TIRANA, Sep. 20 – Tourism revenues during the first half of this year registered a significant drop despite the growing number of visitors, a signal showing that Albanians, especially immigrants, have been affected by the crisis in their host countries and are spending less. Central bank data show travel revenues during the first six months of this year registered 426 million euros, compared to 511 million euros during the same period last year, accounting for 85 million euros less in travel revenues.
Travel revenues during the second quarter of this year increased to 265 million euros, up 104 million euros from the first quarter.
Meanwhile, travel expenditure, which covers money spend in trips abroad, fell to 420 million euros during the first half of this year compared to 519 million euros during the same period in 2009.
Bank of Albania data show travel expenditure during this year dropped to 177 million euros during the first quarter of 2010 and 243 million euros during the second quarter compared with 222 million and 297 million euros respectively during the first two quarters of 2009.
The positive thing about the 2010 first-half data is that the difference between travel revenues and expenditure registered a positive figure for the Albanian economy, some 7 million euros, compared to minus 7 million euros during the first half of 2009. Data confirm more people are spending their money at home.
However, tourism revenue during this summer remain to be seen in the third quarter statistics which will make available the central bank’s report on the two peak months of July and August.
Ministry statistics show some 1.3 million people visited Albania during the July 1 to August 15 period, some 32 percent more than the same period in 2009.
A considerable increase was also reported in cultural tourism with the number of visitors in the country’s main two archeological sites of Butrint and Apollonia and the Rozafa castle rising from 14 to 70 percent.
Latest data by the Tourism Ministry also show some 2.5 million people visited Albania during the January-August period this year, of whom 1.7 million were foreigners and 855,000 Albanian non-residents.
The majority of tourists visiting Albania during last summer were ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro with local experts often referring to this sector of the market as “patriotic tourism.”
The reopening of the Kalimash tunnel linking Albania and Kosovo in the shortest possible way last summer played a significant role during this summer.
Data show the number of tourists visiting Albania during the first half of this year was 1 million people, increasing by 5.2 percent compared to the same period last year. However, only half of them, some 550,000 people were foreigners. The remaining 450,000 visitors were Albanian immigrants, residents abroad.
The main foreign tourists to Albania during the January-June period were neighbours Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro with 21, 10 and 12 percent respectively.
Ministry officials said that more Macedonian and Kosovo tourists chose southern Albania beaches, Vlora and Saranda as their destination this year, abandoning the traditional Durres beach.
Statistics by the National Tourism Agency show Albania was visited by 3 million people in 2009, registering a 34 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Of the 3 million tourists in 2009, only 1.78 million were foreigners. Most of them stayed in Albania for one or a few days. The remaining 1.2 million tourists were Albanian immigrants, residents in foreign countries.
Kosovo accounted for a majority of the 37 percent of foreign visitors, followed by Macedonia with 17 percent, Montenegro 7 percent, Italy and Greece 6 percent each while Great Britain, Germany and Serbia with 3 percent each.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sali Berisha has recently called on ministries to focus more on tourism when drafting the 2011 budget, which government has said it will approve by the end of this month.
“This will be the first year in Albania’s history that the number of visitors exceeds the number of population (some 3.5 million),” said Berisha, attributing the positive results to infrastructural investments which exceed 1 billion euros.
Tourism revenues, especially trips to Albania fell by 51 million euros during the January-March period this year. Travel revenues during the first quarter of 2010 registered 161 million euros, down from 212 million during the first quarter of 2009, according to central bank data. Meanwhile, travel expenditure fell to 177 million euros, down from 222 million euros in the first quarter of 2009.
The deficit in the travel sector during the first quarter reached minus 15 million euros considering the higher expenses.
Albania’s travel service revenues in 2009 were 1.3 billion dollars, 10 percent more than the previous year. Expenditure also increased to 1.13 billion euros, 50 million euros more than in 2008.
Travel revenues 2010
Q2, 2010 – 265 mln euros
Q1, 2010 – 161 million euros
Total (Q1+Q2 2010 = 426 mln)
Travel revenues 2009
Q2, 2009 – 299 mln euros
Q1, 2009 – 212 mln euros
Total (Q1+ Q2 2009 = 511 mln euros)
Travel expenditure 2010
Q2, 2010 = -243 million euros
Q1, 2010 = -177 million euros
Total (Q2+Q1 2010 = -420 mln)
Travel expenditure 2009
Q2, 2009 = -297 mln euros
Q1, 2009 = -222 mln euros
Total (Q2+ Q1 2009 = -519 mln)
