Concerns mount over tense political situation ahead of peak tourist season

Story Highlights

• At a time when political tension has escalated after the main two opposition parties abandoned their MP mandates in a quite unprecedented move and plan nationwide protests over demands for a caretaker government and early general elections over alleged vote rigging and crime links by the ruling Socialists, local experts predict the emerging travel and tourism industry could be the country’s hardest hit. Albanian travel expert Kliton Gerxhani says that as an emerging tourist destination Albania still has an image problem and that protests in the small country that is considered Europe's last secret, don't have the same impact such as established and leading destinations like France where ‘Yellow Vest’ protests have been going on for months.