Strengthening Local Expertise to Drive Sustainable Tourism in Kosovo

Kosovo’s adventure tourism sector has been steadily expanding, yet it has long faced a hidden barrier: the design, installation, and maintenance of height-based activities depended almost entirely on specialized international providers. This reliance increased costs for local operators and limited the transfer of critical technical knowledge needed to make adventure tourism both safe and sustainable. Building a resilient sector requires strong local expertise—people and companies capable of delivering the necessary skills and services domestically. In 2023, this gap began to close with the establishment of IDE Cert Sh.p.k. in Prishtina by Mirlinda and Shpetim Lajqi. As Kosovo’s first locally certified provider of technical services for adventure tourism, IDE Cert introduced a new model of locally grounded expertise. Shpetim Lajqi, a professor at the University of Prishtina’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, brought his specialized qualifications as a certified Wire Rope Inspector, accredited through internationally recognized institutions such as Ropes Course Solutions, ERCA, and IAPA. This ensured that IDE Cert could deliver services that meet the highest global safety and quality standards.

Through the FEGO Innovation Fund, Swisscontact supported IDE Cert in acquiring the specialized machinery and tools required to fully serve the sector. Beyond strengthening a single company, this partnership aimed to address a systemic challenge by fostering local capacities, enabling knowledge transfer, and establishing a foundation for high-quality, safe, and sustainable adventure tourism across Kosovo. The results are tangible. IDE Cert can now provide end-to-end technical services for adventure tourism facilities, ensuring compliance with rigorous safety standards. The investment is also projected to create 3–4 new project-based jobs over the next two years, further stimulating the local economy. By supporting certified local service providers like IDE Cert, the FEGO project is building a stronger, more self-reliant adventure tourism sector in Kosovo. This initiative shows how targeted, practical support can create lasting change, improving safety, quality, and sustainability while strengthening the entire local tourism service ecosystem.