Hotels welcomed 12.7% more foreigners in May/ Italians lead, followed by Kosovo

2026-07-17 13:54:00, Aktualitet CNA

The number of visitors accommodated in tourist structures in Albania increased by 12.4% in May 2026, compared to the same month a year earlier.

Data published by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) on accommodation structures confirm the positive performance of the sector at least until the 5th month of the year.

Resident visitors increased by 11.4% in annual terms, while the number of non-resident visitors increased by 12.7%. Total overnight stays in accommodation facilities marked an increase of 8% compared to May 2025.

According to INSTAT, overnight stays of resident visitors increased by 6%, while those of non-resident visitors increased by 8.6%. The data includes the activity of hotels and other tourist accommodation structures in the country.

Referring to the figures, Italy remained the main country of origin of foreign visitors accommodated in Albania, with 19% of the total. Kosovo accounted for 11% of non-resident visitors, followed by Germany with 10%, France with 9% and Poland with 6%.

Visitors from other countries accounted for 45% of total foreign visitors. The hotel room occupancy rate reached 29.8% in May 2026, up from 28.7% in the same month last year.

The increase in room occupancy rate was 1.1 percentage points compared to May 2025.

Last-minute tourism is showing weakness

The performance of tourism this year, especially in this summer season, is being questioned due to the uneven trends that are emerging in different segments.

Thus, in the Durrës and Golem areas, hotel operators confirm that there is a good performance of guarantee contracts from tourists who come organized, but those who book at the last minute have decreased.

According to the policies they apply, the structures calculate that 80 percent of the capacities are provided through guarantee contracts, while 20 percent are calculated for individual reservations made during the season. Different regions in the country have also shown fluctuations, mainly in the South, but only the end of the summer will provide a clear picture of the balance. /Monitor