Albania Sees 67% Drop in International Arrivals in July

TIRANA, August 25

Albania hosted 387,000 international visitors as of the end of July, down from 1.1 million in the same period last year, the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) confirmed on Monday. The data show that the numbers decreased by 67.1 percent due to travel restriction and quarantine requirements in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the total number of Albanian and international arrivals during July declined by 61.5 percent. Hence, in July Albania welcomed a total of over 663,000 visitors down from 1.7 million in July 2019.
Meanwhile, the arrivals of Albanian and international visitors during January-July 2020 dropped respectively by 49.7 percent and 64.7 percent.

The report does not include detailed information on the top tourist destinations in Albania during 2020. Coastal cities on the Adriatic Sea, the Albanian Riviera, UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Butrinti, Gjirokastra, and Berat, and the Northern Region are among the most visited destination in Albania. Yet, new innovative models of sustainable tourism are needed given that coastal tourism is highly affected by seasonality and lacks integrated planning and management approaches. Tourists nowadays are becoming more responsible and have a broader understanding of their travel impact. On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic pointed out the connection between habitat and biodiversity loss and mass pandemics.

“It is imperative that we rebuild tourism in a safe, equitable, and climate-friendly way.” António Guterres,  Secretary-General of the United Nations

“A number of researchers today think that it is actually humanity’s destruction of biodiversity that creates the conditions for new viruses and diseases such as Covid-19,” the Guardian reported. This and other burning issues will affect the choices of travelers that are looking for ways to satisfy their needs for recreation and discovery while being kind and supportive to nature and socio-economic development of the places their visit.

Most Tourists came from Kosovo

Citizens of Kosovo accounted for 43 percent of arrivals during January- July followed by citizens of North Macedonia, and Greece.

Read also: Medical Tourism, Finding the Fountain of Youth in Albania
How the Coronavirus Is Hurting Tourism Businesses in Albania?

Source: INSTAT