Albania » Tourism

The former communist regime did not allow tourism in Albania to grow. It was in the 1980s that western tourists were allowed to visit the country so the Albanian tourist industry is a relatively new one. Albania is now emerging as a tourist destination. The country receives approximately 400.000 visitors per year but the number is growing by 15% every year. Being a country rich in natural beauty and beautiful landscapes with sandy white Mediterranean beaches, rocky mountains, fertile plains, lakes, natural monuments, it provides a lot potential for developing tourism. Areas for tourism development in Albania being focused on are the coastal zones that include the Adriatic coast, Ionian coasts, the lakes and the mountain areas which are drawing more foreign tourists. The attraction whic draws foreign tourists to Albania is the fact that it is a part of Europe which is relatively unknown and culturally very different from the rest of Europe. Famous beaches of Albania are of Durres and Vlora which are quite popular with the tourists and remain largely populated.