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: 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: 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/ […]

Read More…

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? 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 […]

Read More…

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 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 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 […]

Read More…

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 […]

Read More…

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 […]

Read More…

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. We are proud to continue to be part of the LCC network and work towards a successful future We are proud to continue to be part of the LCC network and work towards a successful future BACK TO CORPORATE NEWS […]

Read More…

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. We are proud to continue to be part of the LCC network and work towards a successful future BACK TO CORPORATE NEWS […]

Read More…

News / how will business travel change Posted on 26 Apr 2021 How will business travel change post COVID-19 The year 2020 was a hard hit for travel and tourism, especially for business travel and corporate travel. With the worldwide lockdown and strict travel restrictions, our homes turned into offices, and miles of distance turned to minute-long Zoom meetings. But what will be the future of business travel post-Covid-19? Business travel pre-Covid Business travel is that part of the travel industry that is focused on individuals who travel for work purposes. Therefore, their requirements are different compared to those of leisure travelers. When it comes to this type of customer, travel management companies must take care of transport, accommodation, as well as activities such as meetings, exhibitions, or conferences. For many companies and organizations, business travel has been essential for their success. Consequently, throughout the years it has become a multibillion-dollar industry. As a result, corporate travel is the main source of tourism for major city centers and popular hotel chains. Also, it is responsible for around half of revenues for all major airlines. How did the pandemic affect corporate travel? The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted all sorts of travel and tourism. According to Statista, global business travel spending dropped by 61% in 2020. Meanwhile, in 2019 it reached an all-time high of 1.3 trillion U.S. dollars. In 2020, businesses have explored a new way of working through virtual meetings and home offices. While they discovered that it can be beneficial, it also reminded them of the importance of human contact. As tech gadgets have tremendously simplified work, they can also lead to professionals experiencing burnout. And in some scenarios, only meeting in person will do. So, when it comes to creating new relationships, it can be difficult to build trust through the screen. Additionally, whenever there are too many people involved not everyone can easily participate in the conversation. So, when dealing with people from different cultures, face-to-face meetings are crucial to seal the deal. BACK TO CORPORATE NEWS […]

Read More…

News / bashkëpunimi ETG dhe Albatros S.A: këshillimi i hotelierëve Posted on 12 Jan 2018 Bashkëpunimi ETG dhe Albatros S.A: këshillimi i hotelierëve Projekt midis Albatros S.A, Elite Travel Group & Elite Academy Një nga fokuset e kompanisë sonë është këshillimi i hotelierëve, restoranteve dhe ofruesve të aktiviteteve. Për këtë arsye, ne krijuam Elite Coaching dhe Elite Hospitality, dy nën-marka që synojnë të “trajnojnë trajnerët”. Për këtë projekt të ri, jemi bashkuar me Albatros SA dhe kemi punuar së bashku për të trajnuar hotelierë, restorante dhe ofrues aktivitetesh nga Shqipëria dhe Kosova. Ky projekt synon t’i ndihmojë të përmirësojnë standardet e tyre në mënyrë që ata të jenë në përputhje me shërbimet e kompanisë. Procesi i Trajnimit Ky projekt filloi në Janar, 2019. Në fillim kompania zhvilloi vizita kërkimore dhe intervista nëpër hotele. Më vonë, u zhvillua një proces përzgjedhje për 45 hotelierë në të gjithë Shqipërinë dhe Kosovën. Më tej, ne vazhduam procesin e trajnimit dhe digjitalizimit për secilin prej tyre. Së pari, procesi u përqendrua në sektorin e menaxhimit. Gjatë trajnimit, u diskutuan tema të tilla si procedurat e menaxhimit të hoteleve, rekrutimi i stafit dhe politika e menaxhimit të burimeve njerëzore, përdorimi i sistemit të menaxhimit të pronave (PMS), dhe menaxhimi i ankesave. Një pjesë tjetër e rëndësishme e këtij hapi ishte informimi mbi tregun e burimeve kulturore që do të rezultojë në një kuptim më të mirë të klientëve nga vende dhe kultura të ndryshme që vijnë në këto hotele. Së dyti, një pjesë tjetër e rëndësishme është trajnimi mbi shëndetin dhe sigurinë. Kjo pjesë përqëndrohet kryesisht në procedurat e higjenës dhe rëndësinë e një Sistemi të Menaxhimit të Sigurisë (SMS). Së treti, vëmendje të veçantë merr shërbimi i klientit dhe trajnimi i stafit të shitjeve, duke përfshirë rezervimet dhe recepsionin. Kjo do të rezultojë në më shumë klientë të kënaqur, gjë që është thelbësore për çdo ofrues shërbimesh. Së fundmi, diskutuam opsionet e marketingut dhe u përqendruam kryesisht në marketingun digjital. Propozimet ishin shkrimi i kontentit dhe prodhimi multimedias për të prekur sa më shumë klientë si në nivel lokal ashtu dhe ndërkombëtar. Bashkëpunimi ETG dhe Albatros S.A: këshillimi i hotelierëve Këshillimi i hotelierëve, restoranteve dhe ofruesve të aktiviteteve pati një rezultat mjaft të kënaqshëm. Trajnimi është kryer për të 45 hotelierët në rajon. Projekti rezultoi në një rritje prej 550%. Jemi të bindur se këto trajnime do të përmirësojnë ndjeshëm shërbimet e hotelierëve, restoranteve dhe ofruesve të këtyre shërbimeve në rajon. Na ndiqni për përditësime mbi projekte të reja! BACK TO CORPORATE NEWS […]

Read More…