The  Albanian Hotel Industry Grew by 36% during 2016

TIRANA, February 26

The Albanian private sector is investing more in the tourism industry. According to the data provided by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) the number of hotels and accommodation facilities in 2016 expanded by 36 percent compared to 2015. This means that 336 new hotels entered the market in 2016 thus reaching a total of 1,242 accommodation facilities. Moreover, the number of hotel rooms is about 18,000 while the number of beds is 41,000.
Notable new opening during 2016 was The Plaza Tirana.
Increased investments in accommodation facilities reflect a growing trend in the number of tourist arrivals. INSTAT has previously confirmed that over five million international citizens traveled to Albania in 2017 or eight percent more compared to 2016.
Yet, the size of accommodation facilities and hotels in Albania is small compared to the number of visitors.
The average hotel in Albania has 33 beds and they can’t attract large groups of visitors.
Currently, Albania lacks five-star hotels and luxury resorts. In January 2018, Marriot International confirmed the departure of Sheraton from Albania. On the other hand, Hilton Garden Inn will open soon. Meanwhile, Tirana International Hotel will expand its accommodation capacities as the National Territory Council Okayed the construction of a 30-story building next to the existing hotel.
The Albanian government aims at attracting top hotel chains by providing tax incentives to investment projects in four and five-star hotels.
News Source: Scan TV

Photo Credit: Bougainvillebay Saranda