Success stories

New entrepreneur:
Sara Paolicchi (Spain)
Age: 33
Company name: (Start-up)
Sector of activity: Hotel, restaurant, tourism, travel services and wellness

Host entrepreneur:
Eni Serbo (Albania)
Age: 35
Company name: Xheko-Imperial Hotel/ www.xheko-imperial.com (5 years of experience)
Sector of activity: Hotel, restaurant, tourism, travel services and wellness

Tourism and hospitality were two of the most severely hit sectors in 2020. Yet at the end of the year this four-week long EYE exchange took place between Sara Paolicchi, an Italian professional sales consultant and spa manager who was based in Spain, and Eni Serbo, a premier luxury boutique hotel owner in Tirana in Albania.

Sara had been working for several famous cosmetic companies, and luxury four- and five-star spa hotels in Britain, Spain, Austria and Italy. She wanted to learn more about how the wellness sector had been growing in south-eastern Europe and realised Albania was one of the fastest growing countries in this sector, and her HE could give her strong insights for the start-up she wanted to found; and her choice was quite rewarding.

Though the exchange was shorter than planned and covid-19 prevented the spa from finally opening, Sara learned some basic steps needed to create a company from scratch, from dealing with suppliers and competitors to choosing the right cosmetics brands and adapting many marketing strategies. She understood the hard work and effort it takes to build a spa from scratch. In this entrepreneurial match, the NE was involved in processing client targets to decide on the choice of the best providers and cosmetics brands. Sara learnt how important it is to evaluate professional treatments such as professional massages and therapies to choose for the spa they were planning to open.

Despite the fact that she had no entrepreneurial experience and the spa’s opening was interrupted by the second lockdown in Albania, Sara managed to gain some significant skills. In addition to getting a flavour of a different cultural and organisational setting, Sara obtained general management skills and got to know some foreign markets. Thanks to her host Eni, she increased her understanding on how to manage her future company and she has plans to stay in touch with her.

For more information, please contact the local contact points involved in the exchange:

New entrepreneur's contact point:
CAMARA OFICIAL DE COMERCIO, INDUSTRIA, SERVIZOS E NAVIGACIÓN DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA (Santiago De Compostela, Spain)

Host entrepreneur's contact point:
QENDRA PROTIK (Tirana, Albania)

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