ANILA SULAJ1*, ORKIDA TOTOJANI2, ENKELA HOXHA3
|
1,2,3Department of Rural Tourism Management, Faculty of Economy and Agribusiness, Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania Corresponding author; E-mail: asulaj@ubt.edu.al Abstract Rural tourism in Albania has emerged as a strategic pathway for regional development, leveraging the country’s rich cultural heritage and natural assets to stimulate employment and socio-economic revitalization in underdeveloped areas. These opportunities are accompaigned by persistent worforce challenges, including seasonal employment, limited career progression, low digital literacy, and gaps in specialized skills. While sustainable tourism discourse increasingly addresses environmenral and economic dimensions, workforce and employment considerations remain comparatively underexplored. Aligning with the emerging field of sustainable human resource management, this study situates workforce development at the center of Albania’s rural tourism sustainability agenda, highlighting its relevance to the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, the research combines secondary data analysis from national statistics, policy documents, and literature on tourism workforce development with semi-structured interviews with local tourism operators, vocational training providers, and representatives from tourism associations. The findings underscore a growing need for digital competencies, particularly in online marketing, digital booking systems, and social media engagement, along institutional mecanisms that can strengthen workforce adaptability. By foregrounding employment dynamics within the sustainable tourism narrative, the study offers practical insights for policymakers, training institutions, and development agencies seeking to build a resilient and competitive rural tourism sector in the context of global digital transformation. Keywords: rural tourism, workforce development, digital skills, human resource menagement. |
