Passenger influx in Durres port up 13% in Q1

TIRANA, April 20 – The visa liberalization process, in force since December 15, 2010, has increased the influx of passengers even in Durres Port, the country’s biggest. Port officials say more than 147,000 passengers were handled in Durers port during the first three months of this year, up 13 percent compared to the first quarter of 2010. Data show ferries using the Italian ports of Bari, Ancona and Trieste handled more than 100,000 Albanian passengers during the first quarter of 2011, or 20 percent more year-on-year.
Ferries using Durres port also handled more than 15,000 lorries and trailers with goods, increasing the volume of exports handled through Durres port.
The new passenger terminal, now operational, has considerably improved conditions in the country’s biggest port.
The Durres Port handled around 604,000 tonnes of goods during the first two months of this year, up 160,000 tonnes compared to the same period in 2010. Data published by the Durres Port Authority show 46 percent of handled goods were exported compared to only 35 percent during the first two months of 2010. Port officials say some 278,000 tonnes of “Made in Albania” goods, mainly cement, tin and chrome were sent to other European ports during January-February 2011.
The construction of new sites to handle goods and creating necessary conditions for high-tonnage ships will be the major two objectives for the country’s biggest port this year.
The port’s short-term goal is to create duty-free zones in the whole of the port’s areas like the ones in the ferry and containers terminals to allow faster movement of goods at a lower cost.