Less income from tourism

The recent Bank of Albania official data show that besides the much proclaimed tourist boom, the tourism incomes have fallen for the second consequent year.

According to the bank, the economy profited 1.69 billion EUR from tourism, or 4.6% less than one year ago. The tourism official figures have shown a paradox in the last years, with declarations of an increase of the number of tourists on one hand, and the falling incomes on the other.

The tourist industry in Albania peaked in 2009, when the revenues reached 1.3 billion EUR. But after that year, that number has fallen, although the government reports that the tourist number grows each year. Albania is a country with a high current deficit, since the need of economy for currency is bigger than what it is provided from exports, emigrant remittances or other sources from abroad.

This, experts have seen tourism as one of the main sectors that could increase the currency in our country, for not damaging the stability of the national economy and that of our currency. But this hasn’t happened so far, because the tourism revenues are almost equal with the money that the Albanians spend for holiday or travels abroad.