Rr. "Kozma Naska", Nr:33/6,
Elbasan 3001, Albania
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.
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.
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!
The creative playground – Elite Travel Group
Play-Doh, a human knot, and planting a tree – what is happening at Elite Travel Group’s headquarter?! To improve communication and team play within the Elite Travel Group as well as with our partners we are constantly working to grow as a company.
Therefore we invited Prof. Dr. Claudia Brözel from Germany. Prof. Dr. Claudia works at the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development at the faculty of Sustainable Business focusing on tourism. She held an active Design Thinking Workshop to experience a new and creative way to approach future challenges.
The concept Design Thinking Workshop is a creative process to define challenges and come up with possibilities and prototypes and to test new ideas to find the best solutions for the company. For two days our team was motivated and moderated through the workshop by Prof. Dr. Claudia Brözel. The main aim: strengthening the team spirit, thinking outside the box, handling a challenge from another perspective – so why not use Play-Doh?!
Team building methods like games such as the Gordian knot or a one-on-one interview on a personal level to get to know each other make for a good warm-up – as if it was not hot enough already with 40 degrees outside.
After the fun part always comes the creative workflow: Within three groups the Elite Travel Group team identified the responsibilities, the values, and purpose of the company, their own role, and personal goals by using the canvas model.
Have you ever asked yourself what your personal role is in your company? What are your strengths and what do you expect from your company and yourself?
Creativity was needed from everyone for the actual Design Thinking Challenge on the second day.
The Challenge: “How might we reach our customer directly with the most fitting product or service?”
Three groups approached the challenge from three different perspectives by starting to define the underlined words. The mix of different people from different backgrounds with different opinions obviously resulted in a wide-ranging understanding.
The air got heated up by all these creative minds and ideas. To visualize the outcome of the brainstorming every team member dug deep and let shine through their inner child- and that’s what Play-Doh and lots of other craft materials were used.
To conclude the two days Design Thinking Workshop the whole Elite Travel Group team planted a tree together as a symbol of achieving something together as the Elite Travel Family as well as a symbol of creating everlasting experiences and let something grow together. Hand in hand, for a better future.
Sustainability integration in business is slowly starting to increase because companies are beginning to realize that they can be more successful by doing good.
Seeing this great impact of the sustainability strategies, we decided that it was time to incorporate one in our company as well. That is how we found out about Travelife. Travelife is a sustainability system, founded in 2007, which promotes sustainable practices in the travel and tourism industry. This program includes three stages:
The two main categories that are influenced by sustainability in business are society and the environment. A sustainable business must have a strategy to positively affect these fields. On the contrary, if they do not claim responsibility it can bring up issues such as environmental damage and social injustice.
Since March 2019, Elite Travel Group is a Travelife Partner and since February 2022 Travelife Certified.
As we are about to be the first Albanian company Travelife certified, we know how important it is to have common sense and to care for social life, for the economy of the area and region in which we live, and, last but not least, care about the environment. Sustainability as a concept comes with different challenges in different countries. Since we are considered a country under development, our biggest focus remains on the social aspect. We are pioneering the sustainable policies in Albania, through our public and social activities, society-building concepts through education and training for the young, teacher communities, and the suppliers. We strongly believe that education is the best means by which we can provide the support to tackle the economic and environmental aspects. We know that we alone cannot change the place we live in, but alone we can inspire others and be copied by them, to make today better than yesterday.
It is worth emphasizing some of our most remarkable moments in this journey towards sustainability. During October 2019 we had the Green Month at our office, which consisted of weekly activities to improve the environment. In the photos below you can see some of them:
Limiting elevator usage
Something else that we are doing currently is limiting the usage of the elevator at our headquarters. In this way, we can save electricity and encourage our employees to be more active.
Three Germans, one Chilean, one travel company, four internships – as Pia would say ? During July and August 2019 we welcomed four student interns at our ETG headquarters in Elbasan, Albania. They all came from Eberswalde University in Berlin, which is entirely focused on sustainable tourism. Being part of the Sustainable Tourism Management master’s program, they decided to join our team to complete their internship semester of 17 weeks and they also got to explore a little bit more about Albania.
Pia-Marie Opitz, from Bremen, Germany. Her aim was to support product development, focusing on attractions, activities, and festivals in all regions in Albania. Her task was to help to identify interesting elements, which also empower and support the local communities for further product development.
Nina Saggese, from Mainz, Germany. Her task at Elite Travel was to identify traditional products from Albania through all of the 12 regions. As a foodie and a wine lover, of course, her topics were food, wine & costumes.
Simon Reuter, from Nuremberg, Germany. Being an outdoor sports lover, his task was to identify tourism products in different regions for further development in the future, with special regard to outdoor and adventure tourism.
Gonzalo Torres Flores, from Valparaíso, Chile. His goal in the company was to support Elite Academy, motivate young people, help to organize the training of the staff and improve the employment situation in Elbasan.
They all traveled across Albania and got familiar with our country, our traditions and our people. These travels mostly benefited Pia, Nina, and Simon so that they could gather materials for their internship tasks. Meanwhile, Gonzalo was more focused on the activities of Elite Academy, such as Spoonbill Nest 2019. Having these students as part of our team for four months was also a great opportunity for us. They brought their own perspective, each in their unique way and that is why Elite Travel Group is always open to offer internships. These internships were not the first ones that we have offered as a company and we look forward to having many more in the future with students from all around the world.
Planning a life in Albania usually means emigrating. There are barely any jobs, and the wages are low. Some deliberately stay home and work to improve their country’s future.
Fifty kilometers farther east, just off the Macedonian border, Elvis Kotherja is stomping down soggy meadows because the paths are full of knee-deep puddles. The travel organizer wants to show off the nature of his country.
The Shebenik-Jablanica national park is one of the youngest and largest ones of its kind in the country. It’s located at the former Iron Curtain and historically was a barred military area. The old beech forests are now protected. Some of them are watched over by UNESCO. There are glacial lakes, the Balkan lynx, wolves and brown bears, as well as endemic plants such as the Balkan violet and the Albanian lily.
Other countries would set out and develop a tourism strategy immediately, charge admission fees and offer services; this hasn’t happened here yet, despite 18,000 tourists visiting the park a year now. Most only stay for a single day, and even the town from which the hikers set out only has a few bunk beds and a shared bathroom at the visitors’ center if someone wants to stay the night.
«They should build small, simple bungalows with their own bathrooms, surrounded by nature. Visitors would love that. »
Elvis Kotherja
The 38-year-old has many ideas. He can see what would promise success and where the issues are. He hopes that the locals have the courage to open a guest house, a bicycle rental station, and a snack stand for the national park. He hopes the emigrated generation will return to build a future here.
«Education must come first,» Elvis Kotherja says.
He was born during the time of dictatorship. His parents named him after the US rock star they loved.
Yet that is just what training looks like in large parts of the country. The curricula are outdated, too.
«Plumbers are still taught to work with copper pipes when we have long ago switched to plastic ones.» It wasn’t exactly surprising that young people lacked enthusiasm under such circumstances.
His company, Elite Travel Albania, employs about fifty people. He never tires of training them and others. Elvis Kotherja received a sustainability award and founded an academy where he offers workshops for guides, receptionists, waiters, and programmers. He sets an example and hopes that others will copy him – be they companies or the state. His company’s logo shows a spoonbill bird, representing nature and sustainability.
«This migratory bird is also a synonym for Albanians who leave the country,» says Elvis Kotherja.
That is what he thinks needs to be prevented. The people must once more believe in their own country and invest in their own future here. The citizens of Berat do the same. The cobblestone alleys are lined with small cafés, restaurants, boutiques and souvenir shops.
After the collapse of Communism, the city was quickly looking for different options. Its citizens put their hopes in tourism and set up a website, put up signposts and installed notice signs. The children now rush out of their schools; they are proud of their pretty clothes, and new satchels. They confidently try out their first words in English. They are visionaries already, even though they do not yet know it. They are the country’s future.
Lebensplanung in Albanien bedeutet meist auszuwandern, denn es gibt kaum Jobs und die Löhne sind niedrig. Doch manche bleiben ganz bewusst in ihrer Heimat und arbeiten an der Zukunft des Landes.
Fünfzig Kilometer weiter im Osten, kurz vor der mazedonischen Grenze, stapft Elvis Kotherja über aufgeweichte Wiesen, weil die Wege voll knietiefer Pfützen sind. Der Reiseunternehmer will zeigen, was sein Land an Natur zu bieten hat.
Der Nationalpark Shebenik-Jablanica ist einer der jüngsten und grössten des Landes, liegt am ehemaligen Eisernen Vorhang und war lange Zeit militärisches Sperrgebiet. Die alten Buchenwälder stehen inzwischen unter Schutz, über einen Teil wacht sogar die UNESCO. Es gibt Gletscherseen, den Balkanluchs, Wölfe und Braunbären, ausserdem endemische Pfl anzen wie das Balkanveilchen und die Albanische Lilie.
Andere Länder würden direkt ein Tourismuskonzept entwickeln, Eintritt verlangen, Services anbieten. 18 000 Touristen kommen inzwischen in den Park, meist nur für Tagesausflüge. Selbst in dem Ort, an dem die Wanderungen starten, gibt es zum Übernachten nur ein paar Stockbetten mit Gemeinschaftsbad im Besucherzentrum.
«Hier müsste man kleine Bungalows in die Natur bauen, einfach, aber mit eigenem Bad. Das würde Besuchern gefallen.»
Elvis Kotherja
Der 38-Jährige hat viele Ideen. Er sieht, was Erfolg verspricht und wo es hakt. Für den Nationalpark hofft er, dass die Einheimischen den Mut haben, ein Guesthouse, einen Fahrradverleih und einen Imbissstand zu eröffnen. Und dass die ausgewanderte Generation zurückkommt und sich hier eine Zukunft auf baut.
«An erster Stelle muss Bildung stehen», findet Elvis Kotherja, der noch während der Diktatur zur Welt kam und den seine Eltern so nannten, weil sie den amerikanischen Rockstar mochten.
Denn so sieht die Ausbildung in weiten Teilen bei veralteten Lehrplänen noch aus.
«Ein Klempner lernt, wie man mit Kupferrohren arbeitet, obwohl längst Plastikrohre benutzt werden.» Dass da das Engagement des Nachwuchses leide, sei keine Frage.
Rund fünfzig Menschen arbeiten für seine Firma, die Elite Travel Albania. Er wird nicht müde, sie und andere zu schulen. Elvis Kotherja hat einen Nachhaltigkeitspreis bekommen und eine Akademie gegründet, in der er Workshops für Guides, Rezeptionisten, Kellner und Programmierer anbietet. Er geht voran und hofft, kopiert zu werden – von Firmen oder vom Staat. Das Logo seiner Firma ist ein Löffler, ein Vogel, der an Natur und Nachhaltigkeit denken lässt.
«Aber dieser Zugvogel ist auch ein Synonym für Albaner, die das Land verlassen», sagt Elvis Kotherja.
Und genau das ist es, was es seiner Ansicht nach zu verhindern gilt. Die Bevölkerung muss wieder ans eigene Land glauben und hier in die eigene Zukunft investieren. So wie es die Bewohner Berats tun. An den Pflastergassen finden sich kleine Cafés, Restaurants, Boutiquen und Souvenirläden.
Die Stadt hat nach dem Zusammenbruch des Kommunismus früh eine Alternative gesucht und in der Hoffnung auf Tourismus eine Webseite eingerichtet, Wegweiser aufgestellt und Hinweisschilder angebracht. Ihre Kinder strömen gerade aus den Schulhäusern. Sie sind stolz auf ihre hübschen Kleider, die neuen Schulranzen und probieren selbstbewusst ihr erstes Englisch aus. Sie sind bereits Visionäre, ohne es zu wissen. Sie sind die Zukunft des Lande
*This article was taken from Edelweiss Travel Magazine December 2019-February 2020 issue
*Dieser Artikel stammt aus der Dezember 2019-Februar 2020-Ausgabe des Edelweiss Travel Magazine
This webinar series will be presented on March 3-rd, 17-th, and 24-th, and will reveal important information about adapting to market trends, the new priorities for health and safety protocols, and provide a toolkit for B2B marketing in the current global crisis, all tailored to the needs of Western Balkan economies. More details about the individual webinars can be found attached.
Marlon van Hee will be leading the presentations and will share some practical tools and guidance for accessing the European markets, understanding and marketing USPs, implementing WTTC-protocols for COVID-19 for all sectors in the supply chain, and finding digital alternatives to traditional marketing strategies.
The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is an all-inclusive, regionally owned, and led cooperation framework. RCC’s Triple P Tourism Project, a three-year initiative funded by the EU, focuses on the 6 IPA II beneficiaries in the Western Balkans. The project aims to improve the quality of the tourism offer by: creating joint offer/product(s) to foster regional integration in the tourism sector and its joint global promotion; diversifying tourism offer of the region; alleviating policy barriers to development of tourism industry and easing of administrative procedures; improving the level of services related to tourism; and supporting small-scale infrastructure projects to support the development of regional tourism offer/product.
Contact info:
Organization: Elite Travel Group
Address: “Rr. Kozma Naska”, Nr. 33/6, Elbasan 3001, Albania
e-mail: terena.cardwell@etg.al
Contact info:
Organization: RCC TripleP Project
Address: Trg Bosne i Hercegovine 1/V 71000 Sarajevo
e-mail: tourism@rcc.int
March 3, 10 am – 1 pm CET:
“Adapting Tourism Products for New Priority Markets: Improving access in the new EU market landscape, USPs, and preparing for trade fairs”
This webinar will teach how to successfully export to leading EU source markets through detailed information about trends and developments, (niche) market segments, and developing the right products. Attendees will gain a profound understanding of what B2B partners expect from them. This webinar will also focus on the importance of Unique Selling Points and how to optimize the corporate presentation on/offline including learning how to do an elevator pitch, the difference between B2C and B2B communication. During the webinar, special attention will also be given to the post-Covid era, health and safety, and sustainability practices. Finally, the webinar will help trainees to get better prepared for trade fair participation, including the upcoming ITB Berlin.
March 17, 10 am – 1 pm CET:
“Health and Safety Protocols in the Tourism Value Chain – International best practices and the road towards a Regional Approach”
This webinar includes an overview of international best practices for tour operating businesses, with a focus on how to be adaptive & resilient to the current state of affairs, and the specific needs of various tourism sectors. The importance of alignment of national tourism health and safety criteria with the WTTC-protocols, and of having an audit (management) system in place to monitor and evaluate proper implementation, will be covered. The webinar will also serve as a platform to further discuss the current national tourism health and safety systems in place in the different WB6 economies, to look for synergies and the possibilities to work towards a regional, common approach. Attendees will have access to a downloadable “COVID-19 Manual for Tour Operators”, and also have the opportunity to register for an optional individual Health and Safety Certification exam from Travelife, which is internationally recognized. Guest Speaker: Ms. Lan Chi, Travelife.
March 24, 10 am – 1 pm CET:
“B2B Marketing – Optimizing your Tourism Promotional Activities – a Toolkit for strategic guidance with special attention to COVID-19 and Sustainability”
Attendees will be familiarized with the newly developed “Tourism Destination Promotion Toolbox for Business Support Organizations (BSOs)”. This Toolbox – jointly created by CBI (cbi.eu), ITC (intracen.org), SIPPO (sippo.ch), and IPD (importpromotiondesk.de) – helps tourism businesses and tourism business support organizations (BSOs) to select and implement the optimal (destination) promotion activities and to strengthen destination competitiveness and sustainability, and introduces the following six main tourism promotion tools available:
Trade Fairs (B2C and B2B)
Road Shows
Familiarisation Trips (B2B, press and media)
OFFLINE campaigns
ONLINE campaigns
Press and Media
The Toolbox was developed in 2020, and therefore takes into account Covid-19 and its consequences on the tourism sector, including adaptations of these tools for the current and postpandemic realities. During the webinar, the examples of familiarization trips and trade fairs in the current tourism context will be discussed in depth.
Disclaimer: The contents of this document the sole responsibility of the Elite Travel Group and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Regional Cooperation Council and the European Union.
Covid-19: The world’s new enemy pandemic
We are all experiencing difficult times at the moment. People’s lives all over the world are disrupted by the coronavirus – also known as Convid-19. Many people are infected and sadly many have already lost their lives. This disease changed the way we live our lives, the environment we live in and mobility is almost paralyzed, our economies, and our work environment has never seen or experienced before such a big disruption.
covid-19 pandemic balkans
Especially, the tourism sector is affected by this situation to an existential extent.
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 as of 30th of March. covid-19 pandemic balkans
First ISRAIR flight to Albania for 2021
Albania has long awaited the restart of travel and tourism post-pandemic. Finally, Albanian tourism is seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Recently we became a green list country and are considered a no-risk destination. For some time now there have been discussions on the arrival of foreign tourists. However, until now we did not have an exact date.
This week there was some good news that the first flight from Israir Airlines will arrive at Tirana International Airport on May 13th. Israir is a well-known Israeli airline that has established direct flights to Albania since 2018. Just like the rest of the world, these flights were halted due to the pandemic. However, Israel has outpaced the rest of the world with vaccinations. Around 55 percent of the population have received one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and more than 41 percent have received two doses. Citizens have also been equipped with green passes to facilitate traveling. That is why tourists from Israel were some of the first that we were expecting. Tourists arriving with this Israir flight to Albania will be exclusively accommodated in 4-stars and 5-stars hotels in Tirana and Golem region in Durrës.
It looks like this first Israir flight to Albania is the start of Albanian tourism recovery.
Stay tuned for more updates!
What will be the travel hygiene trends post-covid?
With the start of the vaccination process and immunization of the population, the travel industry is finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. However, travel and tourism will probably be different from now on. The post-COVID travel era will have increased attention toward cleanliness and hygiene. Despite being vaccinated, most travelers will watch out for health and safety policies. So, what will the picture of the future of travel hygiene trends be?
As airlines start to operate again, it will be essential to them to protect the crew and passengers and also relieve the travel anxiety. That is why they will focus on implementing processes to detect infection, physical distancing, and minimize surface contact. With the right tools for airlines, passengers might experience safer upcoming flights.
From elevated cleaning standards and collaborations with hygiene products producers to robots, hotels all over the world are working to win the customer’s trust. There are also some certifications that these hotels can achieve to prove their safeness. An example is the Safe Travels stamp created by WTTC for those businesses that have adopted their protocols. So, health and safety policies have become one of the most important factors when travelers choose their accommodation.
Tour operators have updated their cleaning and hygiene protocols as well. They must implement necessary sanitation and hygiene measures based on the nature of their activities and attractions. Some examples are contactless payments, provision of gloves and sanitary products for guests and staff, and clear communication as well.
So, to conclude, tourism stakeholders will have to work closely with health and safety officials to rebuild traveler confidence. Destinations that will invest in these measures and meet the new travel hygiene trends, will be able to succeed in the post-COVID-19 travel era.
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 […]
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 […]
Blog/the creative playground Posted on 23 Aug 2019 The creative playground – Elite Travel Group Play-Doh, a human knot, and planting a tree – what is happening at Elite Travel Group’s headquarter?! To improve communication and team play within the Elite Travel Group as well as with our partners we are constantly working to grow […]
Blog /A journey towards sustainability Posted on 15 Jan 2020 Travelife: a journey towards sustainability Sustainability integration in business is slowly starting to increase because companies are beginning to realize that they can be more successful by doing good. But what does sustainability mean in business? Seeing this great impact of the sustainability strategies, we […]
Blog/four students internships at ETG Posted on 16 Jan 2020 Four student internships at Elite Travel Group Three Germans, one Chilean, one travel company, four internships – as Pia would say ? During July and August 2019 we welcomed four student interns at our ETG headquarters in Elbasan, Albania. They all came from Eberswalde University […]
Blog/it takes a visionary spirit to move a country Posted on 29 Jan 2020 It takes a visionary spirit to move a country (Edelweiss Magazine) English Planning a life in Albania usually means emigrating. There are barely any jobs, and the wages are low. Some deliberately stay home and work to improve their country’s future. […]
Blog /rebuilding the tourism industry Posted on 24 Feb 2021 Rebuilding the tourism industry of western Balkans on new market realities and adapting the tourism products to the “New Normal” This webinar series will be presented on March 3-rd, 17-th, and 24-th, and will reveal important information about adapting to market trends, the new priorities for […]
Blog/covid: the worlds new enemy Posted on 27 Mar 2020 Covid-19: The world’s new enemy pandemic We are all experiencing difficult times at the moment. People’s lives all over the world are disrupted by the coronavirus – also known as Convid-19. Many people are infected and sadly many have already lost their lives. This disease […]
Blog/ first ISRAIR flight to Albania for 2021 Posted on 11 May 2021 First ISRAIR flight to Albania for 2021 Albania has long awaited the restart of travel and tourism post-pandemic. Finally, Albanian tourism is seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Recently we became a green list country and are considered a […]
News/travel hygiene trends post-covid Posted on 17 May 2021 What will be the travel hygiene trends post-covid? With the start of the vaccination process and immunization of the population, the travel industry is finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. However, travel and tourism will probably be different from now on. The post-COVID […]
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