Data from the Tourism Agency show some 117,000 Italians visited Albania in 2012
TIRANA, Feb. 25 – Albania’s best tourist destinations, culture heritage and gastronomy were introduced to the world for the fifth year in a row in Milan BIT international tourism fair held from February 14 to 17. Albania was represented in the fair by the National Tourism Agency and four operators from the tourism industry among which the Belle Air, the leading airline company in Albania.
The National Tourism Agency was represented with its own stand in a contemporary concept airing views of Albania’s best sea, mountain and cultural heritage tourist destinations in big screens.
“The participation in Milan is very special but also kind of difficult because we are neighbours with Italy and almost similar to what we offer. But the difference is that it is the Italians themselves who admit they are working to return to originality. Meanwhile, we offer our neighbours what they like, the originality including virgin beaches, unexplored mountain areas where bio food can be found,” said Brikena Arapaj, the head of the Albanian Tourism Agency.
Data from the Tourism Agency show some 117,000 Italians visited Albania in 2012.
Some 84,000 people visited 33rd Bit – International Tourism Exchange, held from February 14 to 17 in four days packed with business, designed to help offer meet demand even more effectively, thanks to the new exhibition concept
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.
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.
For 2012, the Tourism Ministry reports a record 3.4 million foreign tourists, up 26 percent compared to 2011, visiting Albania which is 21 percent more than the 2.8 million resident Albanians identified by the latest population census in 2011.
In its annual report, the Tourism Ministry says 4.7 million people visited Albania in 2012 of whom 3.4 million were foreigners and 1.3 million migrants, who are described as non-residents holding Albanian citizenship. Data show some 65 percent of foreign tourists come from Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro where ethnic Albanians are the majority or second largest communities with local experts often referring to this sector of the market as ‘patriotic tourism.’
The Greeks account for 7 percent, followed by Italians with 4 percent and the Germans with 2 percent.
Albania’s archaeological parks and museums were visited by 1.4 million people in 2012 generating 47.6 million lek.
