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"Black" January for tourism, foreign arrivals declining for the first time since the pandemic
2026-02-25 15:41:45 / EKONOMI&SOCIALE
The year 2026 has not started well for tourism in the country. Data published today by INSTAT revealed that 552 thousand foreign citizens entered the country in January, a decrease of 1.5% compared to the same period a year earlier.
This is the first time that tourist arrivals have fallen in January since the pandemic. After 2022, Albania became a popular tourist destination, which led to an extension of the season beyond the summer months, with tourists visiting cities such as Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastra, Korça, etc. The streets of the capital were filled with tourists in the first half of the year and the trend was only increasing, so far.
For comparison, in January 2025, foreign arrivals increased by 14.5%, while in 2024 the expansion was almost 30%.
According to market players, the negative impact is assessed to have been the bad weather in January, which has limited movement. Also, restaurant and food prices in Albania are increasing, scaring away foreigners visiting the country, while accommodation continues to remain cheap.
The slowdown trend began in 2025, where foreign arrivals increased by only 6.6%, the lowest level since the pandemic.
Unlike foreigners, the departures of Albanian citizens in January marked a slight increase of 3.3%.
According to the INSTAT announcement, during the month of January 2026, 1,196,550 Albanian and foreign citizens entered the territory of the Republic of Albania. This indicator has increased by 3.3%, compared to January 2025. Also, 1,343,073 Albanian and foreign citizens have left the territory of the Republic of Albania, marking a decrease of -1.3%, compared to the same period a year ago.
The purpose of entry into the Albanian territory of foreign citizens, in 98% of cases, is for personal purposes. In January 2026, this indicator has marked a decrease of -1.4%, compared to January 2025. The entries of foreign citizens, for business and professional purposes have decreased by -5.7%.
According to INSTAT, entries into Albania:
Albanian citizens: 644,363 (increase by 7.8%)
Foreign citizens: 552,187 (decrease by -1.5%)
Albanian citizens: 740,160 (increase by 3.1%)
Foreign citizens: 602,913 (decrease by -6.2%)
Entry regions for foreign nationals:
Southern Europe contributes 88% and Western Europe 6% of the entries from Europe. /MONITOR
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