Prime Minister Edi Rama shared in the social media images of Kruja, a destination that combines history, culture and nature-based tourism.

The medieval castle, the “Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg” National Museum and the Ethnographic Museum are among the key sites that visitors choose to explore during their stay in the city.

One of the most distinctive attractions is the Old Bazaar of Kruja, which preserves its traditional architecture. In the artisan shops, tourists can find traditional products, souvenirs, carpets, folk costumes and handcrafted items.

Beyond its historical heritage, Kruja also offers opportunities for nature and mountain tourism. The landscapes stretching from the city toward the surrounding areas, along with panoramic views overlooking the western lowlands, make it an ideal destination for visitors looking to combine history with nature. Traditional gastronomy is another element that enhances the tourist experience. Characteristic Albanian dishes, local products, and hospitality are all part of what the city offers its visitors. /m.m/j.p/p.s./

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports Blendi Gonxhja appreciated today that, “Participation in this fair is an opportunity to promote the natural beauty, culture, hospitality and unique experiences our country offers, as well as to build new bridges of cooperation with professionals and partners from across the globe.”

At this event, Albania aims to capture the interest of tour operators, travel agencies, investors and industry professionals, fostering new opportunities for collaboration and partnerships with key players in the global tourism sector. /k.s/j.p/p.s./

Visitors have the opportunity to combine their sightseeing with trips to local wineries and tourist villages, all located within 10 km of the city center.

This makes for a more comprehensive experience, providing a compelling reason to extend a stay beyond a simple day trip.

Mayor of Berat Ervin Ceca told ATA that, “Between January and October of this year, Berat has been visited by over one million tourists. According to data from accommodation and service providers, the number of visitors has increased by approximately 15% compared to the same period last year.”

“Visitor interest is also reflected at the ‘Onufri’ Iconographic Museum, which recorded 100,000 visitors between January and the end of October. Located within the Castle, the museum preserves significant examples of Albanian iconography and serves as a major point of interest for tourists visiting the city,” said Ceca.

During autumn, seasonal produce—particularly grapes and olives—adds a new dimension to the tourist experience.

“Visitors can combine walks around the city with trips to wineries and tourist villages located just a few kilometers from the center. These options make for a more comprehensive experience and provide a reason to stay longer than just a single day,” Ceca emphasized. “Alongside the ‘Onufri’ Iconographic Museum, the Ethnographic Museum allows visitors to learn about the lifestyle, traditions and layout of a traditional Berat home through objects and artifacts passed down through generations. Beyond the historic center, the village of Roshnik serves as another compelling destination, where tourism blends with nature, local produce, and traditional hospitality. The Bogova area also offers opportunities for visitors seeking outdoor experiences, while the local wineries remain a highly recommended attraction during the autumn,” said Ceca.

Promoting Berat as a year-round destination relies on a diverse offering, in which UNESCO-protected cultural heritage, museums, historic architecture, a long-standing wine tradition, gastronomy and rural areas all complement one another.

Gastronomy, too, forms an essential part of the area’s identity. “Traditional dishes, olive oil, honey, fruits and products prepared by local families offer visitors the chance to get a close-up look at culinary traditions and the people behind their production. To extend the tourist season and boost benefits for the local economy, collaboration is essential—involving local businesses, hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, wineries, agritourism farms, tour guides and local producers,” said Ceca.

The municipality contributes to promoting the city and creating the right conditions for tourism development, while coordinating activities with local businesses helps generate new opportunities for local enterprises and producers.

“The goal is to develop a tourism model that yields more sustainable income, supports local production and creates employment opportunities,” Ceca stated.

Furthermore, Ceca added, the Municipality of Berat aims to enrich its calendar of cultural and tourist events, ensuring that there are compelling reasons to visit the city in every season. /k.s/j.p/r.e/p.s./

Prime Minister Edi Rama on Monday shared footage of the roadworks, describing the project as “another new road towards development.”

“Work continues on connecting Dukagjin with Tropojë via Qafa e Ndërmajës, an investment that opens up new prospects for tourism, the local economy and residents’ lives,” Rama said.

The project is expected to create a new transport corridor between Alpine areas, easing travel for residents and visitors while supporting tourism and local economic activity.

The road is also expected to improve access to one of Albania’s distinctive mountain tourism destinations, contributing to the sustainable development of local communities and promoting the Albanian Alps as a year-round tourist destination.

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“With tourism revenue more than doubling over the past three years and off-season stays surging by 78%, our goal is to leverage this momentum to drive investments, elevate service quality, and create jobs for coastal communities,” stated Minister Gonxhja.

According to the minister, an increase in the number of yachts docking in Albania—utilizing local supply and maintenance services—will generate greater revenue for local businesses and provide opportunities for Albanian families throughout the year.

The Balkans Sea Fair spanned three days, bringing together yachting, adventure, business and entertainment along the Vlora coastline. The event aimed to foster opportunities for exchange and collaboration within the maritime tourism sector, while highlighting the potential offered by the Albanian coast beyond the traditional summer months. /j.p/p.s./

A total of 969,255 visitors stayed in accommodation facilities during the month, up from 878,901 in August 2025. The increase covered both domestic visitors, up 9%, and foreign visitors, up 10.7%.

Overnight stays by non-residents rose by 13.4%, while those by residents increased by 9.8%, bringing the overall growth in overnight stays to 12.5%.

Kosovo accounted for the largest share of foreign visitors staying in Albania, at 17%, followed by Poland at 12%, Italy at 10%, France at 8% and Germany at 7%. Visitors from other countries made up 46% of the total.

Foreign visitor numbers increased in the southern and northern regions. The South recorded 244,132 non-resident visitors, up from 206,248 a year earlier, while the North welcomed 241,765, compared with 205,467 in August 2025. In the Central region, foreign visitors fell to 234,040 from 238,393.

Coastal areas remained the leading destination, hosting 573,106 foreign visitors and 198,369 domestic visitors during August. Hotels and similar establishments accommodated 861,000 visitors, making them the dominant type of accommodation.

Hotel room occupancy also improved, reaching 67.4%, up 5.9 percentage points from 61.5% in August last year.

The figures point to continued growth in Albania’s accommodation sector during the summer season, with increases in visitor numbers, length of stay and hotel capacity utilisation, INSTAT data showed.

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Rama said the two areas were emerging as tourism destinations, driven by entrepreneurship and investment beyond the image of Albania often portrayed on social media and television.

One guest, Kanton Gashi, returned from the United States after 32 years and opened “Liqeni Camping and Agrotourism” in his native village of Gashaj, in Malësi e Madhe. The restaurant and campsite attract foreign visitors, including Germans, Dutch and French tourists, even during winter. Gashi said his return was motivated by his attachment to his homeland and his ambition to build his own business, which also supports local producers.

Another guest, Ergi, returned from London in 2017 and invested in hospitality in Tirana. His business now offers seven rooms, with bookings available through Booking.com, and he plans to develop a hotel combining accommodation and agrotourism in Përmet.

“I had offers to move abroad, but I decided to stay with my business in Tirana. I find greater motivation in working for myself,” he said.

Rama also outlined the government’s “Double Your Business” programme, which supports small and medium-sized enterprises in sectors including agrotourism, livestock, agro-processing and technology. The scheme offers loans at interest rates of up to 2%, with the state guaranteeing 70% of the loan, repayment terms of up to 10 years and financing of up to €2 million, depending on the business plan and collateral.

Rama said agrotourism remained a priority sector for government support, particularly in areas with strong tourism potential.

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As part of the project ‘Determining Tourism Carrying Capacities in Natural, Cultural, and Social Landscapes,’ the Temporary Geographic Research Unit at the Academy of Sciences convened an introductory meeting to detail the project’s core objectives, methodology, and implementation phases.

Project leader Prof. Dr. Perikli Qirjazi stressed the need for sustainable tourism land-use limits, ensuring that tourist growth doesn’t threaten environmental stability, cultural heritage, or community welfare.

To provide a scientific basis for land management, the study will analyze tourism’s impact on ecosystems, water resources, air quality, and natural habitats.

A significant component of the project involves the use of new technologies. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Edmond Hoxha presented the research methodology and the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), drones and digital instruments for data collection and processing.

During the meeting, there was also highlighted the importance of inter-institutional cooperation. Prof. Dr. Enika Abazi, Director of the Center for Scientific Research and Project Coordination and Danjel Pirushi, Director of the National Agency for Scientific Research and Innovation, emphasized the importance of a structured scientific study for areas facing high tourist volumes.

The project entails fieldwork, data collection and processing, report drafting and the use of findings to support policy-making and decision-making in the fields of tourism and territorial management.

The interdisciplinary Ksamil-Butrint model aims to provide new data and methods for assessing tourist load and maintaining a balance between tourism development and the preservation of the area’s natural and cultural assets. /p.s./

Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sports Blendi Gonxhja announced today that the government has approved the decision regarding the grant agreement with the World Bank. The key innovation is a joint plan linking tourist destinations with their specific needs regarding infrastructure, services, professional skills and management.

According to Gonxhja, this new approach aims to ensure that future investments complement one another and generate benefits for a larger number of communities.

“The initiative aims to better connect the coast with inland areas. There will be explored the opportunities to link the most popular destinations with other natural and cultural attractions, encouraging visitors to explore more of Albania. Also, tourism beyond the summer season is being encouraged, along with opportunities for an even more diverse offering that attracts visitors throughout the year and creates prospects for more sustainable economic activity, thereby increasing benefits for the local economy,” emphasized Gonxhja.

The minister stated that, “Attention will focus on the quality of tourism product and services, with the aim of generating higher revenues and creating higher-quality employment.”

Regarding the use of funds, Gonxhja noted that, “This grant will finance the drafting of the tourism plan, the identification of priority interventions and studies to assess their feasibility, costs and impacts on the environment and local residents.” It will also cover the preparation of the documentation and institutional capacities required for the project’s design and its subsequent implementation.”

The activities are set to be implemented through the Albanian Development Fund, based on an implementation agreement with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports.

“In line with our 2024–2030 national tourism strategy and together with our World Bank partners, we are targeting investments that improve tourist destinations, generate prosperity for communities and preserve and promote Albania’s natural and cultural assets,” said Gonxhja. /p.s./

Prime Minister Edi Rama shared images of the road in Shkoder on Monday, describing the route as a journey between the lake and the mountains.

The Shiroke-Zogaj road is part of efforts to improve road infrastructure and ease traffic in Shkoder’s tourist areas.

The project is considered a strategic investment aimed at supporting tourism and economic development in the area, while creating an additional road link between Albania and Montenegro.

The road is 6.5 km long, with the first 4.5 km involving the widening of the existing road along the shores of Lake Shkoder.

The Shiroke-Zogaj section, together with a bypass in the centre of Zogaj village, form two key links intended to improve traffic flows and access to the area.

The project is also aimed at supporting tourism and economic development by improving infrastructure connections for local communities and establishing Zogaj as a route of tourism and economic importance.

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