Marketing planning in supporting the performance of the rural AREAS - some cases in Albania

Abstract

Tourism is emerging as the world's largest industry and the country facing big challenges regard to the fact of being important tourism largest service export. Thought major multinational corporations are visible on the global stage, small businesses and smaller communities are the ones who keep the engine of the tourism industry moving around the world. These smaller communities, who cannot match the marketing muscle and expertise of major multinational or national corporations, are at a disadvantage in terms of attracting a large number of tourists (Inskeep, E.(1991). Additionally, in many areas of the world, national, state/provincial, and local governments are no longer in a financial position to found major tourism programs.Thus, local communities need to become more self-reliant in the area of tourism development and promotion, thus in the marketing area.