Albania becomes Europe’s fastest-growing tourist destination

A European country could soon be "overrun" by many tourists arriving on its shores, writes Joe Rossiter for the well-known British newspaper "Express", CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

"Albania has seen its tourism industry grow significantly in recent years, with hotels opening and its sandy beaches becoming favorites among social media influencers.

In 2015, over three million tourists arrived in Albania to explore it, a figure that rose to four million in 2017 and six million in 2019. However, since the pandemic, numbers have increased significantly, with around 10 million people arriving in 2023, a 56% increase compared to pre-pandemic figures.

These figures have made Albania the fastest-growing holiday destination in Europe, with the government expecting up to 30 million foreign visitors by 2030.

In context, this level would be more than what Portugal or Croatia currently receive.

Albania's tourism levels are the third fastest growing in the world, right behind Qatar and Puerto Rico.

The Middle Eastern oil giant has seen an 89% increase in visitors between 2019 and 2023, with Puerto Rico seeing a 58% increase, slightly more than Albania.

Among those investing in the Albanian scene are Jared Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, who recently got the green light for a $1,4 billion luxury hotel on the island of Sazan.

Albania has long been a hidden gem for tourists in Europe, boasting attractions such as the Blue Eye, a natural mountain spring, the "Dajti Ekspres" cable car that transports tourists to the top of a mountain, and Butrint National Park, an extraordinary archaeological site with historical underpinnings from Hellenism to Byzantium.

In addition, Albania's sandy beaches and coastal resorts, as well as high summer temperatures, constitute an attractive proposition for tourists.