Albania is first port of call for travel through 2014 and beyond
- Thomson Cruises adds Durres port to its 2015 cruise destinations
- Albania home to top travel attraction (Outside Magazine Travel Awards 2014)
- 200 million euros to be spent in Albania throughout 2014 (Macedonia tour operators)
Thomson Cruises has announced it will be expanding its destinations for 2015 with 28 exciting new destinations, including the port of Durres in Albania. The leading cruise liner has announced that it will be offering a wider choice of destinations in some of the most up and coming European locations, as well as providing guests with the flexibility to cruise and stay away as part of their holiday, with more hotels introduced to the company’s collection.
But it’s not just cruise passengers who will want to investigate the wonders of the Balkans. Following double digit growth in traveller numbers last year and thanks to the Outside Magazine Travel Awards voting the mountainous, breath-taking Via Dinarica as the best new trail in 2014 for avid trekkers, an increasing number of holiday makers will be setting their sights on Albania this year.
The stunning, 600 mile stretch through the Dinaric Alps known as the White Trail, which stitches together old routes from Slovenia to Albania, boasts 8,000-foot stegosaurus spines, fairy-tale meadows and stone guesthouses. It is typical of the incredible and largely untapped natural beauty available in Albania.
Peter Walshe,Marketing Director for Lalzit Bay Resort &Spa comments,
“Tourism is playing an ever more prominent role in the Albanian economy. Accounting for around 11% of the nation´s GDP in 2012, tourism brought in €1.2 billion in profit in 2011. With tourist numbers rising to more than 4 million last year, it is important that Albania establishes a long-term plan to capitalise on its growing popularity.
“Indeed the recently signed cooperation agreement between the Albanian and Macedonian national tourism agencies is a really positive step and just the kind of collaborative strategy that Albania needs to implement in order to boost visitor numbers in the future.”
Travellers from neighbouring Macedonia already frequently visit Albanian coastal areas such as Lalzit Bay for their summer holidays as around 30% of Macedonia’s population is ethnic Albanian with Macedonian tour operators predicting that their visitors will spend some €200 million while holidaying in Albania during 2014.
Part of the key to Albania’s charm for both Macedonians and many other nations alike is the relatively low cost of holidaying there. The country’s paradise-like beaches, many of which are still undiscovered by mass tourism, also play a key role in attracting those ‘in the know’ for their holidays.
Edi Rama, the Albanian Prime Minister, has singled out tourism as a sector in which investments are almost certainly guaranteed to be successful. He has also emphasised importance on fuelling growth in the energy sector, agriculture and Albania’s infrastructure. A 10 year plan, currently under development, will seek to knit together these various strands in order to produce a sustainable, long-term strategy for tourism in Albania. Mountain and beach tourism are expected to feature strongly in the plan.
The tourism accommodation sector is one in particular which has already seen increasing levels of foreign direct investment. High quality, luxury projects such as the 5* Lalzit Bay Resort & Spa have been welcomed by the government as they are meeting the demand from both domestic and international holidaymakers and second property owners alike.
Lalzit Bay Resort & Spa can provide the perfect investment opportunity for as little as €35,000, offering high-specification beachfront villas and apartments surrounded by superb on-site facilities. These include a beach club, tennis courts and a wide choice of gourmet restaurants offering international cuisines.
Lalzit Bay, currently under construction, is set to become one of the most desirable resort destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as an attractive and attainable lifestyle and investment choice for those wanting a superior second home in the sun or a buy-to-let property abroad.
For more information contact Lalzit Bay Resort & Spa on + 44 845 125 8600 or visit www.lalzitbay.com .