Tourism revenues fall in Q1

TIRANA, June 11 – 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 expenses 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 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. Expenses also increased to 1.13 billion euros, 50 million euros more than in 2008.
Officials expect the number of tourists and revenues to grow this year, especially from Kosovo after the re-opening the Kalimash tunnel linking the two countries in the shortest possible way.
Data 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