Tourism, 660 thousand Italians came to Albania until August, the second after Kosovo

2023-10-03 08:36:00, Aktualitet CNA

Tourism, 660 thousand Italians came to Albania until August, the second after

Illustrative photo

Italians have become the second group of tourists who visited Albania this year, registering a number of about 660 thousand visitors until the end of August.

Compared to a year ago, Italians increased by 50 percent in January-August, making up 9.1 percent of the total.

Official data from the Ministry of Tourism show that the neighbors have defeated every other group except Kosovo, which continues to be at the top of the visitors coming to our country. Kosovo Albanians accounted for 40 percent of the total number of tourists who entered our country in August with a figure of 2.93 million, while compared to a year ago, we have an increase of 17 percent.

Meanwhile, the groups that historically came after the Kosovar Albanians, such as Greece or North Macedonia and Montenegro, which consists of immigrants or Albanians from the Terva, come after the Italians.

Specifically, 511,000 visitors came from North Macedonia until August with an 8 percent increase compared to the previous year. Whereas from Greece, the rate in the 8th month of 2023 is 39 percent. At least 450 thousand citizens entered from the Hellenic state.

Groups that have marked a significant increase are the Germans, the Spanish, but also from Turkey.

The increase in the number of tourists from Spain comes in the conditions where there is an increase in organized tourism which is developing mainly in brand structures which are developing several projects in the country while Germans, Nordics and other groups from Western Europe have preferred Albania as a result of cheap prices.

Meanwhile, the Poles, who are the largest group of organized tourism, have increased in 8 months by 27 percent compared to a year ago. However, in the August 2023 and August 2022 reports, this group has recorded a decrease of 5 percent. Tour operators expect this to be the best year ever for tourism in the country.

Tourism statistics

The Ministry of Tourism and Environment reported that in August 2023, the number of foreign nationals who entered the Albanian territory was over 2 million.

"This number has increased by 18.3%, compared to August 2022. During the eight months of 2023, the number of foreign citizens who entered the Albanian territory is 7.19 million. This number has increased by 26.9%, compared to the same period of 2022.

The arrivals of Albanian and foreign citizens in the Albanian territory, in the month of August 2023, are 2.8 million. This indicator results in a 16.9% increase compared to August 2022.

Of the foreign and Albanian visitors to enter Albania in August 2023, the land route is always the most chosen./ Monitor Magazine