Italian arbëreshë communities partner with Albania to boost cultural tourism

Local leaders and community members in Sicily and Puglia are establishing new tourism projects and flight routes to connect with Albania.

The initiative aims to revitalize cultural tourism in regions inhabited by the Arbëreshët, an ethnic Albanian community in Italy. A direct flight line between Tirana and Palermo has begun to increase the number of Albanian visitors to the region.

Nicola Petta, a local business owner in Piana degli Albanesi, reports that while most visitors previously came from Kosovo, the new flight path is attracting more tourists from Albania who express interest in the local Arbëreshë language. Community organizers and local officials are working to expand these tourism efforts beyond Sicily to include regions in Calabria, Puglia, and Basilicata. The "Hora e Skënderbeut" association in Switzerland supports these goals by promoting Albanian language education to strengthen ties with ancestral lands.

These efforts are part of a broader strategy to move beyond individual self-promotion and toward a state-funded program for the 35 municipalities among the 50 Arbëreshë settlements. Government officials from Italy and Albania plan to meet with leaders of these communities on November 9 in San Marzano. During this meeting, the presidents of Italy and Albania will discuss a joint program for the community's future.

Additionally, the municipalities of San Marzano and Piana degli Albanesi have signed a twinning agreement to unite their shared language and culture.