The destination of Albania is poised to register record numbers of Italian vacationers, experiencing a surge in bookings this summer due primarily to the favorable pricing conditions of its tourist services. According to analysis by the Consumerism Observatory, the country situated on the other side of the Adriatic Sea emerged as one of the most sought-after low-cost summer destinations for Italian tourists.
For 7 nights in Valona, one of Albania’s well-known seaside resorts, in a double room during the weeks of August, the minimum expense was €175, while in Qeparo – one of Albania’s most exclusive coastal areas – the cost reached a maximum of €420. In comparison, during the same weeks, a 7-night stay in Milano Marittima cost €564, in San Vito Lo Capo the cost reached €735, and in Villasimius, Sardinia, the average cost was €890.
Even more cost-effective, according to the Consumerism Observatory, was the all-inclusive vacation package inclusive of transfers from Italy, which averaged around €2,300 in the most sought-after Albanian locations. This was nearly half the cost of a package with the same service and transport components in Italy during peak August.
Albania also proved to be a very budget-friendly destination for dining: a seafood meal this year averaged between €20-€25 per person, as opposed to €45 in Italy. The Albanian beach establishments, equipped with amenities according to the standards of Italy’s main seaside resorts, were much more economical compared to their Italian counterparts, some of which exhibited costs higher by +160% in certain regions.
According to initial data released by the Albanian Ministry of Tourism, the summer season of 2023 is expected to end with outstanding results not only for the presence of other important international markets besides Italy: Spain doubled its presence compared to 2022, while the Turkish market even grew by +142%, and the French by +58%.
At the beginning of August, Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè met her Albanian counterpart, Mirela Kumbaro, in Tirana to strengthen cooperation and a fruitful exchange in tourism, given the strong appeal that has developed between the two countries. During the meeting, the Albanian Minister announced that in the first 6 months of the year, Albania had welcomed over 310,000 Italian tourists, a 57% increase compared to the same period the previous year, foreseeing the approach to the record threshold of one million Italian vacationers annually by the end of the year, thanks also to increased programming by Italian tour operators.
