Food safety—an essential component for the development of agrotourism

Food insecurity is defined as “limited or insecure availability for accessing food in socially acceptable ways”.The issue of food security is not important just in summer because inbound and outbound tourism is not only taking place during the summer months, but it is extending throughout the year. In particular, agro-tourism is one of the newly emerging tourism trend in Albania, although it is in its infancy. Agro-tourism will significantly affect rural development and has potential to greatly increase farmers’ employment opportunities, sources of income and benefits of other businesses. Food safety is not only an important component for tourists, but it will serve as an attraction for their arrival in these rural areas. Agrotourism, although in the first steps in Albania, is spreading more and more not only in the Lezha region but also in the entire northern area of the country. The research is focused on agro-tourism complexes, part of which is “Mrisi i Zanave” in village, Fishta, Lezhe as well as agro-tourism center “ Hylli i Dritës” set in the countryside, Troshan. Findings of the research on food security will be presented in these two aforesaid complexes for offering some thoughts to agro-tourism stakeholders.