The Role of Land Ownership on Tourist Offer: A Case Study in Himara

Abstract

The paper focuses on the land ownership, for understanding its impact on tourist offer. The thrust to this work relates to the transformation of the Albanian society after 1990 and implementation of the Law no. 7501 “On Land”. In a short period the land scattered. The pressure on agricultural land increased significantly, especially near major cities, main roads and coastal area. Land use in these areas is not exclusively agricultural, always making use on current competition between different economic sectors. The Land Law created a new group of owners. Earth got fragmented among some members, a phenomenon that affected the tourist offer. Pressure on land in the coastal area grew. The aim of this paper is to identify the relationship and interdependences between tourism supply and land ownership. This analysis was conducted in the municipality of Himara, an area of significant tourism development, which increases the possibility of agricultural as well as urban usage of the land. From the analysis of the surveys conducted in a sample area of study we conclude that heritage and the process of land distribution deepens the traditional problems of extreme agricultural land fragmentation and this fragmentation is more problematic in the coastal zone. Development growth of tourism in the area is increasing the level of land fragmentation. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n8p691