Anyone who takes note of the “holiday trends”, “hot new destinations” and “readers’ polls” reports that appear at the start of each year cannot fail to have noticed that plenty of chat suggests Albania will be one of the most in-demand destinations in 2025.
The country, for a long time saddled with deep-rooted negative perceptions stemming from its communist past and regional conflicts, is clearly having a more positive moment.
Holiday Which, the Manchester News, Conde Nast and travel guru Simon Calder are among the many diverse sources to push the appeal of a destination that Calder describes as “a beautiful country with prices from the 20th century”.
Similarly, agents responding to a Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) poll named Albania as “the one” that has caught the attention of clients looking for that Holy Grail of holiday destinations: “somewhere different”.
A report in the New York-based Travel and Tour World in early February referenced the claim by Edi Rama, the country’s Prime Minister, that tourism grew by an impressive 7.7% in 2024 compared to the previous year, with the sector now nearly double the size it was in 2019.
Yet despite the rapid growth, Albania remains largely free from mass tourism – for now.
Its appeal lies in its diversity, stunning scenery and affordability. Its landscapes are nothing if not varied, with a coastline strung with dreamy turquoise bays and inland mountains topped by crumbling castles and evocative UNESCO-listed ancient ruins.
Other draw cards include a favourable Mediterranean climate and hot summers – Albania is one of the “sunniest” countries in Europe.
It is affordable too and, much like Greece, Albanian restaurants put an emphasis on flavour-filled Mediterranean dishes including lots of fresh seafood washed down with excellent (and great value) local wines.
Olympic Holidays is one operator to add Albania to its programme in 2025. It has seven nights at Hotel Amelia Mare, with accommodation in a double room garden view on a B&B basis, priced from £581pp. The deal, which includes flights from Heathrow, is based on a May 2025 departure.
