Paper: Valuing biodiversity assets through ecotourism in SEE – trans-boundary region of Sharr/ Korab-Koritnik/ Mavrovo mountain areas

The working paper “Valuing biodiversity assets through ecotourism in South-East Europe – A review of the situation in and recommendations for the trans-boundary region of Sharr/ Korab-Koritnik/ Mavrovo mountain areas” is the product of a three-month assignment in the frame of Engagement Global Program within the GIZ Open Regional Fund Biodiversity Project (ORF-BD) and attached to its Transboundary Ecosystem Management (TEM) project.

Ecotourism is dedicated to a sustainable impact on nature and local people and is highly interrelated with well preserved and diversified nature. The paper raises the question how the concept of ecotourism in the region of Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia covered by the TEM project is understood and used as an approach conducive towards nature conservation and improvement of the well-being of local people.     

Its objective is to contribute to ongoing and future projects in this region regarding ecotourism development via improving knowledge and understanding of the complex field of ecotourism. It contains valuable recommendations and suggestions for the development of sustainable tourism products linked to nature conservation objectives.