1. “TUR.GRATE 2”
“InteGRATEd actions to promote sustainable ToURist development 2”
5TH Meeting of the Piloting Transborder Committee – Podgorica, 12.02.2014
Final Beneficiary 7: Municipality nr.8 Tirana
Overview on achieved Project Outputs

2. WORK PACKAGE 1:
CROSSBORDER PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION:
WP.1.1: KICK OFF MEETING.
 As a participant, Municipality Nr.8 Tirana took part in the Kick Of Meeting, in
compliance with the agenda, where the PTC were due to be constituted.
WP.1.2: GENERAL PROJECT COORDINATION.
 Municipality nr.8 Tirana, managed to take part, in the scheduled PTC
meetings, in Tirana, Nardo, Igumenica, and Podgorica, as well as in other
cross-border meetings, where attending and reporting the progress done in
the project.

3. WP1.3: FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING
ACTIVITY.
 We managed to coordinate our activities in line with the project
requirements, though some difficulties, mostly regarding with the pre
financing, DVE release, different national laws and regulations etc.
 Even though, we consider it a useful experience of cross-border coordinated
activities, and, at this point we owe special thanks to the Lead partner,
Project Technical Secretariat, and all the other partners.
 We managed to release, till now 4 progress reports, and we are about to
release the 5-th one, with 4 DVE-s partly closed.

4. WORK PACKAGE 2
Communication and Dissemination
WP.2.2: Updating and management of TUR.GRATE2 web site.
• As a participant, Municipality nr.8 Tirana, provided basic materials, such as
photos, press releases, presentations etc, in compliance with the
requirements of the Responsible for this action, the lead partner:
Municipality of Mesagne.

5. WP.2.3: Graphic design and
printing of promotional material
and publications
in this framework, we managed
to create and publish two guide
leaflets of several hundred copies
in English, dubbed
‘TIRANA
GUIDE’; the first one focusing on
historical and archeological sites,
and the second one focusing on
local products, cuisine and
accommodation facilities.
This leaflets were distributed at
hands, in our specialized offices or
during the international tourist
shows.

6. WP.2.4. Accomplishment of
promotional tourist events and
Participation
in
specialized
Tourist Shows.
Municipality nr.8 of Tirana,
was part of the ‘London Tourist
Show’, which took place from 58 October 2012.

7. A couple of hundred of
promotional leaflets were
distributed during this event,
and our representatives had
direct contact with a lot of
visitors and participators.
Besides it was a good
experience of
cooperation;
since,
Tour.Grate2
was
presented at a joint desk for all
the partners, it created the
chance of a joint presentation
of the project.

8. WORK PACKAGE 3:
Creation of a public-private shared system to manage territorial
tourist product.
WP.3.2:
The realization of 20 operative meetings among tourist chain operators
In compliance with this activity, the Municipality nr.8 of Tirana, organized a
Meeting with tourist chain operators in Tirana, on September 2011.

9. This Meeting was attended by
representatives from the Ministry of
Tourism, from Albanian National
Agency for Tourism, in adittion to
representatives of Tour Agencies,
Agro- Business associations, etc.
At the end of the meeting some
conclusions were drawn, regarding
the improvement of the partnership
among
public
and
private
stakeholders in Tourism.
These conclusions were presented
even at the respective cross-border
meeting held in Tirana, on October
2011,

10. WP.4: PREPARATION AND START UP OF 7 SERVICE CENTRES
4.1:Preparation and start up of 7 service centres in Montenegrin, Albanian, Greek
and Italian territories.
We put up an specialized office, which could not stand for long due to some
financial shortages. But we managed to fulfill the distribution of promotion
materials and other activities, using our institutional spaces, employees and
equipment.
WP.6: ENHANCEMENT OF TOURIST OFFER AND SERVICES
6.1 Actions intend to qualify and innovate receptivity trough identification of pilot
receptivity organizations (at least 6) to be accompanied in an Ecolabel/Emas
registration/certification process)
According to this action, we were engaged as participants in the meetings
organized in Tirana, by and along with the Albanian National Agency for Tourism,
for the evaluation of two chosen candidates for ‘EMMAS’ and ‘ECOLABEL’
registration/certification process, which were ‘Hotel Sheraton Tirana’, and ‘Hotel
Theranda’, with the presence of the Italian experts.

11. WORK PACKAGE 7:
VALORIZATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
WP.7.1:CENSUS AND CARTOGRAPHIC MAPPING OF HERITAGE “MINOR RESOURCES”
(RURAL, ARTISTIC, ARCHAEOLOGICAL) IN PARTNERS TERRITORIES.
Municipality nr.8 of Tirana, provided for, the selection of 5 objects classified as
minor resources; we took care for the professional photographing of these objects:
1. Mosaic of Tirana (vila rusticae)
2. Mosque of Et’hem Beu
3. the bridge of Tabake (Tanners Bridge)
4. Clock Tower
5. Tirana’s Castle ( Virtual Tour)
In addition to this we provided a brief description of the historical, architectonical
and artistic values of this objects, highlighting the importance they have for:
•
•
•
•
Tirana’s history
Their location in the city center and historical core.
Their being classified as first degree cultural monuments
for being accessible and frequently visited by tourists.

12. WP.7.3
Realization of small focused interventions of restoration and requalification for some identified goods.
We are engaging in partial restoration
of the outer frescoes in the Central
Mosque of Tirana.
This is an ongoing process after a delay
in intervention, some of the reasons for
that, being: bureaucratic procedures,
for obtaining permit of intervention,
since this object is classified to being a
cultural monument of first degree and
the difficulty of obtaining approval to a
partial intervention, because a partial
repair would create contrast with the
rest of the façade.

13. WORK PACKAGE 9
Accomplishment of a cultural events Programme
WP.9.1 Realization of 4 cross-border art galleries
The
participation
of
Municipality nr.8 Tirana, in
this activity started with the
presentation of Albanian
artists, in the Art Galleries
"Colori di Frontiere" in
Mesagne, and 'Boje Granica'
in Bar-Montenegro.

14. Exhibition “Boje Granica” was also attended by the Mayor of Mynicipality nr.8
Tirana Mr.Arben Tafaj.
The event, as well as Mr.Tafay’s visit was covered by the television of
Montenegro and other local media, where welcomed by the partners of
Montenegrin Tourist Organization of Bar.

15. The Exhibition "Ngjyra Kufijsh"
was the Albanian edition of
those Art-Galleries.
It was put on show in Tirana
from 24 of August to 4 of
September 2011; and was held
at the Gallery of the National
History Museum which is one of
Albania's largest Art Galleries.
v

16. In this exhibition were
presented 33 artworks,
22 of which belonging to
Albanian Artists and 11 art
works to foreign artists
from Montenegro, Greece
and Italy.

17. It was attended from well known figures of art and culture, and the
Albanian Minister of Tourism Culture Youth and Sports who
emphasised the value of these activities in promoting Albanian
tourism, and the support that the European Commission gives to this
promotion through projects such as TUR.GRATE2.

18. The Exhibition attracted a
considerable number of visitors .
It had a wide media coverage in the
visual media and news papers.

19. Action 9.2 Realization of 4 cross-border dance and music representations
in compliance with this action, We organized: «Sofra Tiranase 2011»
This special event was held at
Tirana’s most prestigious venue,
the Palace of Congresses.
The event was attended by over
2,000 spectators.

20. The Mayor of Tirana, the Mayor
of Mesagne, Albanian Minister
of Tourism and many other
personalities
representing
institutions at both central and
local levels were among those
attending the event.

21. Many of Tirana‟s most famous artists
performed at this event.

22. Special guests from neighboring countries also performed,
including the Italian folk group "La Resistenza“ from Mesagne.

23. In this event Mesagne
Municipality and Mayor
Scoditti were granted the
annual award „TIRANA 2011‟
for their leading role in
TUR.GRATE2 Project,
highlighting the importance
that such Projects have for
the development of the
region..

24. The Mayor of Tirana welcomed at his office the Mayor of Mesagne in a
special meeting where emphasized the importance of the projects like
Tour grate 2 over promoting sustainable tourist development in our
countries

25. "Sofra Tirana 2011” received
extensive media coverage,
particularly through media
partner Vizion +, which
broadcasted the event live for
audiences both at home and
abroad (via satellite).