NAIM-A TOUR is the name of the project that has organized a tour of 6 groups of Arbëreshe with different socio-cultural interests to Albania in the period from July 1st to 10th, 2021, COVID permitting.

They include the musical group Peppa Marriti from Santa Sofia d'Epiro, in the province of Cosenza which is a historic rock-folk band, with musicians all from the Arbëreshe area, committed to the continuous quest for contamination of sounds and language.

The other thematic groups involved have all been operating for a long time in the province of Forlì, and they will all be guests of similar Albanian associations.

The project is entitled NAIM-A TOUR: a collaboration of NAIMA FOUNDATION and NAIM Frasheri.

NAIMA FOUNDATION is the the cultural association in charge of the project based in Forlì, directed by Michele Minisci who is of Calabrian-Albanian origins, having been born in Vaccarizzo Albanese, a small village in Calabria.

NAIM Frasheri is the most important poet of the Albanian diaspora, originally from Permet. In particular, the project will operate in the wider area of Permet (southern Albania), a priority area for the Italian Cooperation, in collaboration with CESVI, a CSO operating in the area since the late 90s. CESVI has been and is an active promoter of MADE WITH ITALY and the largest number and variety of beneficiaries of the brand is currently assisted and promoted by this association.

This first TOUR aims to promote, enhance and capitalize on some important results through the proposal of a common interchangeable cultural heritage and a historical responsible tour that will lead to the establishment of a proposal for new categories of MADE WITH ITALY: such as "Cultural Heritage".

The Permet area is one of the most suitable areas for responsible tourism (www.visitpermet.org), with an increasing number of tourists in the last 5-6 years. Last year it had more than 20,000 tourists arriving according to municipal data. There is a very active local association of business and tourism operators (Pro Permet Consortium), and numerous local projects have been financed. The project will encourage an active exchange of Italian-Albanian know-how between the Albanian DIASPORA and the Italian tour operators involved in the project in order to promote the Made in Italy brand within Italy.

“Responsible travel” (which includes ecotourism and sustainability practices) is an important means of development for "disadvantaged" countries, as its social, economic and cultural effects are much more coherent, direct and lasting than those produced by mass tourism. The groups and associations from Forlì involved in this project are very receptive to these attributes and goals.

This project has the primary objective of involving the Albanian Diaspora in the social and economic development of Albania and is made possible thanks to the funding of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

It is being conducted by IOM, the International Organization for Migration with the coordination of the Albanian Minister of State for Diaspora, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.

It will be the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration between Albania and the global Albanian Diaspora, but especially beneficial for the Albanians of Calabria, where about 100,000 Arbëreshe live!

(Text written by Dr. Michele Minisci)