Welcome to Albania! For many of us Albanians who feel this country is part of our own lives, this expression means a lot. Feelings are often contradictory, sometimes we feel frustrated because of the poor infrastructure, dust, noise, and sometimes we feel neglected as intellectual capacities, but most of the time we feel this country is part of our own blood and part of our own existence. We feel it’s lovely, beautiful, precious and dear. This is our country and we belong to it.

General Overview
Albania is a pretty attractive country with quite a complex touristic offer. The whole package varies from it’s great nature, mountains, rivers, woods, skiing and unspoiled natural parks to it’s unique culture, folk, culinary, religion harmony, and of course people. The combination of all those components gives a unique high-valued product which unfortunately is not quite often promoted as it should be. It is very rare to find this variety of nature in such a small area; in less than three hours you can visit mountains, beaches and forests. The variation of landscapes is a great, unique experience for visitors.
The fast increase of the world-wide demand for adventure tourism, eco-tourism, and cultural and personal experiences is a great challenge and opportunity for our country to develop its short-term offer, in order to have high-quality options of all those kinds of tourism. Albania has great potential for the development of all these forms of tourism, and together with a better promotion and investment plan, and better human resources, the full potential can be unlocked so that tourists can experience the “pleasant unspoken truth” about this country.
The most developed type of tourism in Albania is currently beach tourism. But this form of mass tourism has in many cases caused total destruction of local natural resources. Many areas are not attractive enough, or any more, in order to generate new offers, or to attract tourists with more money to spend. Most tourists are currently Albanians from landlocked Kosovo and Macedonia who often come in Albania for practical and patriotic reasons (ie no language problems), visa-free travel, cheap accommodation and packages, and easy connections.
The state realises the potential and has paid much attention to tourism. The approval of the law on the “Stimulated Person” (which creates temporary tax exemptions for the legal persons intending to invest in tourism) is proof of its intention to develop this important sector. Furthermore, lack of other promising industries impose the development of tourism as a priority sector for the generation of income.
However, the state has difficulties in understanding that tourism development is very complex, and because of that implementation problems arise. To increase the potential of the tourism industry, the state must not just create a positive investment climate, but also promote development of other industries, infrastructure, people, transport, communications, guarantee clear land ownership, etc. Without a balanced growth of all sectors, tourism will not have the weight in the Albanian economy that is deserves.

The travel and tourism industry - impact on the economy
The travel and tourism industry (T&T), including transport, accommodation, catering, and transport and services for visitors is one of the world’s largest industries with a high growth percentage of employers and employees. According to a report of World Travel and Tourism Council published in 2005, the travel and tourism Industry in Albania is represented with the figures presented in table 1.
The report emphasises a number of facts. In 2005, T&T was expected to contribute 3.8% to world GDP, while the broader T&T sector would contribute 10.6%. In Central and Eastern Europe, T&T was expected to post a GDP contribution of 2.2% in 2005.
Albanian T&T was expected to contribute 4.7% to GDP in 2005 (42 billion lek, or 374.4 million dollars) rising in nominal terms to 94.8 bn lek ($691.1 million, 4.9% of the total) by 2015. The T&T economy contribution (percent of total) was expected to rise from 14.1% (24.9 bn lek, or $113.4 mn) to 14.7% (285.9 bn lek or $2083 mn) in this same period.
The report says that Travel and Tourism is a high-growth activity which is forecast to increase its total economic activity by 4.6% per annum world-wide, 6.8% in Central and Eastern Europe, and 5.4% in Albania in real terms over the next ten years. The Albanian T&T industry employment is estimated to be 164,577 jobs in 2005 (with 221.6 million jobs world-wide, and 12.2 million jobs in Central and Eastern Europe); some 11,4% of total employment (8,3% of global employment, and 8.3% of total employment in Central and Eastern Europe) or 1 in every 8,8 jobs (one in 12 jobs world-wide). By 2015 this should total 195,267 jobs, 11.8% of total employment or 1 in every 8.4 jobs. The 55,125 T&T industry jobs account for 3,8% of total employment in 2005 and are forecast to total 64,510 jobs or 3.9% of the total by 2015.
As we may deduct from the figures, the T&T industry has an important weight in the Albanian economy. It is a fast-growing sector which will contribute substantially to the growth of the economy as a whole.

A closer look in figures
According to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports the figures for incoming tourists are as presented in table 2.
The number of foreign tourists in Albania increased rapidly after the political instabilities of 1997. From the successive years up to now there has always been an increase of visitors. The figures show that there is an increasing trust in Albania, proved by the almost 50% increase in 2005 compared with 2004.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports does not provide an exact structure of tourists coming to Albania, but from the figures we may deduct that since the majority visits from June to September, they come principally for the beach tourism during the long Albanian summer. Of course up to now we can not say we have developed elite tourism, but the mass tourism still is attractive for some tourist segments in Albania.
The economic and political stability of the country at present is beyond any doubt. The elections of 3 July 2005 have had no adverse impact on the number of visitors. On the contrary, from June to Sept 2005 the arrivals exceeded the total number of visitors during 2004.
Based on the increased demand for accommodation facilities, the construction of the first private hotels started after the 1990s. The increasing number of private accommodation facilities was followed by other domestic investments as well as major foreign ones, principally concerning business hotels, like the Rogner Europapark and the Sheraton in Tirana. Coming from a position of zero private hotels and just one state-owned hotel per district in 1990, the current accommodation situation in Albania is presented in table 3.
In table 3 we can see the most developed areas for accommodation facilities, as well the overall situation of the T&T market in Albania. The demand has preceded the overall travel and tourism offer in almost all regions.
Of course the greatest number of accommodation facilities and hotel rooms is in Tirana. With the government situated in the capital and almost one third of the population living in it, Tirana is the main destination of business visitors. In the tourist resorts, and especially in cities located near the sea, many small private hotels, motels etc have been built. Examples can be taken from Vlora, Saranda, and Durresi. Private investments are often modest, but the standards of construction, rooms, spaces, and services are often very good.
There is need for the training of personnel, since the increase of hotels is not in pace with the increase in number of skilled or trained staff working in these facilities. The distances between those facilities and the primary tourism source (sea or mountain), or the distance of facilities from each other, the lack of complementary sport activities and attractions, and sometime the high prices charged to services or rooms, usually have an negative impact on the overall demand for tourism in these areas.
What we also may deduct is that the offer is substantial in areas where beach tourism is not developed, and the number of visitors to these areas is also increasing. In this regard, Berat is an interesting example; one of the best preserved ancient cities in the Balkans, which has preserved many structures dating back 2400 years, and is listed by UNESCO. Many new hotels have been built there over the past year, but the provision of tourist information is still completely absent. Cultural tourism should play a much more active role in Albania’s overall touristic offer, not only as a future strategic option but principally as an immediate concrete measure.
One important factor in development of all forms of tourism is the role of travel and tourism agencies. They play an important role principally concerning outgoing tourism, but should play a better and crucial role in promotion of Albanian tourism abroad, being this way the primary supporters of the state.
These agencies offer different services for many Albanians. Table 4 presents their numbers according to the statistics of Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports. What is important to conclude is that many districts do not have such agencies at all. Besides the capital, the other districts only have a modest economic development. But even in cities with a greater economic development and great potentials in developing tourism like Vlora or Saranda, there is not a distinct number of agencies, because the agencies mostly organise group travel from Albania to foreign countries and not vice versa. Also, many inhabitants of these cities do not have sufficient purchasing power for tourism and leisure activities. The travel and tourism agencies do not promote the unique Albanian tourist product, such as cultural tourism, sports, skiing etc. The sooner they understand their role in this regard, the better they will do in the market.

What does Albania offer?
Albania is a country of diversities, contradictions and ambiguities, but at least one thing sure: there is much to offer to the rest of the world, and the offer is very authentic. Many of potential visitors may reasonably ask why they should spend vacations in Albania. The reasons vary, but here are the principal ones.

• Many visitors who have been in Albania will never hesitate to state: Albanians are great people. Partially contradictory even internally, Albanians have many features that differs their attitudes from other people of the region. Knowledgeable, full of resources, open-hearted, careful toward every exigency of foreigners, they soon may friends with visitors. Albania is a country whose nationals have often emigrated because of the poor living conditions. Feeling great pain in their hearts because of the distance which separates them and their families, they use to give the same love and care to foreigners as they wish foreigners give love and care to their loved ones around the world. Perhaps this is the source of deep hospitality and generosity of our people.
  Certainly, the human resources side needs more attention in Albania, so people in the trade are better trained foe receiving tourists, especially in forms of tourism like family tourism or agro-tourism.



View over the museum city Berat
• Great landscapes, unspoilt nature, great diversity of options within a small territory. Everyone who comes to Albania is astonished by the wild beauty of nature. The two seas that Albania borders, the Adriatic and Ionian sea, offer great views all along the coast. The Adriatic sea shore is sandy, while the Ionian sea shore to the south is mostly rocky. The deep and clear water, the vicinity of mountains with the sea, the wild unexploited nature, the mixture of rivers with sea make the Ionian sea shore a great experience. Even though the infrastructure is lacking in many of the villages, the beauty of nature here can really takes one’s breath away. Unfortunately, the Adriatic sea shore is overexploited. Mass tourism is widely found in this part of the coast, and beaches like that of Durresi and Kavaja are crowded with newly constructed hotels. They are still pretty, but mass tourism is progressively damaging them.
  To the north and north-east of Tirana there’s the savage beauty of the high mountains, with their alpine fields, thermal stations, lakes and forests which can offer an escape from daily routine. In the south-east, Voskopoja is Albania’s most developed skiing resort. Apart from offering downhill skiing, it is also known as a destination for cultural tourism.


• Albania has the potential to develop all kinds of tourism. Beach tourism is currently the most popular form of tourism due to the easy access to great beaches with perfect natural scenery. Some 200 sunny days per year make Albania a favourite for the development of this kind of tourism. But besides beach tourism, Albania can easily develop agro-tourism. With 60 per cent of the population living in villages, and with the local’s hospitality, biological products, traditional food, events, crafts and unique costumes and habits, the agro-tourism offer could be a strong competitor in the region. Furthermore the existence of many national parks (like that of Mount Dajti near Tirana), lagoons, mountains, and other places are potential areas for the development of sustainable eco-tourism. The mountain landscapes, caves, mountain streams and rivers are excellent sources for people who like adventure tourism, hiking and canoeing.
• Unique cultural heritage. Albania offers a great variety of cultural and historical attractions on a small territory. Not just an object or two, but entire towns have been declared to be the cultural patrimony of the world. There are numerous ancient and other historical sites. Furthermore, folk art, costumes and ethnography are unique values to be exploited. Albania is a unique country where all religions live in harmony, and this has often drawn attention of visitors.
• New accommodation facilities. The fact that Albania went from less than thirty to more than 500 hotels in little over a decade is proof for the great potential of tourism. Many new constructions are designed quite well, with modern architecture and furnishings. The facilities often have restaurants which provide good Albanian and international food.
• Affordable prices
  The cost of accommodation, meals and travel in Albania is well below the levels in Western Europe, even though budget accommodation in Tirana and along the coast can’t be said to be cheap with prices per bed starting around €20-25 per night in season.

What impedes visitors to come to Albania?

• Poor infrastructure and communication.
  The weakness of the state is reflected to its inability to build good infrastructure. The national and local roads are often not in a good shape. Rural roads are in many cases not safely accessible by normal cars. The efforts of state to repair the infrastructure are not sufficient, and the only solution is construction of new roads. Energy is also a great concern, with electricity supplies still very problematic, even in central Tirana. Communication is not a major problem, especially since the introduction of two mobile operators in the Albanian market, but compared to other countries of the region, mobile communication is expensive. Internet cafes and connections can be easily found in developed urban areas, though is completely absent in rural areas.




The ruins of Apolonia, near Fier
• Negative image
  Albania is often seen as a problematic country, with corruption, drugs trafficking etc. Foreigners who do not know Albania yet might even fear for their lives. Sometimes when hearing such news and comments, even Albanians start to believe that they live in a specially problematic and evil country. Often such an image is mixed up with bad politics, interests of groups in neighbouring countries for not developing tourism in Albania, myopia of journalists who, intentionally or not, capture only the negative aspects of economic, politic, and social development in Albania. This is necessary, but no one should forget that a balance should be made between positive and negative aspects. Therefore, positive aspects need to be emphasised to be able to have the impartial real truth, and in our opinion the truth is quite different.
  Albania is a country like all others in the world, with problems caused by its poor economy, emphasising social problems. But nature, culture, religion are independent experiences that everyone should taste. Albania may have high figures for corruption or drugs trafficking, but we should not forget that even in the most developed countries they have been real concerns for many years and are so for every democratic society. In Albania the power to fight them is different because of a weak state, long transition, etc.



• Insufficient promotion and information
  To get potential first-time visitors to think about travelling abroad, they need either personal recommendations by friends and relatives, or readily available tourist information. Both are sadly lacking for Albania. While the quality and amount of personal recommendations can’t be influenced - larger amounts of people with realistic expectations of the country need to visit before a buzz is created - tourist information is something that can be improved on.
  There are often misunderstandings locally about what foreign tourists really expect and need to know. While promotional brochures that are aimed at giving an overview of what the country has to offer may be pretty and may help getting people interested, it is reliable, practical information that is necessary next. The recent inclusion of Albania by internationally published and distributed guidebooks like those of Lonely Planet and In Your Pocket will do much to help people abroad realise what travel in Albania is really like. However, these are private initiatives that don’t aim to promote Albania, but rather help travellers get around by telling them what they really need to know to prepare for a trip.
  Currently, apart from a seasonal kiosk in Sarande’s port building, Albania has no Tourist Information Centres (TICs), not even in Tirana, the most visited city. The ministry responsible for tourism does have a promotion department that publishes brochures and booklets, but these are only distributed at tourism trade fairs abroad, leaving the brave tourists that actually come and visit Albania with empty hands and quite a few questions. Providing details of hotels, restaurants and sights is left to private companies. It is clear that city governments across Albania have no experience with providing information to foreign tourists, nor do they seem capable or willing to organise themselves to provide this service. The fact that TICs can be self-sufficient and even profitable, for example by selling hotel bookings, tours and packages, has not yet occurred to local governments.




• Lack of top-end foreign investments
  The negative image can of course have a direct impact on foreign investments. The major foreign investments are principally done in the capital city, with the construction of the Sheraton and Rogner Europapark hotels. ClubMed is a third major investor, who has declared its will to invest in Albania. Despite the great potential of tourism development in many areas, still the overall image, the high figures of corruption, the state’s bureaucracy, unclear land ownership, and insufficient efforts to attract foreign investors are causes why we do not have sound investments in tourism.



• Unclear property ownership
  The law on land ownership is contradictory. There are many cases where more than one person claims the ownership of a piece of land. The law often does not help at all, and can even lead to contradictory solutions. For the tourist areas this is a major problem, since without knowing the real owner, the major investments can’t take place.

Further steps to stimulate Albanian tourism
The first step to be taken is that Albania should diversify the offer with other forms of tourism. Albania has the potential to develop cultural tourism, agro-tourism, family tourism, etc. Natural resources are rich and authentic, with mountains equally attractive as the unspoilt beaches. The combination of nature, history and hospitality makes Albania an authentic and unique place to spend time. But all the actors should be better aware and take concrete action toward development of the entire package. Up to now emphasis is given only to the mass beach tourism. The diversification of tourism will make foreigners see behind the scenes and find the real truth about this country.
Maybe a missing link for making the offer attractive to foreigners is the connection with important tour operators. The primary actions toward this might be the organisation of free visits for their representatives. Organisation of short tours for the most important European or global tour operators are the initial steps to start with.
Efforts should be also made to improving the general image of Albania and a better promotion of the country. This is an effort that requires the participation of many actors. The leadership belongs to the state, which should have all the incentives to promote tourism - increased income, development of other sectors, creation of jobs, etc. On the other hand, private tourism operators should not leave this important question to the state alone; they should be self-motivated to promote their services, accommodation facilities etc, and generate profit for themselves.
Links with donors and others who have been to Albania is very important in this regard. The telling on of personal experiences will improve the public opinion abroad about the country, and help us promote its values. Every step toward coordination of efforts is highly appreciated, because it will provide a great synergy for better results. Therefore a different image promotion should be made based on the real truth, values, and the whole package that is on offer to the world.
The central and local government must be more conscious, responsible, and should start a joint action in the whole country to improve infrastructure. Energy and water supply are always concerns, and an improved infrastructure, with reliable roads, energy and water supplies etc are basic requirements for attracting future foreign investments.
One important factor for making the industry increasingly attractive is the preparation of human resources to welcome tourists. The personnel of the entire industry must be better trained in accordance with the form of tourism they work in. In this regard the academic institutions should have a greater responsibility and should be better supported to prepare the future workforce of the industry, and also to train the current personnel who do not have proper qualifications or skills.
What is most important is that Albania has great potential for tourism. The sooner all the actors involved in this industry understand its real potentials, dimensions and the role it should play for the Albanian economy, the brighter and more solid will be the future of Albanians and Albania. The points made in this article are just a tiny part of the whole truth. Everyone can experience the Albanian truth in his own way. But the message that needs to be made abroad is quite clear: come to visit Albania, and you’ll be in for a memorable experience.

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