Foreign Visitors Numbers Show Summer Increases

TIRANA, August 24

Over 1.6 million foreign visitors entered Albania from June 1 to August 15. The Ministry of Economic Development Tourism and Trade has been updating the data on the arrivals of Albanian and international visitors from abroad during the summer season. The same data confirm a significant increase in the number of visitors compared to the same period of the previous year in all land, maritime, and air border crossing points. Thus, the number of visitors that entered the country through Morina border point increased by 40 percent. Meanwhile, the number of foreign visitors that entered Albania through maritime ways was 121,140. Compared to the period June 1 – August 15, 2015, their number increased by 24.31 percent. Besides the Port of Durres, increased figures were also reported by the ports of Vlora and Saranda.
Even though the data are positive, tourism operators and associations expressed reserves about the lack of detailed information. All the international citizens that enter Albania are registered as foreign visitors. There are no specifications if they come as tourists or for business purposes.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Culture reported positive figures about the number of Albanian and foreign tourists in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Butrint, Gjirokastra and Berat.

One of the main challenges of tourism in Albania is to embrace a new model of doing tourism that focuses on year-round tourism and not only seasonal visitors.

News Source: ekonomia.gov.al

Photo Credit: D. F. S