Tourism in Albania

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Bathers in Gjipe Bay on the Albanian Riviera

The Tourism in Albania is - typical of emerging markets - not yet strongly developed today but an important industry in the country. In contrast to its neighbors Greece , Italy and Montenegro , tourism development in Albania started late. More and more tourists are enjoying traveling to Albania; more than half of them are locals, emigrants and Albanians from neighboring countries.

Vacation types and most visited travel destinations

Tourists at the Marubi Museum (Fototeka) in Shkodra

With beaches on the Mediterranean Sea , mountain landscapes , lakes , unspoilt areas and historic cities, the country offers tourists a wide range. Albania's history goes back to the Illyrians . Different cultures have left their mark, so the country has a great variety of architectural monuments and social influences. There are several ancient ruins and other relics from a bygone era, historical monuments from the Ottoman Empire, and old Orthodox churches .

The beaches of Albania attract most of the vacationers. The high season is limited to the months of July and August, although the air and water temperatures allow bathing at other times. The mountains in the north develop into a popular destination for Central European hikers for trekking tours in natural landscapes in summer .

There are 15 national parks in the country, some of which are barely developed.

The most popular destinations include:

Berat is a typically Balkan-Ottoman town and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.
Day tourists from Corfu visiting the ancient excavations in Butrint , UNESCO World Heritage.
  • Albanian Alps - hiking in mountain areas with national parks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites
  • Albanian Riviera - cliffs, popular for beach holidays in small villages
  • Apollonia - ruins of an ancient city that had around 60,000 inhabitants in its heyday
  • Berat - Balkan-Ottoman old town and castle (also called the city ​​of 1000 windows ; UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • Butrint - the best preserved ruins in Albania (UNESCO World Heritage)
  • Byllis - ruins of an ancient Illyrian city
  • Durrës - ancient port city of Dyrrhachium with amphitheater , popular for beach holidays
  • Gjirokastra - museum town with typical Balkan-Ottoman town houses and fortress (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • Korça - Balkan-Ottoman and Western European-influenced old town with alleys and alleys (also called Paris of Albania )
  • Kruja - fortress with Skanderbeg museum , bazaar
  • Pogradec - on Lake Ohrid , popular for beach holidays
  • Saranda - popular for beach holidays on the Ionian Sea
  • Shkodra - historic castle , museums, old town with one of the largest Catholic cathedrals of its time
  • Tirana - capital with museums, various cultural and leisure activities, many colorful buildings, shops, lively nightlife, Dajti mountain with cable car
  • Vlora - port city for beach holidays

history

The former communist regime did not allow tourist activities for several decades. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, only travelers from the Eastern European brother states were allowed. The tourist infrastructure was currently - like almost everything in the country - under construction. The German travel agency of the German Democratic Republic advertised Albania as follows in its 1958 brochure:

“We expressly point out that no comfort can be expected on these trips. The scenic beauty, the ideal sandy beach and the magnificence of the imposing mountains must be decisive for the participants. "

With the break between the Albanian and Soviet governments, these approaches to tourism came to an abrupt end. The few new hotel buildings that have just been built on the coast could only record a small number of guests. Until Enver Hoxha's death in 1985, foreign tourism in Albania was hardly promoted. Almost every city had a hotel in the meantime and there were several rest homes on the coasts and mountains, but these were intended for party officials, business travelers and excellent domestic workers.

Tourists on Durrës Beach in the 1970s

In the 1970s, almost only communist groups from Western Europe were guests in Albania. In the 1980s, foreigners were allowed to visit the country in groups. Journalists and Americans were not welcome. As part of the financial possibilities of the developing country, the expansion of the tourist infrastructure was supported and various travel guides were published abroad.

In the 1990s, the transformation process with its violent conflicts and supply bottlenecks, as well as the Yugoslav wars, kept more tourists away from the country. The Balkans were too dangerous for Westerners seeking relaxation; Development workers were among the few foreigners in the country.

When the borders between the Southeastern European countries became more porous again at the end of the Kosovo war , the number of foreign visitors increased again. At the beginning of the year 2000, in addition to emigrants returning for home leave, these were mainly Albanians living in neighboring countries .

Since then, rapid development has started. New hotels have been built, especially on the beaches of Central Albania. The number of Albanian bathing tourists from home and abroad is steadily increasing. Day trips from Corfu to Saranda and Butrint are particularly popular with Western Europeans . Around 1,500,000 tourists were recorded in 2009, which corresponds to a relative growth of around 221 percent compared to 2006.

The world's largest publisher for travel and phrasebooks - Lonely Planet - declared Albania to be an international “top destination” for 2011. "Above all, Albania offers low prices, hospitality, excellent food and an extremely vibrant nightlife," the Australian publisher continues. As the “new Mediterranean love”, the country will no longer stay away from the tourist hype.

In 2018 the Albanian government launched the “100 Villages” program to stimulate tourism in rural areas.

Obstacles

Isolation and inaccessibility, as well as the country's political instability, were some of the major problems that have deterred tourists from traveling to Albania in the past. In the past, infrastructure problems also impaired the development of tourism: power outages and interruptions to the water supply were common and the road network was inadequate. In the meantime, however, almost all of the national transport axes have been expanded, and all important sights can be reached. Private drivers offer inexpensive transport between important locations in buses and minibuses, but without public timetables. The Hekurudha Shqiptare railway network is limited to two low-traffic routes for passenger transport.

Durrës Plazh in high season

On the other hand, there is a risk of the destruction of attractive tourist spots through illegal building and environmental pollution . In Durrës Plazh in particular , more hotels were built in the 2000s. Inadequate waste disposal throughout the country and illegal dumping of waste - sometimes also in holiday regions and on beaches - disturb tourists.

The security situation in Albania is far better than its reputation. Tourists do not face any specific dangers.

Individual foreign investors struggled with other uncertainties: Club Méditerranée has given up plans to build a hotel complex on the Albanian Riviera after years of dispute over the owner's rights to the acquired property. The activities of Club Mediterranée previously served as an example that, contrary to all other claims, tourism in Albania is attractive and mature for large foreign investors.

Economical meaning

Tourists in the Kruja bazaar

Tourism is of great and steadily increasing importance for economic development. Development plans from all governments in recent years see tourism as an important pillar of the future economy. The transport and tourism sector contributed directly and indirectly around a quarter of the gross domestic product in 2011; even eight years later, the contribution is within this framework. The tourism sector grew by 70 percent between 2005 and 2010.

According to a report by the Statistics Institute ( Albanian  Instituti i Statisticsave ), the country had 369 hotels with 5888 rooms and 11,932 beds in 2009. In 2009 over 1.5 million foreign travelers were counted; including just under 236,000 hotel guests who spent around 540,000 hotel nights. Most of the tourists in 2009 came from the Balkans ( Kosovo : 45%, Macedonia : 18%, Montenegro : 6%, Italy and Greece each 5%, Serbia , Germany and the United Kingdom each 3%). In the first eight months of 2009 around a third of the tourists abroad were Albanians living abroad. In 2012, 20 to 30 percent more foreign tourists came compared to the first half of 2011. These were mainly Poles, Czechs, Austrians and Asians. The number of visitors from Kosovo and Macedonia, on the other hand, increased by 10 percent.

The number of foreign travelers in Albania has increased significantly in recent years: 3.5 million (2012), 3.3 million (2013), 3.7 million (2014), 4.1 million (2015), 4.7 million (2016) and 5.1 million (2017). In 2017, 64% of the tourists came from the Balkan Peninsula ( Kosovo : 34%, Macedonia : 13%, Greece : 10%, Montenegro : 7%), 7% of the tourists from Italy and 2% each from the United Kingdom , Germany , Poland and the USA . The number of tourists from Germany and Switzerland increased from 2016 to 2017 by 50% to 122,000 and 55,000 people respectively.

In Albania, at least one in six employees or, depending on the source, 17 to 24 percent of all employees - a total of around 100,000 people directly and 300,000 people indirectly - work in the transport and tourism sector. In some regions, tourism is already one of the only important employers alongside agriculture. This applies to seaside resorts on the coast and villages in the mountains: regions that suffered from high levels of migration, particularly in the 1990s. For example, for the small mountain village of Theth , which had lost almost all of its inhabitants, 7500 guests were expected to generate income of € 150,000 from tourism in 2009. With the support of the German Society for Technical Cooperation , many residents were able to set up private accommodation in their homes, and hiking trails were also marked. Investments should also be made in training those who work in the tourism sector.

Albania Tourism logo

The government is also increasingly promoting the important economic sector tourism. Infrastructure projects such as the new construction of the airport terminal in Tirana, the expansion of the road network and the ports are being advanced. Improved roads also open up regions that were previously very remote, such as the Albanian Alps. There are also tax incentives for investors in the tourism sector.

With the project “Smile Albania” from 2018 information for tourists should be improved and jobs created for young people. At the beginning of 2018, the Albanian government announced a four-year program to support 100 villages. In addition to the infrastructure, tourism in rural areas ( agrotourism ) should also be promoted, which should also strengthen the economy outside the big cities and tourist centers.

List of places in the project "100 villages"
Berat District (6)

Qafë Dardha, Roshnik , Malas Breg, Kozarja, Blezëncka, Kapinova

Qark Dibra (5)

Rabdisht, Radomira ( Korab ), Bushkash, Zerqan, Gur i Bardhë

Durres County (6)

Rada, Shetaj ( Cape Rodon ), Shënavlash, Gjepalaj / Maminas, Metallaj, Halilaj (Zgërdhesh)

Elbasan County (9)

Gjinar, Shushica, Shtërmenj, Seferan ( Dumreja ), Sotira, Pajova, Stëbleva, Dardha, Rrajca / Skënderbej

Qark Fier (9)

Pojan ( Apollonia ), Libofsha, Cakran , Siqeca, Luar, Ardenica ( Monastery Ardenica ), Krutja, Goriçaj, Hekal ( Byllis )

Gjirokastër Qark (13)

Dhoksat, Zhulat, Antigonea ( Antigoneia ), Lazarat , Labova e Sipërme, Nepravishta ( Melan-Tekke ), Nivica ( Kurvelesh ), Peshtan, Kalivaç, Kosina, Leusa, Malëshova, Sotira

Korca County (12)

Drenova / Boboshtica, Voskopoja , Dardha , Zvirina, Rehova, Borova , Lin , Tushemisht , Gurras, Arrëz, Nikolica, Zaroshka ( Little Prespa Lake )

County of Kukës (4)

Shishtavec , Shtiqen, Cahan, Valbona

Lezha County (5)

Fishta , Ishull-Lezha, Skuraj, Katund i Vjetër, Orosh

Shkodra Qark (9)

Drisht , Zogaj , Theth , Mjeda, Kukël, Qelëz, Kryezi, Razma / Vrith, Lëpusha ( Qafa e Bordolecit )

Tirana County (10)

Shëngjergj, Shesh, Peza, Pëllumbas , Laknas, Preza , Marikaj, Karpen, Vilë Bashtova ( Bashtova Fortress ), German

Vlora County (12)

Kanina , Tragjas, Zvërnec , Dhërmi / Vuno , Kuç, Lukova , Mesopotam , Plloça ( Amantia ), Drashovica, Çuka, Mursia, Rusan ( Gjin Aleksi Mosque )

literature

  • Rüdiger Pier: Tourism . In: Klaus-Detlev Grothusen (Hrsg.): Albanien (=  Südosteuropa-Handbuch . Volume VII ). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1993, ISBN 3-525-36207-2 , pp. 417-426 .
  • Renate Ndarurinze: Albania. With Tirana, the Adriatic coast and the Albanian Alps . 6th edition. Trescher Verlag, Berlin 2016, ISBN 978-3-89794-307-0 .
  • Drita Kruja, Edlira Gjuraj: Tourism Employment During Economic Transition in Albania . Shkodra ( report online - (undated)). (PDF; 275 kB)

Web links

Commons : Tourism in Albania  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files
Wikivoyage: Albania  Travel Guide

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Ismail Beka: Cross-border destination development for mountain tourism (Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo). (PDF) April 24, 2010, accessed December 19, 2014 .
  2. ↑ a b Ines Nurja: Shqipëria në Shifra / Albania in Figures 2010. (No longer available online.) In: Instituti i Statisticsave. 2009, archived from the original on March 4, 2016 ; Retrieved December 20, 2015 (al). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.instat.gov.al
  3. ↑ Albania? Albania! In: 20 minutes. December 28, 2010, accessed January 7, 2011 .
  4. ↑ Projekti "100 fshatrat" nga Lazarati tek Valbona dhe Boboshtica, harta e PLOTE. In: Balkanweb.com. January 19, 2018, accessed April 13, 2019 (Albanian).
  5. ↑ urlaub-im-web.de (July 12, 2009): Albania - serious environmental problems burden the development of tourism. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on February 11, 2010 ; Retrieved May 15, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.urlaub-im-web.de
  6. ↑ Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): Greater stability in the Balkans is lowering crime (May 2008)
  7. ^ Albania: Travel and Safety Advice. In: Foreign Office. March 10, 2011, accessed March 21, 2011 .
  8. ↑ Benet Koleka ( Reuters ): Club Med quits Albania resort, cites land problems. June 16, 2009, accessed October 22, 2010 .
  9. ^ A b c d Salvatore Messina: The importance of tourism for the Albanian economy. In: Universiteti Europian për Turizmin. April 14, 2011, archived from the original on August 8, 2012 ; accessed on May 22, 2012 (English).
  10. ↑ a b c USAID Builds Entrepreneurship in Tourism. (No longer available online.) In: USAID Albania. April 14, 2011, archived from the original on October 15, 2011 ; accessed on May 22, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / albania.usaid.gov
  11. ↑ Gerta Dervishi / ATA: World Tourism Council: Over 300,000 jobs from tourism in Albania | Follow Business Albania. In: Follow Business Albania. May 7, 2019, accessed May 11, 2019 .
  12. ↑ a b Statistics. In: Agjencia Kombetare e Turizmit. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013 ; accessed on May 22, 2012 (English).
  13. ↑ 2012 was a successful year for Albanian tourism. (No longer available online.) Albanian Broadcasting Corporation News, Aug. 1, 2012, archived from the original on March 9, 2016 ; Retrieved August 1, 2012 (Albanian). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / abcnews.al
  14. ^ Movements of Citizens in Albania. (PDF) In: Instat. January 23, 2018, accessed February 11, 2018 .
  15. ↑ World Travel & Tourism Council (ed.): Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2018: Albania . London March 2018.
  16. ↑ Albania. In: Investing in tourism Sustainability Conference. May 27, 2019, accessed December 30, 2019 .
  17. ↑ Çfarë është Project “Smile Albania”? In: smilealbania.gov.al. Retrieved December 31, 2019 (Albanian).
  18. ↑ Smile Albania 2019, punësim për 500 të rinj. In: smilealbania.gov.al. Retrieved December 31, 2019 (Albanian).
  19. ↑ Programi i Integruar për Zhvillimin Rural - Programi i 100 Fshatrave. In: Ministria e Bujqësisë dhe Zhvillimit Rural. Retrieved December 30, 2019 (Albanian).
  20. ↑ Projekti "100 fshatrat" nga Lazarati tek Valbona dhe Boboshtica, harta e PLOTE |. In: Revista Monitor. January 18, 2018, accessed December 31, 2019 (Albanian).
  21. ↑ Lista e 100 Fshatrave. (PDF) In: Ministria e Bujqësisë dhe Zhvillimit Rural. March 2018, accessed December 31, 2019 (Albanian).