Tourism in Albania

A large part of Albania's national income comes from tourism. Tourism - as of 2013 - funds 10% of its gross domestical product, and this is expected to increase. Albania welcomed around 4.2 million visitors in 2012, mostly from neighbouring countries and the European Union. In 2011, Albania was recommended as a top travel destination, by Lonely Planet. In 2014, Albania was nominated number 4 global touristic destination by the New York Times. The number of tourists has increased by 20% for 2014 as well.

The bulk of the tourist industry is concentrated along the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea coast. The latter has the most beautiful and pristine beaches, and is often called the Albanian Riviera. Albanian seaside has a considerable length of 360 km, including even the lagoon area which you find within. The seaside has a particular character because it is rich in varieties of sandy beaches, capes, coves, covered bays, lagoons, small gravel beaches, sea caves etc. Some parts of this seaside are very clean ecologically, which represent in this prospective unexplored areas, very rare in Mediterranean area.

The increase in foreign visitors is dramatic, Albania had only 500,000 visitors in 2005, while in 2012 had an estimated 4.2 million tourists, an increase of 740% in only 7 years. Several of the country's main cities are situated along the pristine seashores of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. An important gateway to the Balkan Peninsula, Albania's ever-growing road network provides juncture to reach its neighbors in north south, east, and west. Albania is within close proximity to all the major European capitals with short two or three hour flights that are available daily. Tourists can see and experience Albania's ancient past and traditional culture.

Seventy percent of Albania's terrain is mountainous and there are valleys that spread in a beautiful mosaic of forests, pastures, springs framed by high peaks capped by snow until late summer spreads across them.

Albanian Alps, part of the Prokletije or Accursed Mountains range in Northern Albania bearing the highest mountain peak. The most beautiful mountainous regions that can be easily visited by tourists are Dajti Mountain, Thethi, Voskopoja, Valbona, Kelmend, Prespa, Lake Koman, Dukat and Shkrel.


Lake Scutari
National parks and World Heritage Sites

Ruins of Apollonia

Gjirokastër, the city of stone — a UNESCO World heritage Site

Valbona valley in autumn, part of the Albanian Alps

UNESCO World Heritage Site of Berat

UNESCO World Heritage Site of the ancient city of Butrint
Albania offers many places for hiking, the most spectacular landscapes being those of the national parks.

One of the most impressive mountain national parks is the 4,000-hectare (9,900-acre) Tomorr National Park, established south of the Shkumbin river in the Tomorr Range just east of the beautiful museum-city of Berat, and overlooking the city of Polican. Other important mountain national parks are: Theth (Thethi) National Park in the Shale basin around Theth (2630 hectares) Dajti (Daiti) National Park, 3300 hectares of the mountain overlooking the capital, Tirana and Valbona Valley National Park, in the Valbona Gorge from the gorge entrance through to Rrogam and the surrounding mountains.

Although relatively small, Albania is home to a large number of lakes. Three of the largest lakes are Shkodra, Ohrid and Prespa.

There are a number of associations of the tourism industry such as ATA, Unioni, etc.

Albania is home to two World Heritage Sites (Berat and Gjirokastër are listed together)

Butrint, an ancient Greek and Roman city
Gjirokastër, a well-preserved Ottoman medieval town
Berat, the 'town of a thousand and one windows'
The following is the UNESCO Tentative List of Albania:

Gashi River and Rrajca (latter part of Shebenik-Jabllanica National Park) under primeval beech forests of the Carpathians and the ancient beech forests of Germany
Durrës Amphitheatre
Ancient Tombs of Lower Selca
Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region
Ancient City of Apollonia
Most of the international tourists going to Albania are from Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece, and Italy. Foreign tourists mostly come from Eastern Europe, particularly from Poland, and the Czech Republic, but also from Western European countries such as Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Scandinavia, and others.