September 8 (SeeNews) - Albania’s priority in tourism is to transform into an upscale tourist destination, rather than to further boost tourist numbers, as it looks to tap into its unspoilt nature and vast cultural heritage, the minister of tourism and environment, Mirela Kumbaro, said.
“We aim for sustainable tourism, elite tourism, tourists who stay longer and spend more, tourists who come to Albania not only for the beaches, but also for the nature, protected areas, culture, cuisine and this is the vision that is being reflected in the new tourism strategy that we are drafting,” Kumbaro told SeeNews in a recent interview.
According to data of the World Tourism and Travel Council, tourism contributed 22% to the country’s GDP in 2022.
As soaring prices pushed households across Europe to cut expenses in the past months, Albania emerged as a more affordable alternative to other Mediterranean countries, including neighbouring Italy. In the first seven months of the year, it reported a 31% increase in tourists. In 2022, as many as 7.5 million foreign tourists visited the country, up by a third as compared with the previous year. Citizens of Kosovo, Italy, Greece, North Macedonia and Montenegro make up the largest group.
However, tourists from Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania have increased between 40% to 60% in 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, according to Kumbaro. Furthermore, tourists from Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, England, Turkey and China have more than doubled, she added.
The rise in tourist numbers has translated into record-high revenue. In 2022, foreign visitors spent 2.8 billion euro ($3 billion) in the country, Kumbaro said, quoting data from the Bank of Albania.
“[This is] a record figure, which I think we will surpass this year,” she went on to say.
To meet its goals, Albania is now seeking to move away from the low-end tourist product and attract luxury accommodation brands through various regulatory incentives, such as exemption from income tax and infrastructure tax for a ten-year period.
“Of course, everything has to start with the legal framework – without proper regulation we cannot attract investment,” Kumbaro commented.
US-based Marriott International, Radisson, Hilton and Hyatt, Spanish hospitality group Melia Hotels International, German-based Maritim, and UK’s InterContinental Hotels Group have been quick to act and open hotels, or are in the process of doing so. Until five years ago, none of these brands operated in Albania, the minister noted.
Investments in infrastructure have also been a priority for the government. Albania is now building an international airport, its third, near the city of Vlora, giving tourists immediate access to the Albanian riviera. Investments are also underway in the marinas of Durres and Vlora, and the Durres port is set to undergo a complete overhaul.
“Tourism is a sector that needs to be developed by private initiative, while the government is creating a welcoming environment for investors, a clear and simple legal framework, and is improving public infrastructure, as it has been doing during all these years,” Kumbaro said.
($ = 0.932 euro)