AULEDA Local Economic Development Agency

Brief description
AULEDA - Local Economic Development Agency, is a nonprofit organization established in August 2003.

 Territory where it operates:
This agency serves about 300,000 residents of Vlora County, and operates in an area of 2706 km². 
Vlora Region includes seven municipalities and 19 communes, respectively : Vlora, Orikum, Saranda, Delvina, Himara Selenica, Konispol and communes: Center, Novosele, Shushice, Armen, Vllahine, Sevaster, Kote, Brataj, Hore-Varnisht, Finiq, Mesopotam, Vergo, Lukove, Livadhja, Markat, Xare, Dhiver, Ksamil, Aliko.  

Mission:
Its mission is to provide services and execute initiatives and projects for social, economic, cultural and environmental development of the region of Vlora to spread the Curtural view integration and consolidation of resources, skills and competencies according to the principles of human development.

Objectives:

• Strengthening and Promoting a sustainable and comprehensive development of Vlora District.
• Contribution for the establishment and strengthening of strategies for planning at local level.
• Provide support to regional population, local administration and civil society to promote capacity and increasing of the performance.

Priority Sectors:

1. Sustainable Tourism Development
2. Agro food.
3. Fishing.
4. Handicraft.
5. ICT

Brief description of the territory

DESCRIPTION
Vlora  Region  is  one  of  the  12  regions  of Albania,  established  as  a  local   governmental unit on November 30th, 2000. The Region includes the districts of Vlora, Saranda and Delvina.  Every  district,  includes one  or  more  Municipalities  and  a  number  of Communes,  for  a total  of 7 Municipalities  and 19 Communes. The regional capital is Vlora, a large industrial, commercial and communication centre. The estimated population of the Region is 211.734 inhabitants (INSTAT, 2009), on a 2.706 square kilometers surface. Vlora  Region  is  situated  in  the  south -western part  of  Albania extended  mostly  on  the Ionian coastline. Vlora is the Region with the longest coastline in the country.  Its geographic characteristics are the main potentialities for tourism and local development. The Region has a coastline of 144 km, which is home to beautiful sandy beaches.  The  shore starts  in  the southern  part  of the  city  of  Vlora and meanders  to the most southern point of the Greek  border,  including  the  Karaburun  Peninsula and the Albanian Riviera. The Region is mainly mountainous and hilly. Its meadows  and  valleys  enable  the  local  population  to  make  their  living  through  the agricultural and livestock production. The area constitutes a mosaic  of historical and cultural traditions  offering a  variety  of  habitats and important environmental values.

GEOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION
Vlorë County is located in the south of Albania and forms the Albanian Riviera. The southeastern part of the county borders Greece. The county has a total area of 2,706 km2 (1,044.8 sq mi). Albanian Riviera  is a coastal area in the County of Vlorë running along the Ionian Sea under the Ceraunian Mountains in Southern Albania. O lot of beautiful place are in Vlora Region like Llogara National Park, continues down along the coast through the villages of Borsh, Himara, Qeparo, Piqeras, and ends at Lukovë. Other sources mark Sarandë or Tongo Island as the end point, and Vlorë or Karaburun Peninsula as the start point.. The area is a major nightlife, eco-tourist, and elite retreat destination in Albania. The region features traditional Mediterranean villages, ancient castles, and Orthodox churches. In fact, the landscape alternates between mountain passes, turquoise beaches, underwater fauna, caves, and orange, lemon and olive plantations. In 48 BC during his pursuit of Pompey, Julius Caesar set foot and rested his legion at Palase. He continued onto Llogara Pass in a place later named Caesar's Pass. As part of the regional master plan, the World Bank and other institutions are financing local infrastructure projects, including the renovation of roofs and facades of traditional houses overlooking the Riviera.

Administrative divisions

Cultural heritage
Vlora  Region  is  a  repository  of  interesting cultural traditions, which are the expression of a remarkable ethno-cultural area, called “Laberi”. These  traditions  can  be  found  in  many  fields: architecture,  folklore,  music,  handicraft, gastronomy, etc. The  Region  maintains  the  tradition  of  Iso-Polyphony, classified by UNESCO in 2005 as  a masterpiece of the oral  and intangible heritage of  humanity.  Iso-polyphony  is  a  sophisticated form of  group  singing,  derived from  Byzantine church  music,  and  performed  mostly  by  men. Nowadays,  this  tradition  is  adversely  affected by poverty,  absence of legal  protection, lack  of financial   support  for  practitioners,  and  emigration of young people from rural areas. The  Region  is  also  well  known  for  its  crafts,  including  traditional  costumes  of  the  different  communes,  handmade  carpets  and  tapestries,  woolen  covers,  knitting,  embroidery,  felt processing, work tools, and musical instruments. Traditionally,  brides  prepared  their  own handmade  dowry  and  in  some  villages  this tradition  is  still  practiced.  For  this  reason  in most  village  houses  original  and  handmade traditional  costumes,  carpets,  and  embroidery can  be  found.  Presently,  there  are  very  few places  where  tourists  can  view  or  purchase such  handicrafts.  There  is  great  potential  for reviving  a  few  ethnographic   museums  and developing commercial activities  where tourists can  both  observe  the  process  of  producing handicraft and purchase the products. In the city  of Vlora, there are three functioning  museums ,  the  Museum  of  National  Independence,  the  Museum  of  Historic  Relics (or  History  Museum) and  the  Ethnographic Museum.  Each  of  the  latter  presents  different aspects  of  the  regional  history.  The  fourth museum  in  the  Region  is  the  Archaeological Museum  of  Butrint,  which  contains  the  archaeological material discovered in the site.

Economy  of Vlora Region
The city of Vlorë remains a major seaport and commercial centre, with a significant fishingand industrial sector. The county produces petroleum, natural gas, bitumen and salt.
Vlorë County has grown in importance in agriculture with very large-scale planting of olive and fruit trees, and the city has become center of the food processing, oil and bitumen export industries. The county is mainly agricultural and pastoral, producing oats, maize, cotton, olive oil, cattle, sheep, skins, hides and butter. These commodities are exported.

Tourism has become a major industry in recent years, with many hotels, recreational centers, and vast beaches. The  Region  is  characterized  by  diverse economic  conditions  that are directly connected to  the  different  levels  of  development.  The difference in the quality of  life between coastal urban areas  and rural  areas  (mainly situated in mountains  or  in river  valleys)  is  noticeable and it is  the cause of  several social and  economic issues.  This  situation is  strictly connected  with the  role  that  “beach  and  sand”  tourism  has played so far in local development.