Durrës feels the lack of vacationers from Kosovo

2024-08-13 07:24:00, Ekonomi CNA

The summer season in Durrës is turning out to be weaker than what was expected by the tourist operators, as a result of a combination of factors.

"The expectation of Durrës hotels has been greater than it is currently, because after the close of the season last year, we were expecting a significant number of visitors who we are not seeing. It's not a drastic drop, but it's tangible somewhere around 5-10% less and this affects us," says the President of Fafa Hotels and Resorts, Fatos Çerenishti.

According to tourist operators, one of the main factors for this decrease was the decrease in the number of tourists from Kosovo, who this year chose to visit other European destinations.

Blerim Norja, administrator of Royal G hotels, says that the number of visitors from Kosovo in the hotels he manages has dropped by up to 80%.

He states that the liberalization of visas and the desire of Kosovo citizens to visit new destinations in Europe is one of the main factors of this decline.

"There is a gap that is visible even to the naked eye; we see that the roads do not have the usual traffic that they have in the summer. Unlike every other season, for the first time there are no tourists from Kosovo, as Durrës for them has been one of their favorite destinations, where they have visited even during difficult periods such as the earthquake or the pandemic," says Norja.

"The liberalization of visas has had an effect since the first months of the year, as the decrease in the number of visitors from Kosovo has been gradual this year and has given the first signs since the beginning of the season, in April-June," says Fatos Çerenishti .

However, hope remains for the months of August and September, which are expected to help compensate for the gap created during the first two months of the season.

Tourist operators are optimistic that these months will bring an increase in the number of visitors and contribute to the recovery of the sector eventually.

According to Fatos Çerenishti, the number of reservations for the months of August and September shows signs of recovery in the situation.

"Our reservations show us that this gap created in the first months of the season will be recovered, as we will have an increased flow of diaspora tourists and Albanian immigrants. If September will have the same pace as last year, we will recover a lot from the losses created this year," he says.

Tourist operators hope that next season they can bring back visitors from Kosovo, who have been an important segment of tourism in Durrës.

They believe that increasing the quality of services and providing attractive offers can renew the interest of Kosovar tourists and contribute to a possible recovery of the sector.

David Hyka, administrator of Diamma Resort, says that he is optimistic about the return of tourists from Kosovo. "Kosovo Albanians have always been loyal to our hotels; we may have a small drop this season, but we are optimistic that next year they will return, since every year more and more Durrës has tried to adapt to their demands in a perfect way" - he said.

Blerim Norja from Royal G says that this period for Kosovo Albanians is transitory and that they will return, since they have nowhere better than in Albania.

Another factor that has influenced the decrease in the number of tourists is the increase in prices, which has reached up to 10%.

The increase in prices is a consequence of the devaluation of the euro, higher wages and the increase in the costs of raw materials.

These factors have forced tour operators to raise prices to cover the increased costs.

Operators say that a small price change of 10% from last year could be a factor that has influenced the decline; according to them this is normal, as their businesses are being affected by the devaluation of the euro, the high costs of raw materials, energy and labor wages have added at least 25-30% to their expenses.

David Hyka from Diamma Resort shows that they have tried to solve these problems and keep the damage themselves, but the devaluation of the euro is bringing more and more damage to them every day.

"There are many factors, and the increase in prices in Durrës should be higher; we have tried to keep it at 5-10%, while the costs for us have increased up to 30%," says Norja.

"It is a percentage acceptable to all, as it is not an exaggerated increase compared to other coastal areas", says the president of Fafa Resorts.

On the other hand, the increase in wages seems to have contributed to the solution of an important problem of the sector: the lack of labor force.

This improvement has helped stabilize services and provided a better experience for tourists.

It has not been resolved 100%, but we are much better than previous seasons, this is certainly due to the increase in wages in tourism; so, today if you take some of the most difficult jobs such as sanitation in hotels, the salaries are higher than bank employees, reaching up to 1000 euros per month, he tells Monitor Blerim Norja.

While the summer season has started with some challenges, hopes are high that the remaining months of the year will bring improvements and help in the recovery of the tourist sector in Durrës./ Monitor Magazine