Kosovo Private Enterprise Program STTA Report: Stay the Weekend – Experience Kosovo Tourism Initiative

The initiative was launched on Earth Day, April 22, 2009, with the first-ever Travel Day Fair, organized by the Kosovo Tourism Association (KOTAS) with the support of KPEP. The fair introduced travel tours and packages to internal tourists, international business travelers, and Kosovo people, and solidified the "Stay the Weekend – Experience Kosovo" brand for developing, marketing, and promoting experiences in Kosovo. The fair successfully involved a range of experience providers beyond travel agencies, including restaurants, non-governmental organizations, a spa center, a horse ranch, wineries, the Pejë/Peć brewery, and handicrafts shops. Following the success of the fair, there was considerable interest and enthusiasm among the exhibitors, visitors, and media in pursuing travel and tourism opportunities. To maximize the product development, marketing, promotion, and sales opportunities generated, KPEP followed up to ensure that the momentum was maintained. A Tourism Team was established to maintain the momentum and advance the activities described in this report. The team consisted of Tourism Expert Scott Wayne and Local Tourism Consultants Fisnik Dragusha and Syzana Baja, along with the Transactional Sector Specialist, Valbona Rraci, and TPD Consulting. Their collaboration culminated in the successful first-ever Pejë/Peć Tourism Street Fair on September 26, 2009. The Tourism Team's main purpose was to further develop and leverage the 'Stay the Weekend – Experience Kosovo' brand activity, as well as develop and build the capacity of suppliers to deliver and improve their product offerings. The team achieved this purpose through various field activities, including the establishment of the Tourism Team and integrated Statements of Work (SOWs), development and administration of criteria for suppliers, matching of demand and supply, group and individual advisory sessions, design and implementation of the first municipality-based 'Stay the Weekend – Experience Kosovo' brand activity in Pejë/Peć, establishment of an evaluation system, and development of proposals for follow-on work. Results were achieved in each of these field activity areas. Highlights included the development of 15 new tours with three tour operators and marketing them to the international community by KPEP, with all three operators selling tours during the 4th quarter. The first-ever Tourism Street Fair was organized with the Municipality of Pejë/Peć on September 26, with over 60 vendors and more than a thousand visitors, resulting in almost 7,000 Euros of direct sales and more than 18,000 Euros in indirect sales. Intours organized a wine tour for nine visitors from a targeted group of embassies in the region, with a total of 765 Euros of direct spending. With KPEP assistance, Intours also received 31 visitors from Albania for a four-day tour of Kosovo, and Regent Holidays sent 38 visitors to Intours for three-day tours of Kosovo. Rugova Experience organized a 50-kilometer mountain biking tour of Rugova Valley in August with seven participants and a hiking tour of Rugova Valley in September with five participants from EULEX and OSCE, which was marketed by KPEP via the Experience Kosovo blog. Rugova Experience also organized a cultural event and dinner for a group of 65 Norwegian visitors in September, earning approximately 2,000 Euros. These activities demonstrate the success of the "Stay the Weekend – Experience Kosovo" Tourism Initiative in promoting tourism experiences in Kosovo and building the capacity of suppliers to deliver and improve their product offerings.