In the clarity of the mountains and the jewel of Albanian natural heritage, the closing conference of the “NaturKosovo” project was held on Thursday.

In the tourist village of Belle, located in the northwest of Deçan, representatives of local institutions, partner organizations, and the mountaineering community gathered to present the achievements of the project.

The “NaturKosovo” project – the natural and cultural capital in Kosovo and the sustainable tourism development of Via Dinarica – lasted 36 months and is an important initiative for tourism development that connects our mountains with the international network of the Dinaric Alps.

Kosovo has extraordinary potential in sustainable tourism and green fields, said the Italian Ambassador to Kosovo, Maurizio Antonini.

“The future of Kosovo is not somewhere else; it is here in these mountains. In classrooms, in innovation centres, in start-up businesses. Italy will continue to support Kosovo in projects that open doors, empower institutions, and create opportunities. A generation can prosper for a European Kosovo without needing to leave this country,” said the Italian diplomat.

With natural resources and cultural heritage, the tourism offer is growing, said the acting Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari.

With 63% of the territory covered by mountains, she added that Kosovo is also gaining recognition from different international markets.

“Kosovo is showing continual growth in visitors and overnight stays, through 2024 with an additional increase in 2025, especially during the summer season. The number of visitors has doubled since 2019 and continues to grow mainly from international tourists. I want to inform you that besides drafting and finalizing the tourism strategy and an important tourism law fully aligned with EU directives—ensuring high standards of safety, quality, and consumer protection—we have now succeeded in including Kosovo in the growth plan for the Western Balkans,” she said.

With a budget of 1.8 million euros, this project restored and marked trails, supported tourism businesses in Peja, Deçan, and Junik, and built local capacities by strengthening search and rescue services. It also promoted inclusive participation of youth and women.

This 36-month project was funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), in cooperation with the Italian Embassy in Kosovo.

Thanks to this cooperation, Kosovo’s search and rescue service has become a regional reference point, said the acting head of the AICS Office in Tirana, Letizia Fischioni.

“A project that not only strengthened sustainable tourism and environmental protection, but also built lasting connections among institutions, partners, and people… Thanks to this cooperation, Kosovo’s search and rescue service has become a reference point in the region, to the extent that it is now called upon to provide assistance in Albania as well. This extraordinary achievement remains one of the most remarkable results of this partnership.”

Three years ago, the Kosovo Mountaineering Association was not even part of the Union of Mountaineering Associations.

Arianit Nikçi, president of the Kosovo Federation of Mountaineering and Sport Climbing, said this project has brought extraordinary benefits.

“Professional trainings organized for our teams have increased the level of technical preparedness, improved our ability to react in emergencies, and strengthened the culture of safety in the mountain community. Today Kosovo has better-prepared, more professional search and rescue teams capable of protecting the lives of citizens and visitors in our mountains. This result represents one of the most important values of this project. Today the mountain search and rescue service is a full member of the International Mountain Rescue Association,” he said.

Present at the conference marking the closure of the “NaturKosovo” project were also the mayors of Peja and Junik.

Both pledged that maintaining the trail will be a priority.

“Considering its importance as a gateway for international tourists, I want to assure you that this trail will be an absolute priority for me personally and for the municipality I lead. We will be fully committed to implementing all obligations arising from this memorandum,” said Ruzhdi Shehu, mayor of Junik.

“Let’s hope that we continue this cooperation even further and maintain these trails,” said Gazmend Muhaxheri, mayor of Peja.

Local leaders and the president of the Kosovo Federation of Mountaineering and Sport Climbing signed a memorandum of cooperation for maintaining the “Via Dinarica” trail.

But what exactly did the “NaturKosovo” project include?

The woman from Kosovo who left an indelible mark in the history of alpinism spoke about the significant work done over these months.

"Via Dinarica has existed as a trail for many years in the Balkans and in Kosovo, but this is the only project—and the first one—not because UTALAYA Foundation, the organization I manage, was part of it, but because we truly worked very hard to finally complete the trail—not just the marking of the paths but also promoting it in international media. We created a website, a guidebook, launched maps; now all information is available for everyone to explore the trail. The project also helped local areas and guesthouses through small grants to increase their capacities,” said alpinist Uta Ibrahimi.

The Dinaric Alps are a mountain range that forms the backbone of the Balkans.

“The importance of the ‘NaturKosovo’ or Via Dinarica Kosovo project is multifaceted and highly beneficial because it connects Kosovo with the well-known Via Dinarica route, which links the former Yugoslav states. This trail begins in Slovenia, in Trieste, and ends in Macedonia, and Kosovo is now connected, which will greatly influence tourism promotion,” said the federation president.

“NaturKosovo” is among the many Italian initiatives implemented in Kosovo.

“This is one of the most important ones because Italy has a historical presence in this area. The largest Italian army base in Peja plays a very important role, not only for Kosovo’s civilization but also for bringing opportunities and development to this region. So, this aligns with everything the Italian government has been doing over the past 26 years,” said Ambassador Maurizio Antonini.

This project, which strengthened sustainable tourism and environmental protection, does not end here.

“We will continue supporting Kosovo in this specific sector—environment and sustainable tourism—with another project currently in the approval phase, called ‘Sharr Dinarica’. This project will take place in the Sharr Mountains, implemented between Kosovo and North Macedonia. This is a new commitment by Italy to support sustainable tourism and the environment in Via Dinarica, especially in Kosovo,” said Fischioni.

The next project in the Sharr Mountains is being welcomed by local institutions.

“The Ministry of Industry now welcomes the second phase of the project in the Sharr Mountains and plans through the KIESA agency to co-finance support for small and medium enterprises in tourism, as well as support conferences promoting tourism,” she concluded.

The “NaturKosovo” project was implemented by Italian and Kosovar organizations such as Volontari nel Mondo RTM and CELIM, with the technical support of the UTALAYA Foundation, the Italian Alpine Club, the Italian National Rescue Corps, the Alpine Speleology Service, and the Italian Association for Responsible Tourism.