Italy, Spain, Albania And Greece Face Significant Declines In Tourist Numbers This Summer As Budget-conscious Travelers Outnumber Luxury Seekers

Published on September 6, 2025

Italy, Spain, Albania, and Greece person knowledgeable notable declines successful tourer numbers this summer, mostly owed to a displacement successful traveler demographics. Budget-conscious visitors person outnumbered luxury seekers, starring to reduced gross for destinations traditionally reliant connected high-spending visitors. This inclination has impacted nan section tourism economies, challenging manufacture stakeholders to accommodate to changing user preferences.

This summertime has been disappointing for Albania’s tourism sector, pinch existent developments failing to lucifer nan optimistic expectations group earlier successful nan year. Hotel revenues successful nan South person decreased by 30% compared to summertime 2024, while nan North has seen a smaller diminution of 10-15%.

A important facet contributing to this downturn is nan displacement successful nan type of visitors visiting, pinch budget-conscious travelers dominating nan market. Durrës has, however, shown greater stableness compared to different areas on nan coast.

Looking up to 2026, nan number of guaranteed contracts remains unchanged from nan erstwhile summer, which is positive. However, overseas agencies person included a clause that allows them to retreat up to 20% of their contracts by nan extremity of nan twelvemonth if income do not meet expectations. Despite this, 2025 is expected to lucifer past year’s overseas tourer numbers, pinch taste tours anticipated to dress up for nan summer’s decline.

Many visitors person shared their thoughts connected nan situation, pinch immoderate noting that Albania is beautiful but not yet fresh to grip specified a ample number of tourists. The sentiment reflects a mixed acquisition wherever visitors spot nan imaginable of nan state but are disappointed by nan infrastructure and work quality.

This summer, dissimilar nan erstwhile 2 years, has been a operation of disappointment and beauty, pinch nan erstwhile outweighing nan latter. It’s earthy for immoderate manufacture to spell done ups and downs, but nan velocity of this downturn, contempt Albania’s progressive promotion successful world media, is noteworthy.

Several factors person contributed to nan mediocre capacity of tourism this year, and nan causes tin beryllium traced to various stakeholders, from nan authorities to businesses.

Rising Prices Impact Key Markets

By nan extremity of 2024, circuit operators expected 2025 to reflector nan occurrence of nan erstwhile year. Albania’s continued world media presence, on pinch its progressive information successful events specified arsenic IBT Berlin, was expected to boost tourism. However, since February, a slowdown successful tourism became apparent, further intensifying done March, and humble maturation followed afterward. By nan extremity of May, nan summer’s outlook was already clear, pinch individual edifice bookings being little than expected.

In nan South, nan diminution has mostly been attributed to value instability and an imbalanced price-to-service ratio. The absence of cardinal tourer groups, specified arsenic Italians, Kosovars, and members of nan Albanian diaspora, has had a important effect connected nan driblet successful numbers.

Tourism’s capacity has been heavy influenced by changes successful nan main tourer groups. First, location has been a noticeable outflow of Italian tourists. Secondly, nan number of Albanians from Kosovo has dropped, and thirdly, less members of nan Albanian diaspora successful Western countries person visited. Rising prices are a awesome facet driving distant nan first 2 groups, while nan absence of nan diaspora is owed to their disappointment pinch nan value of services.

Albania Attracts Budget Travelers

Albania’s estimation arsenic an affordable destination, particularly erstwhile compared to different European countries, has attracted visitors seeking to walk arsenic small arsenic possible. These budget-conscious travelers are not willing successful luxury experiences but purpose to minimize their spending connected accommodation, food, and proscription while maximizing their adventure.

This displacement has resulted successful less edifice bookings, pinch galore opting for Airbnb aliases Booking.com accommodations instead. The mostly of visitors now for illustration quick, low-cost formation visits, nationalist transportation, and budget-friendly meals. As a result, nan request for high-end services has decreased, and much visitors are choosing self-catered aliases apartment-style accommodation options owed to nan affordability factor.

“There’s been a marked summation successful individual visitors opting for Airbnb. These visitors are connected a tight budget, which is reflected successful nan emergence of flat rentals,” said a tourism expert.

The displacement to fund recreation has led to important changes successful nan type of visitors visiting Albania. The country’s offerings now cater to those who are looking to walk arsenic small arsenic imaginable while still experiencing nan beauty of nan region.

Infrastructure Issues Hurt Tourism

The summertime of 2025 besides saw important challenges pinch Albania’s infrastructure. Coastal areas that were erstwhile seen arsenic elite destinations knowledgeable h2o shortages, while agrarian areas that attracted escapade visitors suffered from powerfulness outages.

Regions for illustration Golem faced operational difficulties, including h2o shortages owed to repairs and nan usage of unqualified unit during nan precocious season. Although location has been important betterment successful infrastructure, overmuch much needs to beryllium done to make nan destination much charismatic for higher-end tourists.

Tourists often stay unaware of infrastructure issues, specified arsenic discarded guidance problems, building sites adjacent accommodations, and dense traffic, each of which detract from their wide experience.

Mixed Future for Tourism Contracts

Despite nan challenges, overseas agencies person signed prepaid contracts for 2026 astatine nan aforesaid complaint arsenic 2025, which immoderate spot arsenic a affirmative improvement fixed nan existent situation. However, nan contracts now see a clause that allows agencies to retreat 20% of their contracts if income do not meet expectations by nan extremity of nan year.

Vlora, contempt its struggles successful summertime 2025, remains portion of nan guaranteed contracts, and there’s dream that flights from Vlora Airport will statesman successful nan adjacent summertime season. Additionally, nan inclusion of French visitors successful nan guaranteed contracts for nan first clip is an encouraging sign, pinch agencies conducting surveys and making a affirmative determination based connected nan standards successful Durrës and Golem.

Italy, Spain, Albania, and Greece person seen important declines successful tourer numbers this summer, chiefly owed to nan emergence of budget-conscious travelers outpacing luxury seekers, affecting their tourism revenue.

Albania’s tourism assemblage has faced respective challenges successful 2025, including rising prices, infrastructure issues, and a displacement toward fund travelers. While nan state remains a celebrated destination, location is still overmuch activity to beryllium done successful improving work quality, infrastructure, and pricing strategies. The dependable liking from definite markets, on pinch improvements successful cardinal areas, offers dream for a recovery. Addressing these issues will beryllium important for attracting higher-caliber visitors successful nan early and ensuring Albania’s tourism assemblage thrives successful nan coming years.