In a move aimed at boosting tourism, Albania has announced the removal of visa requirements for travelers from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Thailand.
Effective immediately, citizens of these nations can now enter Albania with only their valid passport, with the decision set to remain in effect until December 31, 2024, VisaGuide.World reports.
As a result, nationals of these countries can now enjoy visa-free entry for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. In April 2023, the country also made a similar decision by allowing citizens from the Gulf countries mentioned above to visit Albania without needing a visa.
The decision, effective from April 20 to December 31, 2023, aligns with the “For foreigners” law and was a collaborative effort between the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the Interior.
Albania Welcomed Over 10 Million Foreign Tourists in 2023
The arrivals of foreign tourists in Albania increased to over 10.1 million in 2023, the Minister of Tourism, Mirela Kumbaro, revealed. Such a figure represents an increase of about 35 percent compared to 2022.
Kumbaro also underlined the synergistic impact of this national effort with the simultaneous promotion of Albanian tourism by international media channels.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama further highlighted the tourism boom, stating that foreign tourist arrivals reached 9.54 million in the first eleven months of 2023, a notable increase from the 7.15 million recorded in the same period a year ago.
At the same time, they witnessed tremendous growth last year’s tourist season, with more than 1.1 million foreign tourists flocking to Albania in September alone, marking a 30 percent year-on-year increase.
Europeans Lead the List With 954,389 of Them Visiting Albania in 2023
In addition, the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) has shown that over 8.3 million foreign visitors explored Albania during the nine months from January to September 2023, representing an increase of 1.9 million compared to the corresponding period of 2022.
Optimism extends to the second half of the year, where INSTAT reported that the total number of foreign nationals who have arrived in Albania for the entire first half of 2023 had reached 3,396,932, showing a strong increase of 33.0 percent compared to the same period of 2022.
In terms of organized tourism, destinations such as Durres witness a strong presence of emerging Polish, Czech, Nordic, and Spanish tourists. Coastal areas experience increasing interest from Italian, Spanish, and English tourists.
According to INSTAT data for June 2023, Europe recorded the highest number of foreign nationals entering Albania, with 954,389 visitors. America, East Asia, and the Pacific regions followed with 30,082 and 8,971 visitors, respectively, showing a diverse global interest in Albania’s tourism offerings.