The increase in the flow of visitors to the city of Gjirokastra from tourists during the summer season highlighted the lack of workforce and qualified personnel in the tourism sector as problematic.

The number of local and foreign tourists who have visited Gjirokastra this year is over 300,000 people, making it necessary to provide the highest quality and qualified service in tourist businesses.

The local business representatives in Gjirokastra state that they currently have difficulties in securing the labor force due to migration but also the lack of preference to work as a waiter, cook or hotelier.

“Tourism requires working hands, it has been difficult as it is everywhere, not only in our country but also in our neighbors, the labor force was a big problem,” said the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Maksim Hoxha.

But businesses have solved the difficult situation by hiring young people.

“In this period, we were also helped by high school students who joined our rhythm with their opportunity, training and staying close and to some extent we have coped with this situation,” continued Hoxha.

In Gjirokastra, there are about 250 businesses in the tourism sector, such as guesthouses, hotels, service bars, restaurants, etc.  Meanwhile, in this new academic year, the hotel-tourism branch was opened for the first time at the “Thoma Papapano” Vocational High School, with the aim of preparing qualified employees and mainly young people to be employed in the