Vacation in Albania Became 15% More Expensive in 2023 Due to an Influx of Foreign Tourists
The tourist season of 2023 in Albania marked a significant increase in the number of vacationers, leading to a rise in prices.
This information is reported by ACP.
It is stated that, for instance, in the port city of Durrës, prices have increased by 15% compared to the previous year.
Local tour operators note that the summer season of 2023 is expected to be very successful. There has been a growth in the number of foreigners choosing Albania as their holiday destination. Bookings have reached record levels since May and are continuing until the end of September. Many products have already been sold out, and a significant portion of accommodation has been reserved until mid-September.
Many guests are arriving from Scandinavian countries, but Albanian holidaymakers are also displaying high activity.
The favorite destination among tourists remains the coastline of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.
Previously, The Gaze reported that, according to the balance of payments estimation conducted by experts from the Bank of Albania (BSH), foreign visitors spent a record amount in Albania during the first quarter of 2023. The Balkan country affirmed that the expenses of foreign visitors reached €624 million, setting a historic record.
This figure almost doubled the pre-pandemic results of 2019 and was 52% higher than the first quarter of 2022.
According to data from the National Institute of Statistics of the Republic of Albania (INSTAT), the number of foreign citizens entering the country during the first three months of 2023 reached 1,070,564 individuals. This number increased by 59.5% compared to the corresponding period of 2022.
An additional reason to consider vacationing in Albania could be the fact that the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania voted to approve a bill legalizing the production of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes. The Ministry of Health of the Balkan country stated that the aim of the initiative is to regulate control and oversight of the cultivation, production, processing, and export of medical and industrial marijuana.
It is worth noting that the Albanian government, seeking to assist refugees from Ukraine who were forced to leave their homeland due to the escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian war, has liberalized immigration requirements for Ukrainian passport holders.
According to the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania, adopted on March 18, 2022, citizens of Ukraine now have the right to enter the Balkan country and stay on its territory for up to 1 (one) year without a residence permit.
Furthermore, it should be mentioned that several years ago, the authorities of Albania and Ukraine signed a bilateral agreement establishing a mutual visa-free regime, which contributed to an influx of tourists from Ukraine to Albanian resorts.