FLASH NEWS
2026-07-19 11:49:00 / EKONOMI&SOCIALE
On the “Independence” street, which runs for almost 4 kilometers along the Durrës beach, Kosovo Albanians are no longer the only tourists. The street was named after the declaration of Kosovo’s Independence in 2008 and is known today for its numerous hotels and bars along the Adriatic Sea.
"At first, everyone came to Durrës for vacation, and some even met their Durrës relatives who welcomed them in the difficult year of 1999. Back then, they called it patriotic tourism," recalls Cen Hysniu, the owner of one of the bars in the area.
Tourists from Kosovo have been loyal holidaymakers on Durrës beach for almost two decades, but this season, hotel owners and tourism experts are noticing a noticeable decline in their numbers. The reasons, they say, are related to the strengthening of the local currency against the lek, the possibility of free movement for Kosovo citizens, and the choice of the beaches of Shëngjin and Velipoja due to the shorter distance.
Mark Gjana, manager of a hotel on the beach in Durres, told BIRN that although the season has not yet fully started, there are fewer bookings from Albanians from Kosovo and North Macedonia. He estimates that in addition to the increase in prices in tourist structures, this trend is also greatly influenced by the fall of the euro.
"The European currency used by Kosovars is worth less and less in Albania, and there are many who head to the beaches of Bulgaria or Greece, countries that use the euro, just like Kosovo," Gjana emphasized.
Kosovars will not be the only ones missing this season. After several years of high attendance, this summer Italian vacationers have also chosen other alternatives.
Tourism expert Edmond Basho says that this summer, families or small groups from Italy, which were quite present in previous years, have been added to the declining number of Kosovars on vacation.
“The majority of foreigners who vacation in Durres come in large groups, mainly from Poland and the Czech Republic, but there is also a lack of Norwegians,” Basho told BIRN.
"According to the data we have, Italians have returned to their beaches in southern Italy," he added.
The lack of bookings from Kosovar tourists for this summer is also confirmed by Stefan Mani, who manages a hotel on the coast.
“This summer we have almost no guests from Kosovo or Macedonia,” he said.
But he adds that unlike years ago, there are now more tourists from the Balkans and Central Europe.
"Groups with 7-day stays have started arriving here, coming from Bosnia, Ukraine, or Poland," said Mani, who complains that the problem of areas for private beaches has not yet been resolved.
According to the hotel manager, the largest areas of sand have been occupied by bars and restaurants on the coastal promenade, although according to the municipality's regulations, the opposite should be the case.
The promenade, inaugurated last year, has been well received by holidaymakers. However, their concern is related to the placement of several shacks-kiosks, which have been installed on the sandy part as additions to the bars and restaurants near the promenade.
"In addition to narrowing the sandy spaces for vacationers, they risk turning into bars with concrete wall structures in the future," Mani concluded.
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