Kosovo's number of tourists to Albania drop to 16%

The data released by the Statistics Institute concerning countries of origin where citizens who entered our country have come from confirm what they previously claimed even tour workers: fewer Kosovo Albanians were fired on the Albanian coast.

In the 7th month of the year, 710 thousand citizens from Kosovo entered the total, while one year ago there were over 847 thousand, Monitor reports. This is the first time since the pandemic that this group marks decline as it annually maintains the main weight of tourism, remaining at above 40 percent of total entrance levels.

By June in fact, the figures point to a positive performance of entry by tourists from Kosovo, where in June 2024 there were 15 percent more than June the year before. The decline in the number of visitors from Kosovo was warned early in the year as the effect of visa liberalisation that started in January.

Kosovo tourists claimed there was an increasing number of citizens who were preferring new destinations such as Greece or Croatia through increased frequency of buses that took them to their destination, while even trips from Tirana to destination with low lines saw growth.

The figures reported by Tirana International Airport showed an increase in citizens from Kosovo who chose to fly from this airport.

Visa liberalisation reduced not only weekend trips towards Albania, but apparently summer holidays. Tourists from Kosovo would assess that we are already ahead of the fact that the period of patriotic tourism has ended and the withdrawal of tourists from Kosovo will have to be made in a fair report with service and competitive bids in relation to potential markets where they can go.

Another cause seems to have affected the presence of fewer Kosovo Albanians in the country was the increased prices this year. From Velipoja to Ksamil, the country had increases in prices from minimum values to nearly 2 times, and even though Albania again offered alternatives to all, it seems that the panic that was created on social networks, especially in June and early July “houses” patriotic tourism.

Invasors from Kosovo stayed mainly in Velipja and Shengia, where prices were more economical as there were fewer vacationers in Golem and so were in the South.

In addition to direct price hikes, the decline of the euro is another factor that has negatively affected Kosovo tourism.