Off-Road Tours with 4×4 cars throughout Albania and other Balkan countries. This is because, in their country, the military is mandatory and lasts three years. Consequently, they got the skills to adapt to mountains, wildlife, and be great drivers in off-road tours.

 

Another reason why they love Albania is because of our water resources. In Israel, they lack these kinds of resources, and they use filters to transform salty water into normal water suitable for drinking and normal daily usage. Tourists from Israel also like Albania because of the past relations from WWII. Albanians have welcomed and supported them during those hard times.

Albanian tourism and the future

The arrival of Israeli tourists is a green light and a sign that tourism in Albania will soon start to breathe and hopefully return to the previous levels before the pandemic.

 

We are working hard and hope that Albania will become a year-round destination for Israeli guests. Tackling seasonality is Elite Travel Group’s and Israir’s common mission and vision for the hospitality industry after the Covid-19 pandemic.

BACK TO CORPORATE NEWS

News / ETG cooperation with vet schools

Posted on 12 Nov 2020

ETG cooperation with VET schools:

32 students in 4 disciplines

It has been a while now that we have introduced our Corporation Social Responsibility project, which concerns the education and training of the youth in our city. That is why we created the Elite Academy. A sub-brand exclusively dedicated to all those interested in learning new skills for the future of the workplace. Of course, our main partners in this initiative have been the VET Schools of Elbasan. European Vocational Skills Week

Multimedia Course

How Elite Travel Group cooperates with schools?

We started our cooperation with these schools earlier in 2008, while our brand in cooperation with the international and central government, wanted to implement Dual VET education in tourism (German model).

 

It has been a long journey and finally after the legislation improvements during 2018, 2019, and now, we are excited to share our progress. We introduced our first courses, which consisted of theoretical and practical teaching.

 

Luckily, we had great communication with these VET schools who trusted in our guidance for their students. At first, we had 14 students who participated in our training courses in different categories. All those who had good English skills were directly employed part-time in their field of interest. This year, we have 33 students in the first semester already, and we expect to double this number during the second semester. European Vocational Skills Week

Developer course
Marketing Course

What do we aspire to achieve?

Our goal is to support the young students of these schools by mentoring, inspiring them, and also offering them internship opportunities. This is something that the educational system in Elbasan has lacked for several years now.

 

The youth needs to be aware of the opportunities that they have in their country, and also discover their passion. As our General Manager, Mr. Elvis Kotherja, says – “Every single student has their own talent. However, we should be patient and show them all we have to offer and tell them what is in for them. In this way, they can understand and choose what they are good at.” 

 

So, we aspire to set a new standard in education in our city. We believe that next year we will have a lot more to tell regarding the cooperation between an enterprise, VET schools, and local institutions. Stay tuned for our next updates!

BACK TO CORPORATE NEWS

News / ETG and Albatros S.A. cooperation

Posted on 12 Jan 2018

ETG and Albatros S.A. cooperation:

Coaching the hoteliers

Cooperation between Albatros SA, Elite Travel Group & Elite Academy

 

One of the focuses of our company is coaching the hoteliers, restaurants, and activity providers. For that purpose, we have come up with Elite Coaching and Elite Hospitality, two sub-brands that are aiming to “train the trainers”. For this new project, we have teamed up with Albatros SA and we have worked together to train hoteliers, restaurants, and activity providers from Albania and Kosovo. This project aims to help them improve their standards so that they are compliant with the company’s services.

The Coaching Process

This project started in January 2019. Firstly, the company conducted research visits and interviews at the hotels. Later on, there was a selection process for 45 hoteliers throughout Albania and Kosovo.


Next, we continued the coaching and digitalization process for each of them.

 

Firstly, the process focused on management. During the training, we discussed topics such as hotel management procedures, staff recruiting and HR management policy, property management system (PMS) usage, channel management, and complaint management. Another important part of this step was the cultural source market briefing that will lead to a better understanding of clients from different cultures coming to these hotels.

 

Secondly, another important part is the health & safety compliance training. It was mostly focused on hygiene procedures and F&B staff training. We also explained the importance of a Safety Management System (SMS).

 

Thirdly, we paid attention to customer services and sales staff training, including reservation handling and front desk. This will lead to more satisfied customers which is crucial for any hotel.

 

The fourth improvement was regarding the financial aspect of the business. We focused on the implementation of a payment gateway, improvement of financial accounting, and also the enforcement of financial compliance.

 

Lastly, we also discussed marketing options and mostly focused on digital marketing. Our proposed options were content writing and multimedia content production to reach as many customers as possible both locally and internationally.

Results of the Project

As expected, we were very satisfied with the turnout of this project coaching the hoteliers, restaurants, and activity providers. Coaching has been conducted for all 45 hoteliers in the region. The project resulted in an impressive growth of 550%. We are positive that it will change and improve hoteliers, restaurants, and activity providers in this region.


Stay tuned for more projects that will be conducted throughout Albania!

BACK TO CORPORATE NEWS

News/Discovering Elite Travel Group’s profit centers

Posted on 15 Feb 2021

Discovering Elite Travel Group’s Profit Centers

As we have mentioned before, Elite Travel Group was established in 2000 and today is a well-known travel company in Albania. On a mission to give people the best of the Balkans and Eastern Europe, we have expanded our business throughout the years.

 

Today, we have six profit centers, which do not offer only leisure services but also corporate travel services and business travel in Albania, as well as contributing to our community with our CSR initiatives.

Click the video for a full description of our brands

Which are our profit centers and what do they offer?

Firstly, we have Elite Travel Albania which is an inbound service provider only to B2C (Business to Client). ETA offers theme-tailored services and guaranteed departures, tours, excursions, shore excursions, transfers, rent a car, luxury programs, and other land products. These services are offered throughout Eastern Europe, the Balkans countries, and Albania as well. Elite Travel Albania’s carefully-crafted routes take you to both the classic sights and lesser-known, rural highlights. The passion and desire are still at the highest level.

Next, we have Elite Travel Agency. It is a tour operator for Albanians traveling out of Albania especially to the Balkan Regions and Central Europe. It offers accommodation for weekends/weekly stays, weekend breaks, cultural trips, and daily excursions. ETAg also has its contracted cruise offers for which inland services are done and operated by Elite Travel Group. And lastly, it offers explorations with 12 international trips in 5 continents, 1 each month. The company bases its work on a very professional staff and with considerable experience in the field of services.

The third profit center is Elite Travel Lufthansa City Center. This profit center provides its services to Albanian clients, Albanian businesses, and also International corporate accounts. These services include airplane tickets, ferry tickets, visa service, accommodation, tour packages, and airport transfers. Elite Travel – LCC with 20 years of experience in the travel business, is already part of a global network Lufthansa City Center known as the best and most reliable company in the global travel market, with about 5500 employees, 650 agencies in most more than 80 countries around the globe.

As for the inbound service provider for B2B (Business to Business), we have Elite DMC. It offers hospitality products such as special accommodation contracts, round trips, theme tours, excursions and experiences, transfer services, shore excursions, Luxury programs, MICE, and many other land services. Elite DMC offers these services throughout Eastern Europe, Balkans countries, and Albania.

In addition, our Elite Mobility profit center offers transport services, rent a car, rent a driver services in Albania and the Balkans. corporate travel services

As for the inbound service provider for B2B (Business to Business), we have Elite DMC. It offers hospitality products such as special accommodation contracts, round trips, theme tours, excursions and experiences, transfer services, shore excursions, Luxury programs, MICE, and many other land services. Elite DMC offers these services throughout Eastern Europe, Balkans countries, and Albania.

In addition, our Elite Mobility profit center offers transport services, rent a car, rent a driver services in Albania and the Balkans. corporate travel services

We have Elite Academy which offers training and courses (especially for the tourism industry) focused on the principles of dual study. This is a nonprofit section, but the company is benefiting by qualifying young employees, improve its image, awareness, and company culture. This is done by offering social responsibility activities and this is considered a profit of professional development. Elite Academy is made of a group of dedicated tourism professionals with a great deal of experience. Everybody is constantly attentive to global tourism trends, especially digitalization, which is constantly changing the industry. Elite Academy is aware of the urgent need for competent serving staff in hospitality, and provide both introductory and advanced training that is specially adapted to the needs of the tourism and hospitality sector. Its courses are characterized by a combination of theoretical training and direct practice.

Elite Coaching helps entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals grow in a variety of ways. They usually work on a fixed schedule to share actionable feedback, personalized advice, and growth plans for their clients to increase company revenue, accelerate their career, or increase business growth. What Elite Coaching does, is a sustainable and smart transformation for the exponential growth of all industries.

For further information and updates, you can follow us on our social media.

Facebook Twitter Youtube
BACK TO CORPORATE NEWS

News /commitment & quality monitoring

Posted on 04 Mar 2020

Commitment & Quality monitoring certificate 2019 – LCC Elite Travel

As a member of the Lufthansa City Center Franchise, each year, Elite Travel receives the performance evaluation from LCC Commitment & Quality Monitoring. Recently, our agency got the LCC Top Performer Certificate 3*, reaching the highest possible level. We have achieved this certificate since 2013, and we continue our commitment towards LCC and our high-quality work.

Quality-commitment

What were the requirements for Elite Travel?

Elite Travel LCC had to ensure that each of the four categories was fully completed, in order to obtain the Top Performance Certificate.

 

Firstly, we made sure that the agency’s appearance matched the LCC Corporate Identity.

 

Secondly, we had to keep our data up to date and always at 100%.

 

Thirdly, we had to sign the GDPR and Code of Cooperation. This means that we process the client’s data only to fulfill contractual obligations and only based on their consent.

 

Lastly, we had to be punctual with our payments.

 

As a result, by completing all these steps we closed another successful year with the LCC Franchise.

We are proud to continue to be part of the LCC network and work towards a successful future

Elite Travel Lufthansa City Center

We are proud to continue to be part of the LCC network and work towards a successful future

BACK TO CORPORATE NEWS

News /commitment & quality monitoring

Posted on 04 Mar 2020

Commitment & Quality monitoring certificate 2019 – LCC Elite Travel

As a member of the Lufthansa City Center Franchise, each year, Elite Travel receives the performance evaluation from LCC Commitment & Quality Monitoring. Recently, our agency got the LCC Top Performer Certificate 3*, reaching the highest possible level. We have achieved this certificate since 2013, and we continue our commitment towards LCC and our high-quality work.

What were the requirements for Elite Travel?

Elite Travel LCC had to ensure that each of the four categories was fully completed, in order to obtain the Top Performance Certificate.

Firstly, we made sure that the agency’s appearance matched the LCC Corporate Identity.

Secondly, we had to keep our data up to date and always at 100%.

Thirdly, we had to sign the GDPR and Code of Cooperation. This means that we process the client’s data only to fulfill contractual obligations and only based on their consent.

Lastly, we had to be punctual with our payments.

As a result, by completing all these steps we closed another successful year with the LCC Franchise.

LCC offices
LCC Offices
Top Performer 2019 LCC

We are proud to continue to be part of the LCC network and work towards a successful future

BACK TO CORPORATE NEWS
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

About: marketing@etg.al

Posts by marketing@etg.al:

Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.