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Tourism is being supplied with imported goods, food quantities increased by 13% in January-July

2026-08-20 11:44:00 / EKONOMI&SOCIALE ALFA PRESS

The rapid expansion of tourism is creating an ever-growing market for food, but domestic production is failing to tap into this demand to the same extent. The main beneficiaries are importers.

In the first seven months of 2026, Albania imported about 606.4 thousand tons of food products, up from 537.4 thousand tons in the same period last year. The imported quantity expanded by about 69 thousand tons, or 12.8%, according to foreign trade data.

The increase was widespread across most commodity groups. Of the 20 main food and agricultural product groups, 16 saw an increase in imported quantities.

Data shows that the increase in demand from tourism, restaurants and accommodation structures is not being accompanied by a sufficient expansion of domestic production. Instead of the new demand being translated into more sales for Albanian farms, an increasingly large part of it is being met from abroad.

This development is happening at a time when tourism activity continues to expand. In June 2026, the number of visitors accommodated in tourist structures increased by 17% compared to the previous year. Non-resident visitors increased by 20.6%, while their overnight stays by 9.2%, according to INSTAT.

In the first six months of the year, around 5.1 million foreign nationals entered Albania, 6.2% more than in the same period in 2025. Although the arrivals do not represent only tourists, they indicate the growth of the temporary population consuming in the country, especially during the summer season.

Cereals accounted for 65% of the growth

The main contribution to the expansion of food imports was made by cereals. In January-July 2026, about 239.3 thousand tons of cereals were imported, up from 194.4 thousand tons a year earlier.

The increase was about 44.9 thousand tons, or 23.1%. Cereals alone accounted for 39.5% of the total amount of imported food and about 65% of the annual increase.

In part, grain imports are used as raw materials for the food industry and animal feed, however, the increase in imports is not limited to grains.

Imports of vegetables increased by 4.5 thousand tons, or 11.1%, reaching 45.5 thousand tons. Imported quantities of fruits and nuts reached 64.7 thousand tons, an increase of 5.1%.

Imports of meat and edible offal increased by 4.9%, to 28.1 thousand tons, while dairy products, eggs and honey increased by 6.8%, to 21.6 thousand tons.

Live animals also recorded strong growth, by 19%, products of the milling, malt and starch industry, by 14.2%, foods prepared from meat and fish, by 17.9%, preparations made from cereals, flour and milk, by 8.6%, and cocoa and cocoa preparations, by 19.6%.

During July alone, the "Food, beverages and tobacco" group contributed 0.8 percentage points to the increase in the country's total imports.

Domestic production is not keeping pace with demand

The latest annual data show that some of the main branches of agriculture and livestock are facing contraction or insufficient growth to cover demand.

In 2025, domestic wheat production fell by 10.1%, while potato production decreased by 7.2%. Vegetable production increased by only 1.5%, much less than the 11.1% increase in imported quantities during the first seven months of 2026. Official agricultural data show that the domestic market is not expanding at the same pace as demand.

The situation is similar in livestock. During 2025, the number of wool-producing animals decreased by 0.9%, that of sheep by 7.4%, that of pigs by 28.2% and that of poultry by 0.5%. Milk production decreased, while that of eggs fell by 5.8%. Only meat production in live weight increased by 2.5%, according to livestock statistics.

These developments show the weakness of the link between tourism and agriculture. Hotels and restaurants require continuous supply, guaranteed quantities, uniform standards and regular deliveries. Albanian agriculture, fragmented into small farms and with deficiencies in collection, storage and distribution, is failing to ensure this supply throughout the season.

As a result, while tourism expands the consumer market, the effect on domestic agricultural production remains limited. The increase in demand is being reflected more quickly in customs than in Albanian farms./ B.Hoxha, Monitor

 

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