Workshop on Sustainable Business Models in Tourism and Cultural Heritage in the Upper Vjosa Valley

The workshop was led by Prof. Carsten Jacob Humlebæk and Viktor Smith from Copenhagen Business School, and was attended by thirteen local stakeholders involved in tourism-related services, including cultural tour guides, rafting guides, local producers, accommodation managers, associations supporting local rural development, and representatives of the local cultural office, municipal council, and education sector.

The event began with an introduction to business model concepts, followed by a summary of the results from their answer in pre-workshop interviews conducted by CeRPHAAL team in late March.

The second phase of the workshop included group work, during which participants were divided into two groups focusing the discussion on the improvement and diversification of cultural tourism offers. Each group summarized and presented its ideas using a Business Model Canvas.

The outcomes of the group work reflected participants’ hopes and visions for tourism offers that strengthen local identity, are rooted in the territory, and promote sustainability.

This workshop contributes to ongoing process of forming a Heritage Community in the Upper Vjosa Valley – one that values its origins and can become a strong collective voice for the protection of heritage and sustainable tourism development in the region.