On October 10th 2026 the Municipality of Mallakaster has presented its new integrated tourism offer to the public for the first time with “Hidden Mallakaster”, a free event held in the village of Klos that took visitors to the lesser-known side of the territory: the ancient city of Nikaja, the village’s historic houses, its olive oil and the local producers and artisans who keep its traditions alive.

The event was the flagship promotional activity of the project BYLLIS – EU for Economic Development – Tourism-led local economic development, with a focus on Cultural Heritage and was organised by Emilia-Romagna Region and ART-ER in cooperation with the Municipality of Mallakaster. 

Based on the vision expressed in the territorial Mallakaster Tourism Marketing and Branding Strategy developed with the local authorities and community in the framework of the project, the event was the first public event branded under the “Mallakaster – Living Heritage Landscape” new territorial brand, which forms part of the Strategy itself.  

Representatives of Albanian tourism agencies and tour operators participated in the event as invited guests, with the objective of showing the tourism industry that Mallakaster is a destination with a clear identity, resources to keep visitors for multiple days, and a welcoming community. 

“Hidden Mallakaster” was the occasion to showcase all the results of the BYLLIS project related to the involvement of local communities in developing and better promoting tourism services and products.

The tours of one of Klos oldest houses (and a national monument) were guided by the Architecture Fund in Albania and the house owners in the framework of the “Open Door Klos” initiative, one of the five actions supported by the BYLLIS project for the development of the local tourism sector. Open Door Klos is specifically designed to preserve and promote the cultural heritage represented by the oldest houses of Mallakaster.

Olive oil tasting experiences were offered by Youth Act Center, which manages “Mallakaster Olive Oil Experience”, another one of the five actions supported by the BYLLIS project, and one specifically dedicated to creating a coherent brand for the local olive oil.

Other stands showing local products such as honey, wild herbs, royal jelly and traditional pastries were managed by the beneficiaries of the other actions supported by the BYLLIS project for the development of the local tourism sector: “From Ancient Stones to Local Flavors ”, managed by the Albanian Association of Marketing, working on reinforcing the quality, branding and promotion of local products; “Bylis Empowerment for the Advancement of Mallakaster”, managed by Qendra Epoka e Re and supporting local services with training and mentoring activities; “Routes4Culture”, managed by AULEDA – Local Economic Development Agency and offering masterclasses for local producers in the framework. 

The guided visit to the Nikaja archaeological site and the familiarisation trip for tourism agencies and tour operators were led by local tourist guides formally trained and licensed through the project. This training activity, realized between June and October 2025 by Emilia-Romagna Region and ART-ER, with the support of NATGA – National Albanian Tourist Guide Association, saw 16 residents of the territory enrolled in a 320-hour programme to turn their knowledge of the place where they live into a profession. 

The promotional brochure distributed to visitors was the first tangible output produced by the public-private working group of Mallakaster, created by the Municipality of Mallakaster and technically supported by Emilia-Romagna Region and ART-ER throughout 2026. The group, formed by representatives of both local authorities and local businesses, is working towards the establishment of a Local Action Group supporting the economic development of the territory. 

The invited tourism agencies and tour operators also visited local attractions and tourism-related businesses, including some of the guesthouses owned by the participants in the training that is currently being offered by Emilia-Romagna Region and ART-ER, and that is meant to strengthen the quality of hospitality services in Mallakaster. 

A DJ set animated the “Hidden Mallakaster” event, which ended with an unexpected and  moving performance of Vendim Kapaj, kindly invited by the Architecture Fund in Albania.