Revenues per tourist highest in Albania

10/08/2007

A high percentage of business travellers and returning expatriates may be the reason for Albania's first-place ranking in a World Tourism Organisation list, bloggers suggest.

By Klodjan Seferaj for Southeast European Times – 10/08/07

Albania earns more per tourist than any other country in the world, according to the World Tourism Organisation. Since the country's economy and its tourist industry are not fully developed, the ranking is somewhat unexpected. Bloggers at peshkupauje try to unravel the mystery.

"Albania earns more for each tourist that is entering the country, compared to other countries," writes Blendi. "In fact, even if it might sound strange and it might surprise you, there are states in the world like Moldova, Lebanon and Belarus that earn more from tourism than paradise islands that have duty free systems.

"This could happen because here the visitors are mainly businessmen and in the countries where there is inappropriate infrastructure the costs are higher," he adds.

Penar isn't convinced. “I agree that most of the tourists from Albania come here for business and as a result they spend more than the normal tourists. But isn't it strange that the amount of money from tourists visiting Albania is three times the amount in any other country?"

Maybe an overly loose definition of "tourism" is the issue. "The problem is that also the Albanian emigrants that return in the country to visit their families are called tourists. In Albania there are no exact statistics for the number of tourists and their income," suggests Leon.

Writing at shekulli, meanwhile, Thano takes stock of a recent political milestone in the country -- the election of a new head of state.

"Bamir Topi is the new president of small Albania," he notes. "We have to say that the new president has a big complex hanging over his future political behaviour because he is the product of an agreement. It is up to him to show us if he can overcome this complex … if he will have the will and strength to act as he thinks and not as dictated by Sali Berisha, the head of his political party and the country’s prime minister."

Marko comments: "Don't we have to give the president some time to show us who he really is? He needs support. At least what he can't find in the politicians he can find in the 'free press' and in the Albanian society – which wants a president of the new type, apolitical and independent of everybody."