Tourism this year was maintained by Kosovo and Italians, while Poles and Spaniards fell

2025-12-24 07:38:00, Ekonomi CNA

Tourism this year was maintained by Kosovo and Italians, while Poles and

Tourism continued to have a positive performance during November, although at a slower pace as a result of time.

Kosovo remains the main country of origin for visitors this month. Official data from the Citizens' Movement showed that 39 percent of total arrivals were Kosovo Albanians.

In the 11th month of the year, 245 thousand citizens from Kosovo entered the country, while a year earlier, 6.4 percent less. After Kosovo, Italy held the second largest share with over 79 thousand visitors, an increase of 7.7 percent compared to a year earlier.

Arrivals from Greece were over 52 thousand during November, an increase of 5.7 percent compared to November 2024, while Greeks account for 8.3 percent of the total. This share is also held by arrivals from North Macedonia, which in November were 52 thousand.

Other groups with growth are Germans with 9.5 percent, Spaniards with 38 percent, and Israel with almost 5 times more than a year ago than in November of the previous year.

Tour operators confirm that there is a growing trend of foreigners for cultural tours, something that has been driven by low-cost airline lines but also dedicated direct flights, as was the case with Israel, which was intended as a seasonal route but was postponed beyond the summer.

11-month performance

At the end of November, the number of foreigners entering Albania reached 11.7 million, an increase of 6.6 percent compared to the same period in 2024. Operators had expected a moderate increase this year, as it turned out, underlining that the same trend is expected next year.

Among the groups that have held the main share of visitors, patriotic tourism dominates, with arrivals from Kosovo reaching 4.4 million, an increase of 5.2 percent compared to the same period last year. Kosovo held 37.4 percent of the total number of visitors, followed by Italy with 10.1 percent of this total.

Italians continue to visit Albania, although more evenly distributed throughout the year and less so in the summer season, unlike the trend of two years ago. The increase in prices on the coast has made the neighbors no longer see a summer vacation in Albania as economical, but prefer the capital for its dynamic nightlife and other cities for its cuisine and low accommodation costs.

This year, entries from North Macedonia and Montenegro have also increased, as have those from Greece.

The Germans recorded a 21 percent increase compared to the 11 months of 2024 while the French a 35 percent increase. Both of these groups are now being placed with guarantee contracts, with the French being the last to go in Golem for next year.

Poland recorded a decline this year of 8.6 percent compared to the first 11 months of 2024, which according to tour operators is largely due to a decrease in visitors coming individually, as guaranteed contracts have been respected and have been at higher levels. The Spanish were also down by 2.7 percent.

The Czech Republic, which also comes with warranty contracts in a good part of it, recorded a 6 percent increase this 11 months compared to the same period in 2024./ monitor