For those arriving from German and Austrian hubs, the first view of Albania is usually the Dajti mountain overlooking Tirana. The shadow it casts over the capital corresponds perfectly to the mystery that shrouds the country in most minds.
After seizing power during World War II, Enver Hoxha – whose authoritarian rule lasted from 1944 until his death in 1985 – sealed off the country for four decades, banning travel and religion. More than 500,000 concrete bunkers sprang up from his paranoia on the country’s beaches, mountains and plains, many of which still remain today.
This long and haunted isolation, combined with the brutal wars that ravaged the Western Balkans in the 1990s, helped make Albania the least known and most enigmatic country in Europe.
This means that for the uninitiated, the images that come to mind are from its dark communist past. But if corruption and crime are present, as in all European countries, Albania is still one of the last preserved corners of Europe.
The Accursed Mountains, to the north, offer hikers and climbers one of the last wilderness areas on the continent. Golden sand beaches stretch along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts to the town of Saranda, located just opposite the Greek island of Corfu. Through this southern region flows the Vjosa, one of the last wild rivers in Europe, soon to be protected within a national park.
Albania now invites visitors to discover not only these stunning landscapes, but also its hybrid Mediterranean and Balkan cuisine, with specialties such as Tave Kosi or Fergese, which can be served by more than 250 ecotourism hosts, a sector that the government wishes to promote. .
A plethora of Greek, Roman and Ottoman ruins and archaeological sites also dot the country, such as the UNESCO-listed Butrint National Park, the Ottoman-era town of Berat or the ancient city of Apollonia.
The benefit for visitors, says Gazi Haxhia, CEO of travel agency Landways who has been enthusiastically developing his country’s tourism potential for more than two decades, is that all these treasures can be enjoyed without having to worry about crowds. .
“Albania is still relatively unknown,” boasts Haxhia. “We have not been overrun by mass tourism, so visitors can still enjoy unspoilt natural beauty, unique culture and authentic experiences.”
Heartwarming welcome
However, some are beginning to wonder how long this will remain the case, as tourist numbers begin to increase. The pandemic has given Albania a boost. Neighboring tourism stars have been hit hard by COVID. Croatia, whose glittering Adriatic coastline tends to dominate tourist flows heading to this corner of southeastern Europe, saw visitor numbers fall 68% in 2020 as restrictions limited travel. Montenegro experienced an even worse situation, as tourist flows fell by 83%. Looser restrictions allowed Albania to reduce the decline to 59%, and the numbers quickly rebounded. A record 7.5 million arrived last year.
“The recovery has been faster and stronger than expected,” says Haxhia. Although developments regarding COVID restrictions in Asia, Russia’s war in Ukraine and the economic slowdown in Europe make it difficult to assess, he says and hopes for another record in 2023.
Besides the country’s natural and historical treasures, the hospitality of Albanians and their desire to share their culture and traditions are important selling points, he says.
Tolerance and hospitality are the basis of a tradition called “Besa”. One of Albania’s greatest prides is that the country – with a Muslim majority – was the only one in Europe to have a larger Jewish population in 1945 than in 1939.
Haxhia notes that its customers, who largely come from European countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy, also appreciate the low costs of traveling to Albania. Increasingly, he adds, travelers from the United States and Asia are beginning to discover the small country located just across the Ionian Sea from the heel of Italy’s boot.
“Tourism Champion”
The tourism potential is so great that Prime Minister Edi Rama dreams of making the country the “tourism champion” of the region by the end of the decade.
The emerging economy of Albania, one of Europe’s poorest countries, relies heavily on agriculture and mining. But tourism is considered a key driver of modern economic development.
Before the pandemic, the approximately $2.3 billion the sector brought in each year represented nearly 16% of GDP. Rama hopes that strong pressure from the government will help double this share.
The progress is evident. The piles of garbage that in recent decades devastated cities and roadsides have been cleared. Transport infrastructure is developed and modernized. Encouraged by tax breaks, hotels and resorts are mushrooming.
“But there is still a lot to do,” emphasizes Haxhia. “The quality of services and infrastructure remains a challenge, particularly in rural areas.”
Indeed, even though Albania’s transport infrastructure has seen significant improvements over the past two decades, crucial gaps remain.
While a second international airport opened in 2021 in the northern town of Kukes, with seasonal flights connecting it to Germany, Austria and Turkey, getting to the Albanian Riviera in the south requires either five hours drive from Tirana, or a flight to Corfu and then a ferry.
A third airport, under construction near the town of Vlore, should contribute to this. “In the past, tourists have had difficulty coming to Albania,” Mirela Kumbaro, Minister of Tourism and Environment, told DW, “but all investments in infrastructure are for tourism.”
The government is also working with investors to build several giant hotel complexes. Announcing a 2 billion euro deal with UAE development company Eagle Hills in January, Rama called the project to transform the port city of Durres a “locomotive” to accelerate economic development and enable the Albania to be competitive in the international tourism market.
Proceed carefully
But at the same time, such projects cause controversy. The amount of money flowing through the system is seen as a corruption risk, and allegations of sleaze and lax oversight are not uncommon.
The threat posed by regulators looking the other way as such giants advance into Albania’s virgin territories is clear. Europe’s Mediterranean coast is plagued by unfriendly development, environmental damage and excessive tourism.
Although he is an enthusiastic supporter of the need to further develop the tourism sector, Haxhia recognizes the need to proceed with caution.
“The government needs to further improve accessibility, but it also needs to promote sustainable tourism practices and training,” he suggests. “We must preserve the country’s natural and cultural assets for future generations.”
And despite his government’s rush to build highways, airports and resorts, Kumbaro says that’s exactly his mission. It is no coincidence, she insists, that her ministry is responsible for both tourism and the environment.
“Last year we welcomed 7.5 million tourists,” she says. “But we do not intend to increase this number. Instead, we target tourists who spend and contribute to the development of sustainable tourism.”
Edited by: Elizabeth Grenier
