Albania participates in Milan’s BIT tourism fair

TIRANA, Feb. 28 – Several prominent Albanian tour operators and coastal municipalities participated in this year’s Milan BIT international tourism fair, promoting the country’s best destinations and cultural heritage. Albania was represented in the annual tourism fair, held from February 17 to 20, by the National Tourism Agency in a separate stand next to neighboring Montenegro and Germany.
The Albanian stand, designed by an Italian agency, displayed Albania’s rocky and sandy beaches, accommodation units, culinary traditions and dozens of monuments of culture among them UNSECO cultural heritage sites such as the Butrint archeological park, and the southern cities of Gjirokastra and Berat inscribed as rare examples of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period.
Albanian tourism officials said this year’s participation marked an increasing number of visitors following Albania’s announcement as a top world destination by Lonely Planet guide and the top sixth destination by CNN experts for 2011.
BIT, International Tourism Exchange, is the biggest exhibition of the Italian tourist offer in the world, and one of the most important venues for the world tourist industry, with a complete overview of the best international products. It featured more than 5,000 companies from 130 countries.
Last November, Albania made its participation in the World Fair of Archaeological Heritage held in Paetum of Salerno province, southern Italy. Apart from advertising destinations, the trade fair also offered the opportunity of exchanging experience and launching joint tourist package projects which would prove of benefit to local communities through promoting employment.
Despite its image being marred by violent protests and the killing of four anti-government protestors last January, Albanian officials are optimistic Albania will attract more tourists this year. Government says Albania was visited by 3.5 million people last year, including immigrants who regularly come to spend their year-end and summer holidays.
Most foreign visitors come from neighbouring Macedonia and Kosovo.
Albanian tourism has grown at a significant pace over the last few years, contributing over US$ 2.4 billion in 2009 to the Albanian economy, with expectations to grow by 4 percent in 2011 — based on statistics from the World Travel and Tourism Council. Over 200,000 Albanians are involved in tourism businesses and this number is expected to grow in 2010-11, despite the effects of the global crisis on the travel and tourism industry.