YEAR-ROUND TOURISM IN ALBANIAN RIVIERA: CASE OF QEPARO

Abstract

This study aims to display an approach on how to activate an almost abandoned medieval village with high touristic capacity. The case is the village of Qeparo, located in Southern Albanian Riviera; a village of Himara Region, which completes the mosaic of its rural setting. The geographical context, where the mountain and the sea live in symbiosis, is a huge potential for the touristic regional development. While the approach is based on sustainable concepts one of the main concerns is how to reactivate and highlight the potentials of the village by preserving its authenticity. The context, the morphology of urban setting and landscape, and the street atmospheres of an empty village, compose the outline of the spatial design solutions consisting of three main cores: culture line, green line, and public space & services by defining and giving function to existing structures. “Yes, we want to come back one day.” said a Qeparoian, while completing the questionnaire. The vision is to bring people back, and offer the place in a good standard to the high touristic demand. While meeting the objectives, it can be as a reference case to the surrounding villages of the region as well.