Our Mission

The idea for The Shepherd's Way Albania arose because of a dire need to economically support the Malësorë shepherds in the Kelmend region and preserve their precious cultural heritage from becoming extinct. 

The sad reality is that much of the limited tourism here benefits only a few that can afford to run guesthouses or non-local guides from external tourist operators whose revenue never gets reinvested locally.

Therefore, we hope that we can empower the shepherds and their local community by:

• Giving them a supplementary income that improves their way of life without jeopardising their cultural identity
• Protecting the integrity of their pastoral lifestyle and practises, which deserves to be recognised within Albania and beyond
• Encourage locals to improve their language skills to open up communication with the outside world, which will open the doors to more excellent opportunities to earn a living for themselves, their families and their community.
• Give responsible, conscientious travellers the chance to experience a truly unique adventure that is fun and exciting for them, showing the shepherds that the outside world is interested in paying to visit, experience and make memories with them in this stunning part of the world.‍

Our goal is to do this by:

Supporting Local Shepherds

The shepherds are the primary beneficiaries of these tours, and the funds will make a big difference in improving their lives! They receive 50% of the revenue to provide them with an additional meaningful supplement to their income without influencing them to change their methods for the sake of tourism.

Protecting a Cultural Heritage

You'll be supporting multi-aspect projects (in collaboration with our partner organisation, Shtëpia e Bariut and other grassroots organisations) designed to improve their lives in sustainable, eco-friendly ways. This will help us preserve their culture for generations to come.

Encourage Sustainable Travel‍

As travellers, you will have the opportunity to experience the authentic lives of Malësorë shepherds as it exists now. Still, it is also essential to be mindful of the harmful effects that tourism can have on deteriorating communities such as this one. That's why we aim to impact travellers, our hosts, and their lifestyle positively.‍

Documentation

‍Eventually, we also aim to archive content, images and videos created by our guests and hosts to document the lives of the shepherds living this rapidly vanishing lifestyle. We will use this material to conduct local community research, which will aid local and international organisations in targeting key areas that need attention within the region.