Tourism hit by protests, minister warns

Albania’s tourism minister says recent political protests have hurt the holiday industry, proving his warnings that political tension would damage the economy.

Blendi Gonxhja released figures showing tourist growth almost stopped in June. He said the industry is now paying the price for the protests.

Foreign arrivals grew by just over one percent in June compared to last year. This is a sharp drop from the eight percent growth recorded over the first five months of the year.

Gonxhja said images of protests caused a wave of cancellations from foreign travel agencies.

The fall was driven by fewer visitors from main tourist countries. Arrivals from Kosovo, North Macedonia, Germany, Turkey, and Montenegro dropped by nearly 97,000 people compared to last June.

The minister warned that tourism is a vital source of income for thousands of families, urging political groups to stop hurting the industry.