Record-breaking tourist numbers in Albania amidst ongoing debate

Record-breaking tourist numbers in Albania amidst ongoing debate

In July, Albania saw an unprecedented influx of tourists, with 1.2 million passengers arriving through Tirana’s Rinas Airport, marking an increase of nearly 350,000 compared to the previous year. On a single day, the airport accommodated 44,000 passengers.

Why is this important

Recent weeks have seen a media debate regarding the tourist season. A number of news portals, opposition affiliated media as well as opposition politicians have taken to publishing images of deserted beaches, claiming that high prices have driven both local and foreign vacationers away from the southern coast.

Context

For the second consecutive year, Albania is experiencing a significant surge in tourist arrivals. Last year, the country welcomed 10 million international visitors, and this year, authorities anticipate reaching a record 14 million tourists. For a small nation aiming to transform tourism into a primary economic driver, these figures are profoundly significant.

In the face of these figures, the campaign aimed at convincing the public that the tourist season is failing, seems rather strange. Prime Minister Edi Rama has weighed in on the discussion, asserting that there is an organized effort to damage Albania’s tourism sector.

Two weeks ago, the Prime Minister declared that there is a deliberate campaign to undermine Albanian tourism. This past Friday, from his summer residence in Dhërmi on the southern coast—where the Prime Minister vacations each year—he dismissed reports of massive abandonment of Albania, particularly by Kosovars, who constitute a significant portion of the annual tourists.

According to Rama, the evidence lays in the performance of Rinas Airport, which has managed up to 252 flights within a 24-hour period—an astonishing volume previously unimaginable. “Fortunately for the airport’s statistics, those who claim that Albania is being abandoned by both locals and tourists are misguided,” Rama stated. “The airport in Tirana is leading European rankings for relative growth compared to previous years. In absolute terms, Tirana has surpassed Belgrade’s airport, which historically held the top spot in the region.”

Moreover, the Prime Minister highlighted that the number of vehicles crossing the Morinë border post, the most important border crossing between Albania and Kosovo, has increased significantly this year. Specifically, 175,000 more vehicles have entered Albania compared to last year, with 3,000 more arriving in July alone.


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