The summer tourist season came this year with price increases for most of the Albanian coast. Tour operators and accommodation structures themselves report increases of between 10-40% from South to North. For those who want economic holidays, the Adriatic beaches are the cheapest alternatives with Velipoja and Shengjin. Durrës is for everyone, from the most economical to the most luxurious, while the South with the saltiest prices in the whole line. Qeparoi is the cheapest variant in Jon, while Palasa, Dhërmiu and Jali are the most expensive. In some of them, the price of a deck chair is as much as the price of a night in a hotel. Saranda and Durrës are the two cities with the highest attendance, while Himara and Vlora remain at the levels of a year ago. After a year off, the entertainment industry is reawakening and the coast is “boiling” with concerts. Despite the overall revival of tourism, hotel operators notice that vacationers have shortened their stay and reduced costs.
By Nertila Maho
Suada and Enea decided to spend their holidays in Saranda, but did not take care of the reservation themselves. They left it to an agency, which calculated that for 7 nights they would pay 630 euros in a three-star hotel, which would include breakfast and sunbeds. So far everything seemed beautiful for the couple who also had a small child with them.
The surprises actually started as soon as they arrived at the hotel. At the reception they are confirmed that they have no reservation in their name and that they do not even have empty rooms. After contacting the agency, the hotel confirms that there is a reservation (payment from the hotel was required to be made in cash, as it did not have to be declared at the bank). Then, the problem was finding the room and so the vicissitudes continued until the accommodation and those days stay.
This is just one episode among the thousands that vacationers encounter every day in Albanian hotels. There are many good cases in the “hospitality” industry, just as there are endless ones that leave the bitter taste of vacationers returning from vacation with the oath “that I will not rest here anymore”. Domestic tourism, although growing year after year, continues to suffer from severe service quality shortages and it seems that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation by taking steps backwards. In some hotels, the once trained staff have already left and the opening of the season has been fabricated as much as possible. The poor performance of 2020 when tourism became restricted and kept alive only by locals and tourists of Kosovo made that in the current year there was no commitment for investment.
Tour operators report that in a good part, small hotels have been left without investment due to low financial potential, uncertainty of what would happen this year with tourism, while what has woken up this year has been renting. There have been many cases when the structure, which until yesterday was managed by the owners of the facilities or by operators who had several years of experience in the sector, today has been leased to others who are new to the activity. But what are some of the trends that are defining this summer season from South to North in terms of prices, beaches and service?
Hotels “disappear” offers, the most expensive and cheapest beaches from South to North
A year ago, almost all hotels, especially those with high capacity, but not only, focused on offers as a way to attract tourists near them. Durrës “fought” hard with “all inclusive” packages (all included) which attracted many tourists from Kosovo throughout the season in weekend stays 2-3 days.
Likewise, for weekly stays mainly in July and August. Some hotels, on the other hand, chose the “half board” (accommodation and two meals) which was again seen with interest by tourists. For hotels in Vlora there was no lack of weekend offers with two nights and three days with breakfast included, as well as (champagne or wine) aiming to attract customers. All these were collected in economic packages of 150 euros for two people.
Quite the opposite is being noticed this season. Offers were limited only during June when the season still had a not so dynamic performance, while prices have returned a little too much to the levels of 2019 (a normal year for tourism) or to levels close to them. Tour operators report that price increases relative to the pandemic year are being seen as an opportunity for structures to somehow recover last year’s losses. But what are the cheapest and most expensive beaches in the country.
“Monitor” has processed the lower and upper average prices for a good part of the coast from South to North according to conversations with tour operators, representatives of accommodation structures or announcements of the hotels themselves on their social networks, to appear in some conclusions.
Thus, the North of Albania continues to be the most economical part, if you are going to spend the summer holidays. A hotel room with basic conditions, for two people, can be found for 20 euros / night in Velipoja and Shengjin.
Of course, these two points also offer more expensive hotels than that, for those who want some extra services such as swimming pools or more detailed decor, which range from 70-80 euros / night.
The chaise longue costs on average 300-500 lekë, while at Rana e Hedhun in Shengjin it reaches 1,000 lekë.
Durrës, with more alternatives
Then, Durrës is the beach with more alternatives and opportunities. The latter offers both economic and medium or luxury part, with some accommodation facilities with high capacity. In Durrës you can find hotels with 25 euros / night, while in the recently built accommodation structures, the price reaches 120 euros / night. Even the alternatives for the deck chair are numerous, from 300 -1200 ALL.
The most expensive south, up to 280 euros / night
In the South of the country, Vlora and Qeparoi offer accommodation alternatives of the lower average price of 35 euros (and a maximum of 150 euros), becoming the cheapest beaches while Dhërmiu, Palasa, Jali or even Saranda with some structures this year are beaches with higher average prices than the rest of the coast.
This of course has to do with the typology that specific hotels have, where some are villas and are not provided with rooms.
In Himara you can find hotels from 40 to 100 euros per night and deck chairs up to 1,500 ALL per day. In Dhërmi, a hotel costs on average from 80 euros to 150 euros, while for the deck chair you have to pay between 1000-2000 ALL. The most expensive are Jali and Palasa, which reach 280 euros / night and deck chairs 50 euros per day.
Concerts are back, but complaints about the music schedule
Unlike a year ago, when gatherings were not allowed due to the pandemic and after 22:00 music was not allowed, the summer of 2021 found Albanians somewhat more careless, but not completely without restrictions. The schedule for the music was extended until 23:00, the curfew is not applied in the tourist areas, while the organization of events by the accommodation structures has started. Almost all hotels along the coast have included singers or live music in their summer evenings, reviving the business that has been dormant for more than a year.
On social networks you can easily find announcements for singers invited from each structure, but everything must be closed at 23:00. The disallowance of music after this hour has created a lot of dissatisfaction in hotels and restaurants and the most obvious clash this season was in Vlora, where businesses in Lungomare lowered their shutters in protest. This was accompanied by clashes with police. On the other hand, the latter has continued to impose fines for cases where the schedule is not respected.
Tourist packages become more expensive, Albania attractive for those who do not want anti-Covid measures
Since the beginning of the summer season, Albanian and foreign tourists have visited Albania, from North to South. But in recent weeks a slight increase in prices has been reported. According to the head of one of the oldest agencies in the country, Union Travel, the price increase has occurred for several reasons.
“The summer season started with full capacity, both on the coast and in the mountains and southeast. Of course, Albania has the primary beach and the coast is more frequented since the beginning of the season. The main reason that has prompted the rise in prices is related to the fact that, in Albania, anti-Covid measures are almost non-existent and this makes this place attractive for all those who want a holiday free from the rules. Apart from closing the activity after 24:00, there are no other measures envisaged here. This makes Albania even more attractive to foreign tourists. Being more attractive, the demand is higher and this has increased the prices this season “- says Mr. Sokol Dodbiba, head of Union Travel.
He adds that there was no shortage of foreign tourists this year, who were mainly from Belarus, Poland and Armenia. While Kosovo Albanians have chosen Montenegro more, according to him.
Dodbiba adds that, August is expected to have high prices again, until the beginning of September, as it is historically considered as the peak of the season, with more demand.
Earlier, “Monitor” reported that many bars in the capital and on the coast have increased coffee prices. The same trend is marked by prices in restaurants. Growth is not just in the south, but across the country. The trend is confirmed by the Consumer Price Index, published by INSTAT, according to which the annual change of the Consumer Price Index Coffee – Restaurants (catering) was 1.3% in May and June, the highest increase since January 2017, when reported data. By the end of 2020, prices in bars and restaurants were more stable, while they were on a downward trend in the second half of 2020.