"Slow down and down!" Analysis: Tourism, disappointing summer success

Tourism, even this year, is expected to have a positive balance, surpassing the best historical year that is 2023, but the summer season itself disappointed. June and the first part of July, according to accommodation structures in some regions, saw a drop in bookings by 15-25%, while August is better. For Saranda and Ksamil, tourist operators claim that this is a weaker season than last year. Individual sand and sea tourism as a whole recorded disappointing success, while the segment of organized tourism seems to be experiencing continued growth. The volume of guaranteed contracts in Golem, Durrës and Vlorë for the summer of 2025 has increased by 20%. Next summer, Nordics return with charters from Vlora airport.

Albania, turned into a viral destination in 2023, has managed to attract a significant number of tourists in 2024, which especially in the January-May period created the idea that summer would be an undisputed success. But it seems that the expectation and the reality failed to fully materialize, creating a somewhat disappointing effect for the summer season where the months of June, July and less August have shown their fluctuations.

In terms of tourist flows, official figures report that we have more tourists, in terms of consumption and general circulation, the trend is the opposite, at least from what accommodation structures and bar-restaurants say. For July, official figures showed that the arrivals of foreign nationals were up just 2.7%, while all previous months had double-digit growth with a record February when the increase was 55.35% compared to February 2023.

This more or less confirmed the concern of tourist businesses that during June and until mid-July, the number of reservations was lower than a year ago. In total, 6.36 million foreign citizens entered our country by the end of July, but even though this figure was 23% higher than the 7-month period of the previous year, the consumption of tourist services remained lukewarm.

According to the tourist operators, this has to do first with the fact that widely marketing as a cheap destination changed the typology of the tourist who is visiting us and therefore, also their spending tendency. Secondly, the increase in prices in some cases with their doubling in some regions, brought the hesitation of a considerable group (mainly Italians among whom there were cancellations). Thirdly, there was a lower presence of Kosovo Albanians.

Although in the reported figures, this group results with an increase of over 22% until May, in fact according to the accommodation structures in the area of ​​Durrës, Golem, Velipoja and Shengjin, their presence has been lower. Something like this was expected after the liberalization of visas for Kosovo at the beginning of this year, but the perception that Albania became unaffordable in the summer may have had a deterrent effect.

Among all the colors that this summer season showed, what was noticed were some mistakes and lessons/quick reactions such as the prices, which were corrected at the beginning of July and which will enable this year to end positively even if not where it was intended. Autumn is expected to make the main contribution to correcting summer's mistakes, with cultural tours that, according to tourist operators, will be at satisfactory levels.

Saranda and Ksamili, weaker season than 2023, more tourists, but thrifty

At the end of this summer it is easier to take stock of its three main months and according to the tourist operators, Saranda and Ksamili had a weaker season than 2023. Arben Çipa, administrator of Sipa Tours and at the same time part of the Association of Hoteliers in Sarandë claim that the number of tourists is higher, but their typology, where we are dealing with thrifty tourists, has brought less income to businesses.

"It's a worse season than last year. There are more tourists, but there is less income, because the typology of the tourist has changed. From a destination for families, dominated by the middle and third age, we found ourselves with a young tourist, who prefers not to spend, but to explore with as little money as possible.  The change of this clientele typology brought as a chain effect from the beginning, lower consumption, less income, increased tension for adaptation, but also noise. Ksamil, and therefore Saranda, became in a short time new destinations, promoted worldwide and received great attention.  Precedents have shown that in a tourist destination that has been identified as young, in the event that young age prevails to the extent of 70% as a clientele and this lasts up to 5 years unchanged, this destination risks failure", asserts Mr. Chip.

According to him, in the month of August, a slight change in the clientele was noticed in Sarandë and Ksamil, where, in addition to young people, there was an increased number of middle-aged people.

"We have as comparable data those of the Port of Saranda and the arrivals are increasing, in certain periods or certain days there were 10-15% more than years. They are mainly Westerners, Italians, French but also more widely. There is a high number of nationalities and we have already passed that stage when it catches our eye, as multi-ethnicity is becoming the norm. August filled some gaps, because middle age came, that is, families, which were absent in June and part of July. This group has a different spending behavior. The correction that was made in the month of July with the prices also had some kind of effect", says Mr. Chip.

According to him, the market can adjust itself based on supply and demand, but the immediate increase in prices at the beginning of the season had a surprising and not positive effect on the tourist. As a destination that is promoted as cheap but in reality is not, the tourist tends to give voice to this by spreading the influence. However, according to him, Albania as a whole continues to remain competitive and more economical in relation to others, if we compare the quality or the gastronomy we offer, "which is absolutely at high levels".

The level of service, according to him, is still evolving in a positive way, but the lack of professionalism remains evident. Another debate that followed this season throughout the country was that of public beaches and the increased presence of sunbeds. Saranda and Ksamili offer the possibility of a public beach, but the plots for this are quite limited.

"Saranda has a public beach, but not in significant areas to cope with a high number of tourists. These spaces meet the demand of the locals and the accommodations that are close to them, but there are no usable public beaches in every corner of the city. So, the spaces that have been left are not a solution, but a trick" - asserts Mr. Chip.

But what are the actual challenges or measures that need to be taken next?

"In terms of tourism, the smile should start, it hasn't arrived yet. The tourists have come to us and so has the income, but the smile still not. This is probably the first. Secondly, measures should be taken for the anarchy of tourist services with individuals who go out on the streets and do business without a name, without NIPT, when they want and how they want, as this spoils the quality, but also damages the competition", he says.

Regarding the following months, he thinks that September will be a good month for Saranda and Ksamil as it is generally frequented by middle-aged and elderly people, as temperatures drop and prices are more economical.

"We will have a stable September, like every year, but in the future I think that Saranda should return to what it does best, which is family tourism. Ksamil as well. This does not mean that we should not have youth as a clientele, it should definitely be, but it should be oriented to certain areas where they feel good. We as a region need to reformat the offer, adapting it to all categories thus enabling us to be more sustainable.

Tourism slows down in July, the number of foreigners increased by only 2.7%%

After months of double-digit growth, tourism in July grew by only 2.7%, giving clear signs of slowing down and confirming the situation that tour operators and accommodation structures reported in the first part of this month. The official data published by the Institute of Statistics on the movement of citizens show that in July 1.81 million foreigners entered, bringing the total number of entries of this group in the first 7 months of the year to 6.36 million, with an increase of 23.2% compared to the 7th month of the previous year.

"During the month of July 2024, 2,624,207 Albanian citizens and foreigners entered the territory of the Republic of Albania. This indicator has increased by 2.7%, compared to July 2023. 2,350,448 Albanian citizens and foreigners have left the territory of the Republic of Albania, increasing by 10.2%, compared to the same period of a year ago.

In July 2024, the number of Albanian citizens who entered the Albanian territory is 805,829, with an increase of 2.8%, compared to July 2023. The number of foreign citizens who entered the Albanian territory is 1,818,378. This number has increased by 2.7%, compared to the same period of 2023," states the publication of INSTAT.

At the end of June and the first part of July, accommodation structures on the coast gave clear signs of pessimism about bookings, which were lower than expected, while the chain effect of price increases in some regions caused massive cancellations, mainly by Italians. The structures have confirmed a lower presence of Kosovo citizens in the Golem area but also in the South of the country, and somewhat more present in Shengjin and Velipoja, two markets with more economical prices and traditionally frequented by them.

The best performance of tourism, according to tourist operators, began to be recorded in the second part of July, as the correction of prices in a part of the structures and the coast positively affected August, which has had a relatively better tourist presence than July, according to tur - operators. According to them, this slowdown of the summer season is expected to be compensated by autumn, which also seems to have performed better than last year, as an effect of advance bookings.

“Në korrik 2024, 95% e hyrjeve të shtetasve të huaj në Shqipëri janë nga rajoni i Europës. Europa Jugore zë 71% të hyrjeve të shtetasve të huaj nga Kontinenti Europian, ndjekur nga Europa Qendrore/Lindore me 10% Qëllimi i hyrjes në territorin shqiptar i shtetasve të huaj, në 99% të rasteve është për qëllime personale, ku dominojnë hyrjet për pushime, vizitë te të afërm, etj. Në korrik 2024, ky tregues ka shënuar rritje me 3,7%, krahasuar me korrik 2023. Rritje të ndjeshme në muajin korrik kanë pasur edhe hyrjet e shtetasve të huaj për qëllime biznesi dhe profesionale, me 50,9%” vlerëson INSTAT.

“Në muajin korrik 2024, 704.699 shtetas shqiptarë numërohen të kenë dalë nga territori i Shqipërisë, duke shënuar rritje me 1,7%, krahasuar me korrik 2023. Daljet e shtetasve të huaj nga territori i Shqipërisë gjatë muajit korrik 2024 janë 1.645.749. Krahasuar me të njëjtën periudhë të një viti më parë, ky tregues është rritur me 14,3%” nënvizon publikimi.

Të huajt në hotele u rritën me 53.1%, pas Kosovës, italianët dhe polakët

Strukturat akomoduese në vend konfirmuan rritje të numrit të vizitorëve të huaj, por edhe rezidentëve gjatë qershorit. Të dhënat zyrtare të publikuara nga INSTAT tregojnë edhe për një rritje të përgjithshme të net-qëndrimeve, duke sjellë në vëmendje se deri në muajin e 6 të vitit, lulëzimi i sektorit të turizmit ishte në ditë të mira.

Numri i vizitorëve gjithsej është rritur me 40,1%, në krahasim me qershor 2023. Të njëjtën ecuri ndjekin edhe dy treguesit e mëposhtëm: numri i vizitorëve rezidentë është rritur me 18,4%; numri i vizitorëve jorezidentë është rritur me 49,9%. Numri i net-qëndrimeve gjithsej është rritur me 27,1%, në krahasim me qershor 2023.

Të njëjtën ecuri ndjekin edhe dy treguesit e mëposhtëm: numri i net-qëndrimeve nga rezidentët është rritur me 5,9%; numri i net-qëndrimeve nga jorezidentët është rritur me 35,5%”, thuhet në publikimin e INSTAT. INSTAT vlerëson se gjatë muajit qershor 2024, është shënuar rritje e numrit të vizitorëve gjithsej me 40,1%, krahasuar me qershor 2023.

“Numri i vizitorëve jorezidentë, të cilët janë akomoduar në Rajonin Qendër ka shënuar rritje me 43,7%. Në zonat bregdetare ky tregues është rritur me 51,4%, krahasuar me të njëjtën periudhë të vitit të mëparshëm. Numri i vizitorëve jorezidentë në “Hotele dhe akomodime të ngjashme” ka shënuar rritje me 53,1%”, thuhet në publikim.

Por cilat janë në fakt shtetësitë e të huajve të akomoduar kryesisht në struktura? Në krye qëndrojnë shqiptarët e Kosovës, me 11.9%, dhe më pas vijnë italianët me 8.7%, polakët me 7.6%, gjermanët 5.9%, britanikët me 3.8%. Kosova tradicionalisht ka mbajtur peshën kryesore sa i takon turizmit në vend, teksa italianët janë një grup që ka shënuar rritje të fortë nga viti në vit në tre vitet e fundit.

The Poles, on the other hand, who come mainly organized in the Golem area, have also increased the arrival in individual form, increasing the overall weight of foreigners visiting our country. INSTAT reports that during the month of June 2024, the number of total net-stays increased by 27.1%, compared to the month of June 2023.

The number of overnight stays of non-resident visitors, who have been accommodated in the Center Region, has increased by 20.8%. In the Coastal Areas, this indicator has increased by 38.5%, compared to the same period of the previous year. The number of overnight stays of non-resident visitors, who were accommodated in "Hotels and similar accommodations" has increased by 36.9%.

In June 2024, the highest number of net stays was realized: according to regions in the "Southern Region" (39.5%); according to areas close to the coast in "Coastal Areas" (74.7%); according to the type of accommodation structures in "Hotels and similar accommodation" (92.8%).

The net utilization rates, of rooms and beds, are two indicators that measure the percentage of utilization of accommodation capacities, rooms and beds available for visitors. During this month, the occupancy rate of "Hotels and similar accommodations" rooms is 35.9%, compared to 28.5% in June 2023. The occupancy rate of "Hotels and similar accommodations" beds is 38 .6%, against 30.5% that was in June 2023./ Monitor