TIRANA, Feb 7 – Albania’s largest port handled about 840,000 passengers to and from Italy in 2016 registering an 8 percent increase compared to 2015, the Durres Port Authority says.
Companies operating at the port link Durres to the Italian ports of Bari, Ancona and Trieste on a daily basis mainly covering trade exchanges with Italy, Albania’s top trading partner accounting for half of total exports and a third of imports, but also serving to a community of 500,000 Albanians in Italy as an alternative to more expensive flights and an opportunity to bring their cars with them when on holiday.
Since 2013, soon after it was upgraded, the ferry terminal of the country’s largest port is operated under a 10-year concession contract by a German consortium.
Meanwhile, the volume of exports from Durres Port registered a slight decline in 2016, reflecting lower international oil and mineral prices, one of the country’s key exports which have been continuously declining since the mid-2014 slump in commodity prices.
The Durres Port, Albania’s largest, targets becoming a regional hub for landlocked Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia. It has representation offices in Kosovo and Macedonia.
Key operations in Durres port such as the container and ferry terminals are handled by foreign companies under concession contracts.
The Durres Port handles about three quarters of maritime passengers and the overwhelming majority of about 90 percent of transport. Albania has three other ports in Vlora, Saranda and Shengjin with the latter only involved in maritime transport.
The port has also become an attractive cruise ship tourism destination with thousands of tourists visiting the ancient city of Durres as part of their Mediterranean tours.
