Albania Showcases Ancient Parks at Paestum Tourism Fair
Albania presented its Butrint, Byllis and Antigonea archaeological parks at a Mediterranean archaeological tourism exchange in Italy.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Cultural
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Albania took part for a second consecutive year in the Mediterranean Exchange of Archaeological Tourism in Paestum, Italy, presenting Butrint National Park alongside the Byllis and Antigonea archaeological parks. The Albanian delegation included Deputy Ministers Lira Pipa and Marinela Prifti.
Why it matters
The participation puts Albania's heritage sites before an international audience of archaeological tourism stakeholders. It also reflects cooperation with Italy's development agency and a broader panel on heritage under the Pact for the Mediterranean.
Albania has attended the Paestum fair for two consecutive years, according to the announcement. The source provides no figures on audience size, visitor interest, or commercial results from the exhibition.
The players
Butrint Management Foundation
The Butrint Management Foundation is an organization that cooperates on the management of the Butrint archaeological site in Albania.
Italian Agency for Development Cooperation
The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation is the Italian government body that funds and manages international development cooperation projects.
Edmondo Cirielli
Edmondo Cirielli is Italy's deputy minister for foreign affairs and international cooperation, who opened the panel discussion.
The details
Albania presented Butrint National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, at its stand in cooperation with the Butrint Management Foundation. Byllis and Antigonea were presented with support from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, and an international panel followed on cultural heritage and cooperation.
Timeline
November 2, 2026: Article published on Albania's participation in the Paestum fair.
Culture Shift
Albania's showcase reflects the Pact for the Mediterranean, which frames cultural heritage as a shared area of cooperation among Mediterranean countries. The panel included Italy, the European Commission, Albania, Egypt and Jordan, illustrating multilateral engagement on heritage tourism.
Travelers interested in Butrint, Byllis and Antigonea can plan visits to these Albanian archaeological parks as a destination. The source does not state visiting hours, admission prices, or access details.
The takeaway
Heritage tourism fairs give smaller archaeological destinations a platform to reach international visitors and partners. Readers interested in Albania's sites can watch for further details on access and programming.
Further reading
Explore more Cultural coverage to see how heritage sites like these draw international attention.
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