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Kosovo "saved" tourism in October, arrivals increased by 60%, Italians also returned

2025-11-26 07:39:00, Sociale CNA

Kosovo "saved" tourism in October, arrivals increased by 60%, Italians

October resulted in a 19.3 percent increase in foreign arrivals to Albania, signaling a revival of tourism in the fall. It seems that those who have really "saved" tourism are the Albanians of Kosovo.

Entry figures by country show that entries from Kosovo were 306 thousand, a 60 percent increase compared to October 2024. Beyond a return of patriotic tourism to normality in the fall, what seems to have played a significant role in this figure is the holding of Kosovo-related activities in Tirana.

On October 17, a nationwide protest was held in support of the leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army who are facing trial at the Hague Tribunal. This brought thousands of citizens from Kosovo to Tirana who were present at the square where the protest was held.

Kosovo currently accounts for 33.7 percent of the total entry of foreigners into our country, remaining the leading country in terms of tourist inflows.

In second place, the Italians continued to remain, who after a decline in the summer months seem to have returned with growth.

Tour operators say that the increase in prices during the summer made the Albanian coast not very attractive for these tourists, while authentic and cheap food encourages cultural tours in some cities, agrotourism and the dynamic nightlife in Tirana have turned them into tourists who are preferring Albania in every season.

Specifically, in October, 98.7 thousand Italians entered our country, an increase of 14.2 percent compared to October of the previous year. Italians account for 10.9 percent of the total number of foreigners who have entered our country.

North Macedonia, which comes in third by weight, with 7.4 percent of the total, actually saw a decrease in arrivals in October compared to a year earlier. According to figures, in the 10th month of the year there were 67 thousand arrivals from this country. Arrivals from Montenegro have also contracted, while from Greece there is a modest increase of 3.5 percent.

Other arrival figures generally show the same picture that has been going on for months, with Western European markets such as Germany and France showing continued growth. The latter are particularly interested in cultural tours that take place during the spring and autumn, although for the first time the French are expected to enter in an organized manner next year, also during the summer.

During October, there is a decline in entries from Poland, Hungary, and Turkey, while markets such as Israel, the United States, and Austria are growing.

In total, 11.1 million tourists entered Albania by the end of October, an increase of about 7 percent compared to the same period a year earlier./ Monitor