Albania Bids For Slice of Russian Tourist Market

Albania Bids For Slice of Russian Tourist Market - 2016-04-15

Albania is not the first option of the average Russian holiday-maker - but if the Albanian government has its way, that is going to change soon.

 

The Albanian government is eyeing the tourist market in Russia at a time when Russian holidaymakers are becoming wary of such traditional destinations as Turkey and Greece.

The idea is to exploit the problems facing Turkey and Greece, when both are struggling with refugee crises, and when terrorism is also making itself felt in Turkey.

Leading the campaign to include Albania on the official tourist map of Russia is the Albanian National Tourism Agency, AKT, whose director, Ardit Collaku, told BIRN that a new relationship is being forged between Albanian tourism institutions and travel agencies in Russia.

"I just came from a visit to Moscow and Kazan where I meet my counterparts to discuss tourism. The Russians appreciate the fact that Albania is not touched by the refugee crises and we found a high level of interest on their side," Collaku said.

A delegation of Russian tourist agencies and travel writers is expected to visit Albania in April to learn more about its touristic potential. "The Russian delegation is going to come within April and we are preparing for them," Collaku said.

The director of the AKT added that the country is also inviting Russian businesses to come and invest in the Albanian tourism industry.

"Albanian tourism officials in May are going to join economic forums in Russia, so we can present the opportunities to invest in Albania," he added.

To stimulate Russian tourism, in 2014, Albania dropped the visa regime with Russia for the summer months, from June 1 to October 1.

"Now we are asking the foreign ministry to extend this period, since our strategy is to create a continuous and sustainable tourism season for a longer period," he said.

However, the head of AKT sees some hurdles in building up a tourist relationship with Russia, starting with the lack of direct flights between the two countries.

Matilda Naco, director of the Albanian Tourism Association, ATA, says capacities are another problem area. She told BIRN that Albania does not have the beds to handle a real Russian "touristic boom".

The head of the ATA said Albania's 1,160 touristic units had only 40,000 beds, in a very fragmentized accommodation system. She also noted that 80 per cent of Albanian hotels have only 20 to 40 rooms.

"Albania needs to invest in training people who deal with tourism and this is very delicate and important task," Naco emphasised.

"The private sector needs to be strongly supported in this effort and the government should frame a more detailed strategy about tourism challenges, such as the one we might face with the Russians," Naco concluded.

 

Source: BalkanInsight

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/albania-eyes-russia-over-tourism-03-29-2016