The Director General of the National Tourism Agency, Zana Çela, participated in the opening of Albania's Gastronomic Diplomacy Festival, which takes place in Tirana on April 20-21, 2026, under the organization of the ALBCHEF Foundation.
The opening panel "The role of culture and experience in shaping tourism" emphasized the role of gastronomy and culture as key elements in strengthening the tourist identity and international promotion of Albania.
Ms. Çela underlined the importance of gastrodiplomacy as a strategic instrument for strengthening Albania's positioning as an authentic and competitive destination in the region and beyond.
Among other things, the General Director of AKT stated: “Albania has everything to be a long-term success story in tourism. And our task is to tell this story in the right way, with pride, with vision and with an approach that makes it understandable and attractive to the world. Authenticity is our strength – and our challenge is to turn it into Albania's strongest brand, while technology is our voice and together they are the future of Albanian tourism. But, above all, what I strongly believe is that our long-term success will come from a wise balance.”
