Eco-tourism as a vehicle for sustainable development in Nivica, Albania

The mountain landscape of the Kurvelesh in Southern Albania is rich in intangible cultural heritage, environmental beauty, and biodiversity. Despite these riches, the region suffers from decades of depopulation, precarious subsistence practices, and a lack of infrastructural investment. Physical isolation and low population negatively impact social and economic activities. However, these circumstances also support the survival of endangered bird and flora species that are near-extinct elsewhere. This chapter explores the use of eco-tourism as a vehicle for sustainable development in the small village of Nivica, 800m above sea level, high in the mountains of the Kurvelesh. From protecting endangered Egyptian Vulture nesting sites, to promoting novel agricultural practices and provisioning tourists with guesthouse accommodation, Nivica presents a model of eco-tourism innovation and experimentation. Sustainable tourism is at the heart of economic efforts: domestic and international visitors can now enjoy tours of dramatic karst landscapes, caves and waterfalls, bird-watching, horse-riding, saffron-picking and cookery schools. Developments at Nivica demonstrate how global and national initiatives in support of the SDGs manifest in regional and local contexts, under local community management. Eco-tourism in Nivica addresses many targets of the SDGs in overlapping ways, promoting a post-disciplinary approach that address the complexities of the social, cultural, and economic contexts of the Kurvelesh.