Table, tourism contraction lowers hotel prices, how much do rooms cost from south to north

2025-08-10 08:29:00, Ekonomi CNA

Table, tourism contraction lowers hotel prices, how much do rooms cost from

Foreign arrivals to the country have been reported to be increasing, albeit weakly, during the first half of this year, but hotel structures and tour operators say that this is not being reflected on the coast. According to them, the profile of the tourist visiting Albania is not one who seeks beaches and the sea for days on end, but one who seeks to get the most out of it at the lowest possible cost and explore as much as possible. In the first week of July, the panorama became clearer and the shortage of beaches, which were only full on weekends, brought a chain of hotel price reductions, as well as aggressive sponsorship campaigns on social networks. From Saranda to Ksamil, Vlora and Himara, prices were revised down by 10-25%. Borsh and Qeparo were the only ones to increase due to demand, while Durrës and Golemi remain the regions with the best price/service ratio. Velipoja and Shëngjini, which are maintaining patriotic tourism, still remain economical with slight movements in the expensive hotel segment.

Ema and her husband have chosen Ksamil to vacation every year.

The beach there is more suitable for families with children. The high prices had forced them to keep their stays short for the last three years, but this year, amidst dilemmas, they started looking for an apartment again at the end of June.

Surprisingly, the options were numerous and at economical prices, and even for the price of an apartment one could now find a quality hotel.

Searches for August vacations continued until the end of July and prices were again affordable, but so was availability, something not at all common for this period.

In the end, for a week's vacation in early August, you can find a three-star hotel for as little as 550 euros, while villas and apartments can be found much cheaper even if you make a reservation today for tomorrow.

Tour operators say there are two reasons that are dictating the prices of hotels on the coast this year.

Firstly, the entry into the market of new hotel structures and short-term rental apartments; secondly, the profile of the tourist visiting Albania.

The first signs of a summer season different from the last three were given in May and June, when individual bookings for Vlora and Saranda were lower than a year earlier.

Clearly, the situation was seen in the first week of July, when despite being in what is known as the peak, the only ones with a tourist influx were the weekends.

This seems to have caused hotels to reflect and apply slight price reductions and at the same time become more aggressive with advertising on social networks through sponsored campaigns.

"Monitor" once again this year spoke with tour operators, hotel structures, and compared data on the Booking and Airbnb platforms to see prices this season, taking the lowest and highest average prices for a formally registered and categorized accommodation structure.

The reference is a double room for one night in the period July 15 - August 20.

Prices are not indicative of the lowest possible level, but of a combined average of the cheapest prices offered by the market and online platforms, and this also applies to the high average reference.

Who lowered hotel prices, how is it affecting Kosovo, the diaspora and foreigners?

Overall, the South of the country has had a milder summer season this year. Hoteliers and tour operators say this is due to several factors.

First, the middle class of Kosovo, which was willing to pay a little more and choose the South, is missing.

The latter, thanks to visa liberalization, but also the depreciation that the Euro has suffered against the Lek, have chosen to explore new destinations.

Secondly, the middle class in the country, which also preferred the South, has tended to choose economic destinations in other countries, which have been quite aggressive in competition.

Thirdly, the foreign tourist visiting Albania is not one who enjoys passive vacations by the sea and sand.

They are European, curious tourists who have seen Albania advertised as a cheap country that offers a lot, and for this reason they want to get the most out of it at the lowest possible cost.

Therefore, foreign tourists are not the ones you find en masse on sun loungers, but on city streets, in natural places, in bays with few people, on public beaches, in parks, castles, and museums.

Precisely because of these three developments, hotels this year did not have the typical influx of the last three years, and this is precisely what prompted reflection by the structures that, according to tour operators, applied an average review of between 5-25% of prices.

These are structures with medium and high prices and mainly located in the southern part of the country from Vlora onwards.

Meanwhile, Durrës has continued to remain the most frequented place for sand and sea tourism. There are several reasons.

Firstly, as an effect of the typology of the coast and accommodation structures; secondly, from a better price/service ratio; and thirdly, from the segment of organized tourists who have been with pre-purchased contracts since last year.

The northernmost part of the country continues to remain at economical prices, although the start of activity of several new accommodation structures that offer a higher standard of service has increased the upper average of hotel prices.

The coast of Shëngjin and Velipoja have had the main part of what is known as patriotic tourism this summer, which has more to do with Kosovo.

Golemi and Durrës resist the summer swing, the most economical prices in the country

Durrës and Golemi remain the two regions with the best price/service ratio.

Despite the fact that for structures with considerable accommodation capacity, the focus has been on signing contracts with guarantees for organized tourism, mainly Polish, Czech, and Spanish, in the Bay of Lalëz, individual tourism is, in this case as well, the one that carries the main weight.

Investing in second apartments, villas with many rooms to convert into hotels, or even hotel structures with more limited capacity, has significantly increased the opportunity for accommodation.

Tour operators say that what is being noticed this summer is a decrease in the lower average prices within the season, which has more to do with attracting tourists from Kosovo, who are increasingly choosing the North of the country.

This revision also somewhat corrects the loss from the depreciation of the Euro against the Lek, where businesses have undertaken to give up their profit margin just to become attractive.

These are mainly hostels and villas with many apartments, which have caused the average minimum price to start at 35 euros per night for a double room.

Compared to a year ago, the average low price has decreased by 12.5%.

Meanwhile, large structures have added the "all-inclusive" option, staying at the upper average price of 200 euros per night, while those that only offer breakfast, at an average of 180 euros, which corresponds to a 5% reduction in price.

Ksamil and Saranda reflect simultaneously, reduce prices in July by 10-25%

Ksamil and Saranda, which in different years became Albania's tourist postcards for summer, chose to focus sales on online platforms in the last two years.

Attracting individual tourists from European markets was seen as a better option than engaging with organized tourism that has always been fashionable for this region.

The precedent of a year ago when prices increased before the season and bookings decreased meant that this year started with the same prices as last season, but the lack of flow has caused prices to be revised in the first 10 days of July, especially on online platforms.

Tourist operators in this region claim that for Saranda, the lower average price for a double room in a hotel has decreased to 50 euros, a 17% decrease compared to a year ago, while the upper average has decreased by 25%.

Ksamil, on the other hand, has revised with a decrease that fluctuates at 12% for the upper average of a double hotel room for August bookings, while the lower average has decreased to 12%.

Even in this case, for both regions, in addition to a weaker season at sea for tourists visiting Albania, the entry or formalization of more daily rental apartments on the market, as well as several new hotels, has also had an impact.

Demand drives up the price of Borsh and Qeparo, the market regulates Vlora, Himara better prices

A year ago, in the South, Borsh was the most economical area of the coast, at least in the list of villages starting from Palasa, Dhërmiu, Jali, or Qeparo.

The expansive coastline and the typology of businesses along with the prices make this region a favorite for families, but not only in 2024.

This was the reason why at the beginning of the season, Borsh was highlighted as a destination with new reservations from families who wanted to avoid Saranda and Ksamil.

The increase in demand, even before reservations began, seems to have automatically increased prices, which have since increased.

Thus, the lower average price increased by 8%, with a double room for one night costing 70 euros in a hotel facility from 65 euros a year ago.

While the upper average remained unchanged. Qeparo is another village that has seen an increase in demand, but meanwhile the number of accommodation entities remains limited.

This has led to this region also seeing an increase of 25% in those considered to be structures with cheap prices and 16% in those considered to be structures with medium-expensive prices.

Dhërmi, on the other hand, has remained almost the same as last year with a slight decrease in the lower average price, of only 5 euros.

This stability at the same levels is related to the typology of the village and the way it has been developed, where hotels continue to remain limited in number and capacity is currently located more in housing adapted as hotels.

The complete opposite has happened with Himara. The latter, although it has had a higher preference among foreigners who love it for its nightlife, family atmosphere and public beaches, has again reflected this with price reductions.

Tour operators assess that in this case we are dealing with a market regulation, where formalization on the one hand and the consolidation of existing structures have caused the market to reflect on these developments.

In Himara there is a 25% decrease in the lower average prices and a 10% decrease in the upper average.

The same thing seems to have happened with Vlora, where new structures that have entered the market in recent years have made competition more aggressive, as well as established a more realistic pricing approach.

In Vlora, lower-middle-class prices decreased by 20%, while the upper-middle-class prices were halved.

This is mostly related to the fact that in the upper mid-range, only luxury variants and suites were sold on the platforms, while the availability of standard double rooms has now increased.

Shëngjin and Velipoja raise prices "for luxury", but not for budget vacationers

Foreigners in the North prefer to visit mountainous destinations with nature and adventure.

The beach remains little frequented, making it mostly an epicenter of locals and Kosovo Albanians who want the better prices the regions offer, both in accommodation and bar-restaurant consumption.

But it seems that investments in new accommodation structures, which have increased the quality segment, have been accompanied by a revision of high average prices.

Thus, according to the data, prices in the lower average have decreased by 10% in Velipojë, where a standard double room can be found for 40 euros, while the upper average prices have increased by approximately 5%.

In Shëngjin, on the other hand, the minimum lower price has remained the same at 45 euros per night for a double room in an accommodation facility, while the average upper price has increased by over 15% but with the addition of the dinner option.

Without this option, prices remain the same as a year ago, 120 euros/night./ Monitor