Fresh bread market 60 million euros in 2024, annual growth 5.7%

2025-10-20 20:12:00, Ekonomi CNA

The bread market and, in general, dough products are expanding due to the influx of foreign tourists. Official INSTAT data showed that the sales value reached about 6 billion lek in 2024, equivalent to 60 million euros. Compared to 2023, it increased by 5.7 percent.

This sector faced difficulties before and after the pandemic, when emigration began to increase after 2015, especially among young people. Imports and consumption of dough fell for several years in a row until 2022, but in 2023 and 2024, growth began due to tourism flows.

Tourism is significantly influencing their use, especially during the summer season when visitor flows are greater. Restaurants, artisan bakeries, patisseries and quick service outlets along tourist areas sell more bread, pies, pizza and traditional cakes. On the other hand, hotels and resorts significantly increase orders for brioches and similar products.

The diverse demand of tourists is pushing producers to combine local and international flavors, offering everything from pies and cornbread to brioche, baguettes, and Neapolitan pizza.

Increased consumption during peak months has a knock-on effect on flour producers and distribution networks, who order larger quantities and even increase imports to cope with the influx.

Data from INSTAT show that wheat imports, after a continuous decline, increased by 18.8 percent in 2023 and 16.7% in 2024, following the growth of tourism. Albanian cuisine is based on pastries, meat and dairy products. Increased consumption due to visitors has led to an increase in food imports, as domestic production, in addition to being in decline, is also insufficient.

For businesses, this period is an opportunity to boost revenue, because visitors with higher purchasing power accept slightly higher prices for high-quality, authentic artisanal products.

In recent years, tourism has become an engine for increased consumption and, in turn, is driving the expansion of the offer of local recipes in bakeries and pastry shops./ Monitor