🌱 The National Park of Divjakë – Karavasta accommodates a mosaic of natural terrestrial and wet habitats. Situated on the western coast of Albania it is of vital importance to both humans and wildlife, including the Dalmatian pelican.
The Dalmatian pelican also plays a star role in the newly developed multi-day ecotourism itinerary, Pelican's Tales.
🦤 The Pelican's Tales Tour
The MEET Network style of ecotourism places the national park at the heart of the experience. In the Pelican's Tales tour visitors have the chance to discover lesser-known parts of Divjakë – Karavasta, from learning about how heron colonies are being conserved, to beer tasting at a local brewery and hikes to the Kryekuq reservoir.
Guests get involved in the park's pelican census, experience the park’s unbeatable sunrise and visit the largest lagoon in Albania whilst immersing themselves in local culture, traditions and nature.
As part of the tour, guests attend an artisanal cooking workshop and go on a guided-boat tour where they’ll learn about the park’s incredible wildlife. This experience leaves guests with a deeper understanding of the protected area, its people and the importance of conserving it for future generations.
♻️ MEET Network ecotourism model
The experience was developed by the national park in collaboration with the local Albanian Trip tourism agency using the MEET Network’s innovative model for ecotourism development during an EU-funded sustainable tourism project called DestiMED PLUS.
Developing an ecotourism experience through the MEET Model ensures that the local community plays an active role and directly benefits from tourism. In the case of Pelican Tales members of the local community are involved in every aspect of the experience including the initial planning stages.
👉 Inspire your travellers with the MEET Experiences: www.meetnetwork.org/travel-industry
Comments
Hello everyone, this is Carla from the MEET Network Team! We hope you find this destination as fascinating as we do, and that you find interesting our approach to sustainable tourism in our cherished Mediterranean protected areas 🌿
Stefano from Touring Club Italiano wrote a beautiful piece about his experience testing our itinerary in Albania. Check it out to get a feeling of what it means to be part of a MEET trip
English --> www.touringclub.it/ecotourism-in-albania-a-new-project-a-memorable-experience
Italian--> www.touringclub.it/notizie-di-viaggio/ecoturismo-in-albania-un-nuovo-progetto-unesperienza-memorabile
👇 Looking forward to reading your thoughts in the comments section! 👇
When I initially saw the photos of these amazing birds I was thinking Kenya or Tanzania. I don't typically associate Albania and birds. Looks like you have created a great experience and another reason to visit Albania.
That proves that we don't always need to go far away to discover authentic treasures! Albania, yet undiscovered, has a lot to offer for nature and bird lovers (pelicans, flamingos, herons...).
I've heard of those wetlands, they look incredible. Albania is definitely on the list. It blows my mind why the Balkans aren't more popular. But at the same time I kind of like that it isn't!
Yes, part of the beauty of Divjakë-Karavasta is that it is off the beaten track... and the kindness of its people makes you feel at home!