Cultural Heritage and Experiential Tourism: Opportunities and Challenges in Greece-Albania Cross-border Area (Berat, Gjirokastra and Ioannina)

A cross-border region spanning Albania and Greece, encompassing Berat, Gjirokastra, and Ioannina, exhibits significant potential for experiential tourism, which can foster social and economic development while preserving cultural heritage. The study highlights that this form of tourism, when sustainably developed, generates employment, protects heritage, and enhances local communities' quality of life. However, its long-term viability is hindered by challenges such as insufficient institutional cooperation between the two countries, inadequate road infrastructure, fragmented marketing strategies, and environmental concerns. To overcome these obstacles, the research proposes strategic measures including cross-border cooperation frameworks, capacity-building programs for local tourism actors, investments in infrastructure, integration of technological innovation, and joint branding initiatives to position the region as a unified destination. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining literature reviews, qualitative and quantitative interviews with stakeholders, and GIS analysis to interpret data, offering actionable insights for sustainable tourism development.

PAZARI, F., AVDIA, B., MAMOCI, E.,. (2025). CULTURAL HERITAGE AND EXPERIENTIAL TOURISM: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN GREECE-ALBANIA CROSS-BORDER AREA (BERAT, GJIROKASTRA AND IOANNINA). Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites, 61(3), 1656–1667. https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.61324-1534