Close to his grandfather's small house in Theth, Fatmir Berishta has built the "Hotel Alpet" to accommodate both local and foreign tourists.
In addition to the hotel, Fatmir has also built a Zip Line, an extreme sport, to attract more visitors, thus promoting the natural beauty of this area.
Albanian Minister of Tourism and Environment, Mirela Kumbaro, visited Theth, where she had a discussion with Fatmir Berishta regarding the hospitality he offers to tourists.
"Fatmir Berishta, the son of Theth, close to his grandfather's small house, where guests enjoy the characteristic hospitality, with vision, courage, and good energy, has built 'Hotel Alpet' to offer tourists from all over the world the best of our tradition, where every visitor is not treated simply as a customer but as a friend. The good news is that Fatmir is not alone. Dozens of lodges have opened their doors in Theth and operate 365 days a year in the hospitality economy," emphasized Kumbaro.
"We started with my grandfather's house. I met a Dutch family by chance who came to Theth and wanted to find a place to stay, and I invited them to my house. When they came, the father told me, 'don't dare to take money from them, we don't have a tradition of taking money.' They stayed for 3 nights, but when they left, they insisted on paying, but I told them 'I did it for hospitality' and they left us a gift," Berishta recounts.
Berishta understood from that experience that tourism is something worth pursuing and investing in.
"In every lodge in Theth, there is hospitality, good food. We in Theth call our guests our friends," said Berishta.
Minister Kumbaro asked Berishta if he feels the change in the duration of the season. He told that "a few years ago it started in June and ended in September, now it's a 12-month season".
Theth National Park, located amidst the Alps in northern Albania, has already been a preferred destination for alpine tourism.
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