Albania intends to become the touristic half of the Italians. After decades of isolation, the small Balkan country set up by "Rough Guides" among the ten major destinations in 2016, attracts the interest of Italian tour operators.
For the first time in the summer catalogs of Alpitour group in Italy, there are beaches such as Vlora or Saranda and historical sites proposed by Francorosso brand.
Italian state news agency ANSA quoted the Albanian Tourism Minister Milva Ekonomi, who explains that in 2016 there was a boom of tourists, 4.3 million, 15 percent more than in 2015.The sector is one of the most important with an annual turnover of 1.5 billion of euros, 7 percent of Gross National Product. The growth is due to the influx of tourists from neighboring countries such as Kosovo and Macedonia, but also Germany, Poland and Italy.
Albania from 2014 is a candidate to join the EU. Two weeks before the political elections, the country has become a major construction site, where investments are made especially for infrastructure and external assistance. ANSA has also mentioned the reduction of VAT from 20 to 6 percent for hotels, Albanian state television reports./Oculus News