Albania Bids For Slice of Russian Tourist Market

The Albanian government is eyeing the tourist market in Russia at a time when Russian holidaymakers are becoming wary of such traditional destinations as Turkey and Greece.

The idea is to exploit the problems facing Turkey and Greece, when both are struggling with refugee crises, and when terrorism is also making itself felt in Turkey.

Leading the campaign to include Albania on the official tourist map of Russia is the Albanian National Tourism Agency, AKT, whose director, Ardit Collaku, told BIRN that a new relationship is being forged between Albanian tourism institutions and travel agencies in Russia.

"I just came from a visit to Moscow and Kazan where I meet my counterparts to discuss tourism. The Russians appreciate the fact that Albania is not touched by the refugee crises and we found a high level of interest on their side," Collaku said.

A delegation of Russian tourist agencies and travel writers is expected to visit Albania in April to learn more about its touristic potential. "The Russian delegation is going to come within April and we are preparing for them," Collaku said.

The director of the AKT added that the country is also inviting Russian businesses to come and invest in the Albanian tourism industry.

"Albanian tourism officials in May are going to join economic forums in Russia, so we can present the opportunities to invest in Albania," he added.

To stimulate Russian tourism, in 2014, Albania dropped the visa regime with Russia for the summer months, from June 1 to October 1.

"Now we are asking the foreign ministry to extend this period, since our strategy is to create a continuous and sustainable tourism season for a longer period," he said.

However, the head of AKT sees some hurdles in...