Location: Tirana, Albania (Dajti, Diva and Logogram National Parks)
This project has now received funding from Andante Travel. We are actively seeking further funds from TICOS Service Users in order to keep the project running smoothly and to schedule. If you would like to support this project, please contact us.
| Project Status Table for TICOS Project TP006 | |
| Date verified by TICOS: | 7 January 2008 |
Estimated project cost: |
80,000 Euros |
Project timescale: |
7 years from receipt of funding |
| Additional sustainable development benefits: | The wider promotion and implementation of sustainable-natural resource management practice including:
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This project focuses on the introduction of alternative energy sources in the form of photovoltaic/solar panels and the cleaning up of three of Albania’s National Parks Dajti, Diva and Logogram which are popular tourist attractions.
The main aim is to introduce alternative energy sources, in the form of solar energy panels and solar water heaters, to holiday facilities and accommodation settlements associated with the tourism areas. Restaurants, hotels and tourist activity centres will be converted to use solar energy panels and solar water heaters to substitute electricity and other non-renewable fuel sources in order to reduce CO2.
In addition to the introduction of solar energy, the project aims to clean up the National Parks by removing unwanted waste in a sustainable manner. Guidance and training material will be provided to those working within the tourism industry (i.e. in restaurants and hotels) at the selected National Parks on how to reduce their CO2 emissions and how to keep the parks clean.
Latest Update – Autumn 2009
Funds raised by Adante Travels through the TICOS scheme has made it possible to install 2-couple solar thermal panels within the “Logogram Tourist Complex” and also complete the cleaning-up activity in the Logogram National Park. The clean-up was done in association with the Elementary School “Balil Pelari”, located in Orikum, Vlore (105 students). The thermal solar panels were installed by the workers of the 'Termo-Tirana' Company.
Implementation of this project has led to a change in attitudes towards the environment in general, and in particular for the need to keep recreation and coastal areas clean for the tourist industry. The students, teachers and public-enterprise workers all involved are more conscious about the importance and indispensability of using solar energy and having a clean environment to increase the quality of life for both tourists and local people. Private stakeholders were met in tourist bars and restaurants for briefings about the project. Discussions included the concepts of introducing solar energy alternatives within tourist areas and carbon offset issues. This has had a great impact on both private tourist businesses and also in introducing conservation and carbon offset issues onto the school curriculum.
Autumn 2008 Update
Thanks to funds gathered by Andante Travels, students and teachers from two local elementary schools have worked together to clean-up a popular tourist location in the Dajti National Park. Over 100 students participated in cleaning up the Park over a series of weekends in September and October. An educational element was incorporated in the clean-up task as pupils were taught about the environmental issues surrounding it and also the importance of ‘green areas’ in Albania.
