August 9, 2024 - Albania’s newest international airport, located near the coastal city of Vlora, is set to open in the summer of 2025. This new gateway is expected to play a key role in boosting tourism and connecting the country to more global destinations. Prime Minister Edi Rama shared the news today, along with a video update on the airport’s construction. According to Rama, the runway will be ready for European certification tests by the end of this year. “This is an exciting time for Albania,” he said, pointing out that the airport will soon welcome its first passengers.   Vlora International Airport is Albania’s third airport capable of handling transoceanic flights, joining Tirana and Kukës in the effort to strengthen the country’s travel infrastructure. The project kicked off back in April 2021 when the construction contract was signed. Since then, it’s drawn significant attention from both locals and international observers, as Albania continues to rise as a destination on the global tourism map.https://english.gazetatema.net/economy/vloras-new-international-airport-set-to-open-by-summer-2025-i336213

Europe is bursting with overlooked holiday spots – just take a look at our list of the most underrated destinations on the continent – but if this latest report is anything to go by, it looks like travellers are catching on to Europe’s many destination dupes and alternative beach breaks.   According to the just-dropped Travel Horizons Report for 2025 from lastminute.com, there’s been a 100 percent increase in bookings to one region in particular since this time last year: Albania’s stunning coastline. We’re hardly surprised – the Balkan nation is stacked with beautiful beaches.    In second place, with a search increase of 98 percent this year, was Montenegro, which is beginning to have its moment as a budget-friendly Mediterranean destination. In third place was Istanbul, which is a more established holiday spot but definitely deserves all the attention it can get (check out our guide here).  These are the top trending regions for 2025, according to lastminute.com Albanian coastline Montenegro Istanbul, Türkiye Munich, Germany Split, Croatia Zanzibar, Tanzania Oslo, Norway Corse, France Hammamet & Sousse, Tunisia Bucharest, Romania Written by Liv Kelly Writer, Time Out Travelhttps://www.timeout.com/news/this-european-region-is-the-top-trending-destination-for-2025-according-to-lastminute-com-121124

Albania is expected to see more foreign tourists this year. Learning from past mistakes and guided by the experience of successful countries, the country is changing its approach to tourism, aiming for more money than numbers of foreigners. Herida Duro, Director of Tourism Development at MTM, tells A2: " What we will actually continue to want again is to have a season or an all-year-round tourism, diversified in its offer. Extended in territory, in time and above all, valued and offered a sustainable standard and professionalism for the tourism infrastructure. " Data from the Ministry of Tourism and Environment shows that 11.7 million foreign holidaymakers visited the country last year, up from 10.1 million in 2023. The increase is estimated at 1.6 million or 15.8%. The same is expected to happen this year. "We aim to be at the top of the UN Tourism Barometer, as we have been rated in recent years for the highest growth rate," Duro added to A2. Despite all the efforts accompanied by warnings of hefty fines, even last year the state failed to get “what it deserved ”. This is due to informality in the sector. The fight against undeclared activities, especially in the accommodation sector, is another important pillar in this year's strategy for tourism development: “At the same time, a broad regulatory framework is being completed which affects not only the Ministry of Tourism, but a number of central and local institutions. We are taking the lead from some changes that are taking place in the rate of hotel occupancy or the certification of other accommodation structures or restaurants” . During these 12 months, the total number of overnight stays in hotels, guesthouses and daily rental apartments is expected to reach over 70 million from less than 29 million, which has been the average in recent years. (A2 Televizion) https://a2news.com/english/shqiperia/ekonomi/kurioziteti-po-vazhdon-turizmi-gjate-vitit-2025-ne-kerkim-te-n-i1137979