Will robots take our jobs? Can we work from home thanks to technology? What is Mira Murati doing now? Will Sam Altman sell ChatGPT? Will electric cars save the planet? And how will remote surgeries thanks to 5G transform medicine?
Well, never before has there been so much talk about technology and innovation, which have invaded every aspect of our lives. So it is no surprise that all this impact that innovation has on economic and social life is felt like never before in Albania, where a vibrant community of start-ups and innovative enterprises has already begun to flourish.
Composed of bold businesses, conceived and managed mainly by young people, this innovation ecosystem, initially driven by economic and social developments in the world, has caused the opposite effect, i.e. it has turned Albania into an attractive country for foreign investors and digital nomads. This is thanks to favorable laws, low taxes and costs, but also the climate and lifestyle.
It should be noted that Albania has taken giant steps that favor the development of the innovation ecosystem, where the main ones remain the adoption of the law on start-ups and the creation of the “Startup Albania Agency”, a key institution that facilitates processes and stimulates start-ups, digital nomads, technology-related ventures, etc. On the other hand, the government stimulates the ecosystem by financially supporting young entrepreneurs, start-ups or innovative ideas. Academic institutions have also begun efforts to go beyond the basic learning process, with the ambition to become laboratories where the first innovative business ideas are created and developed.
Innovation has penetrated every area of life, but one sector where its impact is particularly felt is tourism. That is why prestigious global events such as ITB Berlin, which will be held this year in the German capital from March 3 to 6, have integrated specific platforms dedicated to technology innovation, such as “TTA - The Marketplace for Technology, Tours & Activities”. And our country, which is the host country at this year's fair under the guise of “Albania All Senses”, will not only be represented by tourism operators, but also by some of the most prominent elements of the start-up and innovation ecosystem.
It is learned that our "delegation" also consists of innovative ventures such as "Albanian Night" and GADK, two modern concepts for promoting Albanian culture, tradition and tourism. Also present will be co-working space concepts such as Destil Creative Hub, with the "Space 05" project dedicated to promoting handicrafts or CooLab with the C4Communities project, a laboratory where local talents meet the genius of digital nomads. Part of the delegation are also start-ups such as "Patoko", theboatapp (the first marine data cloud in our country) or Rent from locals, pioneers of technology and innovation in the country. These ventures have been supported by projects such as EU4Innovation, implemented by GIZ in Albania, the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, or grants from the Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Business Climate and the Startup Albania Agency.
Of course, the main topic at ITB Berlin will be tourist destinations, sports tourism, handicrafts, sweets and wine, but in the times we live in, nothing can be understood without Intelligent Tourism, or Tourism Intelligence or TI.
The future, but also the present of tourism, is now and it is YOU!
