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Foreigners spent a record 5.7 billion euros in Albania in 2025; 460 euros per tourist

2026-03-25 14:06:00, Ekonomi CNA

Foreigners spent a record 5.7 billion euros in Albania in 2025; 460 euros per

Although the pace of entry of foreign nationals slowed significantly in 2025 and tour operators complained that tourist spending was declining and mainly young people with bags were coming to the country, Bank of Albania data shows a different picture.

According to balance of payments statistics, which include travel, foreign spending in Albania increased significantly in 2025, reaching a record of 5.7 billion euros, an increase of 15% compared to the previous year. However, compared to previous years, the growth rates have slowed down. In 2024, tourists brought in 19.6% more income and in 2023, about 47% more.

Other INSTAT data showed that in 2025, 12.46 million foreign citizens entered the country, with a minimal increase of 6.3%, the lowest since the pandemic. In 2023 and 2024, the increase had been 15.2% and 34.6%, respectively.

Data comparing income and expenditure shows that the average expenditure per foreigner in 2025 was 460 euros, up from 427 euros a year earlier.

The spending record was at the peak of the season, in the third quarter, at 2.3 billion euros, compared to 1.9 billion euros in the same period a year earlier.

Albanians abroad also spend more

Albanians are also traveling more, driven by the increasing number of destinations and cheap prices that can be flown from Rinas. In 2025, they spent 3 billion euros abroad, a record high, with an increase of 14.8% year-on-year.

According to INSTAT, in 2025, 8.6 million Albanian citizens were registered, with an increase of 9%.

2.7 billion euros remain in Albania

Two decades ago, Albanians' spending abroad was almost equal to that of foreigners in the country. However, the development of tourism in recent years has made the travel balance significantly positive, becoming an important source of foreign exchange inflows into the country. In 2025, according to data from the Bank of Albania, the net travel balance, which measures the difference between foreign inflows and Albanians' spending abroad, was 2.7 billion euros. For comparison, a decade ago, this balance was also positive, but at a much lower value, 237 million euros./ Monitor Magazine