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Adventure tour price cuts, operators: Quality and sustainability are being lost

2025-01-02 12:41:00, Ekonomi CNA

Tourist tours in Albania are being sold at prices that often do not even cover the basic costs. This is the concern of adventure tourism tour operators, who say that the market needs controls regarding operator licensing.

"Many guides who have opened their own businesses offer low-priced tours on these platforms to compete, but when they work for other operators, they ask for daily rates of 100-150 euros (by car). This approach creates a contradiction and damages the entire tourist market", says Alket Braho from Visit Albania Tour.

He adds that low prices compromise quality and sustainability. According to him, it makes no sense for a tour to Berat to be sold for 35 euros per person, or a tour to Boville for only 13 euros? Of these figures, 30% end up on platforms like GetYourGuide and Viator, while operators and guides face unaffordable costs.

"Any person who has a car can register on platforms like GetYourGuide and Viator. As a small company, we have been very good with day tours before, but this year we could not join the war "who sells cheaper", - adds Mr. . Braho.

Marsel Kalemi, from Kalemi Travel, says that the state should become the regulator of licensing.

"I am not saying that the state should become a regulator of prices, but it should become a regulator of licensing. Not every tour guide who has a car can offer such tours. The Getyourguide platform has strong criteria to become part of the platform, but the problem with us is that every person here, due to the lack of licensing regulators, meets those criteria", says Mr. Kalemi.

"Albanian tourism has tremendous potential, but this potential cannot be achieved with low prices and harmful practices. Only with professionalism and a fair assessment of your work can we build a market that guarantees quality and development for everyone", adds Mr. Braho at the end.

Local tour operators point out that there are some costs that should not be ignored: The price of diesel is 180 lek per liter, an essential cost for any tour that includes transportation.

The daily salary of a professional guide is over 70 euros (not including the car), while this amount increases when the expenses for transportation and maintenance of the vehicle are added.

Market actors tell Monitor that this problem occurs for several reasons:

Unsustainable market: Prices so low do not even cover basic costs, harming the viability of operators and guides.

Quality declines: Low prices lead to poorer service, damaging the tourist experience and the country's reputation.

Senseless competition: A competition with low prices damages the entire sector, lowering standards and devaluing everyone's work./ Monitor Magazine