Albania’s most successful tourist season, says Berisha

TIRANA, Sept. 2 – Prime Minister Sali Berisha said Saturday that this summer was the most successful tourist season for the country with an increase of 42 percent of the number of foreign tourists coming here. “The current season may be considered, more than anything else, the season of a real tourist boom,” he said at a news conference Saturday. There were 42 percent more foreign tourists in August compared to the same period last year. He said that Saranda had four times more foreign visitors than last year and an ‘excellent’ season he said was for Vlora, Durres, Velipoja, Shkodra and Pogradeci. “Albania has never had such a tourist boom as this summer,” he said, thanking not only Albanian families welcoming the tourists but also police and other institutions for securing a calm environment. According to Berisha, reasons for such a significant increase were return of trust to Albania which came from the installation of the rule of law (arrest of some criminal organizations earlier this year) and the reforms and the fight against corruption. Signing of the pre-entry Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union was another important factor he considered as a European passport to work toward the ‘final passport.’