IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/boh/actaub/v28y2025i2p63-82.html

The Role of Big Data in Promoting Sustainable Tourism Practices in Albania: Proposal for a National Intelligent Tourism Platform

Author

Listed:
  • Alma Zhilla

    (Fan S.Noli University, Faculty of Economic Tourism, Department of Marketing -Tourism, Rilindasit 11, Korca, Albania)

Abstract

In the context of digital transformation, Big Data has become a vital instrument in promoting sustainable tourism. This study aims to explore the potential of Big Data analytics to support sustainable tourism development in Albania, with a specific focus on designing a National Intelligent Tourism Platform (NITP). The main objective is to assess how real-time data, when properly collected and utilized, can enhance decision-making, optimize resource allocation, and minimize the environmental and social impacts of tourism activities.The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining primary data collected through structured questionnaires with 90 tourists and semi-structured interviews with 20 tourism-related businesses,5 experts in the fields of technology and 5 legal frameworks, alongside secondary data from national statistics, legal documents, and international reports. The findings indicate that Big Data can significantly improve tourism planning, visitor flow management, and sustainability monitoring. However, challenges such as fragmented data sources, inadequate digital infrastructure, and limited institutional coordination persist. The study concludes with six strategic recommendations for the development and governance of the Albanian NITP, emphasizing the need for cross-sectoral collaboration, standardization of data protocols, and investment in digital capacities. By addressing these factors, Albania has the potential to become a regional model for data-driven and sustainable tourism management.

Suggested Citation

  • Alma Zhilla, 2025. "The Role of Big Data in Promoting Sustainable Tourism Practices in Albania: Proposal for a National Intelligent Tourism Platform," Acta Universitatis Bohemiae Meridionalis, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Economics, vol. 28(2), pages 63-82.
    • Handle: RePEc:boh:actaub:v:28:y:2025:i:2:p:63-82
    DOI: 10.32725/acta.2025.009
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://acta.ef.jcu.cz/doi/10.32725/acta.2025.009.html
    Download Restriction: free of charge
    File URL: http://acta.ef.jcu.cz/doi/10.32725/acta.2025.009.pdf
    Download Restriction: free of charge
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.32725/acta.2025.009?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. World Bank, 2025. "Global Economic Prospects, January 2025," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 42452, April.
    2. Carlos Rodríguez & Carmen Florido & Marta Jacob, 2020. "Circular Economy Contributions to the Tourism Sector: A Critical Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-27, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Patrick A. Imam & Jonathan R. W. Temple, 2026. "Dynamic development accounting and relative income traps," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 64(2), pages 591-613, April.
    2. Sandra Grèzes-Bürcher & Vincent Grèzes, 2024. "Designing a Sustainable, Circular Culinary System," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 4(4), pages 2799-2821, December.
    3. Nikoletta Kaszás & Bálint Jakab & Krisztina Keller, 2026. "Rethinking Tourism Sustainability Certification: a Circular Economy Approach - Analysis of the Circular Economy Criteria for Sustainability Certificates in Tourism," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-24, February.
    4. Basrowi Basrowi & Ika Pratiwi & Gema Ika Sari & Erlina Puspitaloka Mahadewi, 2026. "Harnessing Circular Economy for Sustainable Green Tourism: An Integrated DEMATEL–AHP Analysis," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 1-30, April.
    5. Kiaušienė Ilona & Hladkova Valeriia & Makūnaitė Greta, 2024. "Application of Circular Economy Principles in the Tourism Sector," Management Theory and Studies for Rural Business and Infrastructure Development, Sciendo, vol. 46(1), pages 31-44, March.
    6. Rocío González-Sánchez & Sara Alonso-Muñoz & María-Sonia Medina-Salgado & María Torrejón-Ramos, 2023. "Driving circular tourism pathways in the post-pandemic period: a research roadmap," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 17(3), pages 633-668, September.
    7. Marta Jacob & Carmen Florido & Ana Domínguez‐Quintero & Margarita Payeras, 2025. "Circular Economy Practices in the Hotel Industry: An Urban Destination Versus a Sun and Beach Island Destination," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(4), pages 6124-6138, August.
    8. Nikolaos Skarakis & Georgia Skiniti & Stavroula Tournaki & Theocharis Tsoutsos, 2023. "Necessity to Assess the Sustainability of Sensitive Ecosystems: A Comprehensive Review of Tourism Pressures and the Travel Cost Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-18, August.
    9. Sørensen, Flemming & Bærenholdt, Jørgen Ole, 2020. "Tourist practices in the circular economy," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    10. Grèzes-Bürcher, Sandra & Grèzes, Vincent, 2025. "Analysing and Designing Circular Value Networks for Sustainable Tourism – a Case Study," Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference (2024), Hybrid Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia, in: Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference, Hybrid Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 5-7 September, 2024, pages 234-254, IRENET - Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy, Zagreb.
    11. Harald Oberhofer & Yvonne Wolfmayr & Vasily Astrov & Richard Grieveson & Bernhard Moshammer & Robert Stehrer & Roman Stöllinger, 2022. "FIW-Jahresgutachen 2022 - Die österreichische Außenwirtschaft," FIW Annual Report on the Status of the Austrian External Sector series y:2022:m:02, FIW.
    12. Alexis Ioannidis & Konstantinos J. Chalvatzis & Leonidas C. Leonidou & Zhiteng Feng, 2021. "Applying the reduce, reuse, and recycle principle in the hospitality sector: Its antecedents and performance implications," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3394-3410, November.
    13. Lucia Della Spina, 2023. "A Prefeasibility Study for the Adaptive Reuse of Cultural Historical Landscapes as Drivers and Enablers of Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-30, August.
    14. Marzena Smol & Joanna Duda & Agnieszka Czaplicka-Kotas & Dominika Szołdrowska, 2020. "Transformation towards Circular Economy (CE) in Municipal Waste Management System: Model Solutions for Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-25, June.
    15. Ana Isabel Castillo Pereda, 2026. "Systemic Risk and Default Cascades in Global Equity Markets: A Network and Tail-Risk Approach Based on the Gai Kapadia Framework," Papers 2604.19796, arXiv.org.
    16. Marta Jacob & Ana Domínguez‐Quintero & Carmen Florido & Margarita Payeras, 2026. "Determinants of Circular Economy Participation Among Gen Z in a Sun‐and‐Beach Destination: A Theory of Planned Behavior Approach," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(2), pages 2490-2502, April.
    17. Francesca Nocca & Martina Bosone & Pasquale De Toro & Luigi Fusco Girard, 2023. "Towards the Human Circular Tourism: Recommendations, Actions, and Multidimensional Indicators for the Tourist Category," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-22, January.
    18. Amat Adarov & M. Ayhan Kose & Dana Vorisek, 2025. "Investment in Emerging and Developing Economies," CAMA Working Papers 2025-71, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    19. Nwaobi, Godwin, 2025. "Climate Transition, Decarbonization Framework and Energy Sustainability in Ecowas Region," MPRA Paper 124215, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Tanveer, Umair & Agung Sahara, Shara Nica & Kremantzis, Marios & Ishaq, Shamaila, 2025. "Integrating circular economy principles into a modified theory of Planned Behaviour: Exploring customer intentions and experiences with collaborative consumption on Airbnb," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • L83 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Sports; Gambling; Restaurants; Recreation; Tourism
    • L88 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Government Policy
    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General
    • P48 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Legal Institutions; Property Rights; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Regional Studies

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:boh:actaub:v:28:y:2025:i:2:p:63-82. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Ivo Andrle (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/efjcucz.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.