The Role of Tourism in Albania’s Economic Growth: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Management

This thesis examines the evolving role of tourism in Albanian economic development and explores how sustainable management strategies can reconcile growth with environmental and social factors. Albania has in recent years been one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the Western Balkans, contributing significantly to GDP, employment, infrastructure investment, and rural revitalization. However, this has also exposed underlying structural vulnerabilities in the form of environment degradation, regional disparities, and weak institutional governance. To address these problems, the research uses a mixed-methods approach that involves a quantitative survey of residents complemented by qualitative case studies, interviews with stakeholders, and secondary analysis. The conceptual model integrates sustainable development, Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC), Triple Bottom Line (TBL), systems theory, and the capabilities approach. These frameworks guide the analysis of Albania's tourism trajectory and its alignment with global sustainability standards such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC). The thesis concludes by offering strategic recommendations for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and community actors. These include strengthening institutional capacity, promoting alternative forms of tourism, improving data collection, and fostering participatory governance. Ultimately, the study contributes to the academic and policy discourse on sustainable tourism in transitional economies, positioning Albania as a case with both significant potential and pressing management imperatives.