Albania's revenue from foreign tourists grows 50% in 2023

Albania's tourism sector has benefitted from government policies and wide international media exposure, especially when it comes to the country's beaches, Kumbaro said at a tourism investment conference held in Tirana, as seen in a social media video.

"Today, Albania is starting to harvest the results of efforts initiated years ago, facilitated by the legal framework we established, which eased the fiscal burden on tourism investments. This includes reducing the value-added tax rate from 20% to 6% for all accommodation facilities, ranging from small guesthouses and agri-tourism ventures to high-end establishments," Kumbaro said.

Foreign tourist arrivals to Albania rose by 35% to 10.1 million in 2023, the tourism ministry said earlier. Albania had a population of around 2.7 million as of the beginning of 2023.

Recent foreign tourist numbers are indicating a more sustainable trend, aligning with government efforts to make the country a year-round tourist destination, Kumbaro noted at the conference.

Foreign tourist arrivals to Albania reached 1.7 million in the first quarter of 2024, increasing from 1.07 million registered in the same quarter of 2023, the ministry said on Monday.

In an interview with SeeNews in September 2023, Kumbaro said that a government’s priority is to transform Albania into an upscale tourist destination.

($=0.921 euro)