For a long time, Albania was an inaccessible place for vacationers. Because the small Balkan state isolated itself from the outside world between 1944 and 1990 due to the brutal communist regime under dictator Enver Hoxha. But Albania has been a trend destination for several years and is enjoying growing popularity and increasing number of holidaymakers. Albania sees great potential in tourism and is improving tourism infrastructure, especially by building new (air) ports, highways and hotels. What travelers can expect from a holiday in Albania and what the country is focusing on in regards to current and future tourism – TRAVELBOOK spoke to the Minister of Environment and Tourism about this.
“Lonely Planet” named the best travel destinations for the 18th time: Albania is also among the “Best in Travel 2023”. However, instead of picking the top ten cities, towns and regions, as before, the popular travel guide has handpicked 30 trending vacation destinations in various categories, such as ‘food’ and ‘relaxation’. Albania is the only European country represented in the “Make contacts” category. Also present was Mirela Kumbaro, Minister of Environment and Tourism of Albania, underlined the friendliness and hospitality in the country on the Ionian and Adriatic. Furthermore, holidaymakers can look forward to picturesque villages, rugged mountain landscapes with fascinating reservoirs, river valleys and large gorges and of course a long stretch of coast, which is not yet overrun by tourists. They also don’t want to become a mass tourist destination, even if they expect a lot from tourism in Albania. In the TRAVELBOOK interview, Kumbaro explains how to promote “sustainable tourism”.
TRAVELBOOK: Albania presented itself at the ITB with the slogan “All you need is here”. What exactly do you mean by “everything”?
Mirela Kumbaro: “Albania is a small country and when designing an advertisement it can make sense to choose only one aspect. But it was very difficult for us. Albania is becoming a trending travel destination and everyone is coming to discover it. And there really is a lot because the country is so diverse. It’s like a big table with wonderful and delicious food – you don’t know where to start or where to end…”
For example with…?
“Firstly, there is the wonderful food in Albania, and I don’t mean just the traditional cuisine. We have many new young chefs who have been to Italy or France for example and then come back and combine their modern know-how with typical Albanian dishes. And don’t forget: Albania has the second best espresso in the world after Italy. It is worth coming to Albania just for the food”.
But not only…
“Many come for the pristine beaches. We have more than 400 kilometers of coastline, many of which are still in their pristine state. But this tourism is mainly limited to the summer. It’s not enough for us.”
It is known that many vacationers love to go to the beach. What does Albania offer away from the Mediterranean Sea?
“Three-quarters of the country consists of mountains, rivers and forests. Most don’t know. And when they arrive, they are surprised. The Vjose in southern Albania is one of the last wild rivers in Europe and has just been declared a national park. Leonardo DiCaprio was also one of the supporters of the project. We also have a great cultural heritage. No matter where you are, there are ancient ruins everywhere – from the Hellenistic era and Roman times. Albania has a total of four Unesco World Heritage Sites, including Butrint, Berat and Gjirokastra, as well as Lake Ohrid between Albania and North Macedonia, which incidentally is the oldest lake in Europe . We also have an intangible world heritage with the iso-polyphonic singing style”.
Prime Minister Edi Rama also spoke of the legendary hospitality of the Albanians.
“As a relatively new destination, we may not have all the international hotel chains with us with the appropriate standards, but this is compensated for by the level of hospitality. You just have to come, feel it and experience it for yourself.
As you said, Albania is still relatively new as a travel destination. This is also due to the fact that the country has been isolated for decades. How strong is this influence still?
“Dictatorship is an important part of our history. The only country comparable to Albania between WWII and the 1990s is North Korea. And now imagine a country like North Korea, which has been closed for more than half a century, and is now open to everyone and experiencing a tourism boom – it’s crazy, you have to experience it yourself.
“We want tourists who stay longer and spend more”
However, an important factor in the boom of tourism in Albania is that it is so cheap here, as the expressed TRAVELBOOK index shows. Could tourists stay away if prices in Albania eventually go up?
“Five years ago, low-cost tourism was something that made sense from an Albanian point of view. Now it’s still not expensive, but that’s not what we want to represent. Cheap is not always sustainable. We want to prioritize quantity over quality and focus on value instead of mass.”
Also interesting: this is how much an espresso costs in Europe – 42 cities compared
What does it mean?
“We want tourists who stay longer and spend more. That is why we are currently investing heavily in infrastructure: roads, highways, airports and ports. With the help of investors from Dubai, we are currently building the largest marina in the Balkans.”
You just mentioned sustainability. But Albania still has a problem with waste.
“Not to the same extent as three years ago. As Minister of Tourism and Environment of Albania, I can say it: it’s still not easy. But that’s why we work on it every day and involve all Albanians”.
