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Despite the high number of tourists visiting Albania this year, most of them have had average to low incomes, with up to 70% being adventure tourists, often looking to spend less.
Companies selling food and non-food items and service structure managers report that these tourists prefer to stay in Airbnb-reserved homes and consume products bought in supermarkets, Monitor reports.
"Tourists in Albania typically have average incomes, so they buy from supermarkets and consume at home," say sales managers from the food distribution company "Marketing and Distribution."
When it comes to dining out, in most cases, tourists opt for traditional Albanian dishes such as qofte (meatballs), roasted lamb, and kosi (yogurt dish).
"In most cases, to be realistic, foreign tourists want authentic food, which they find in limited quantities or not at all. They consume traditional Albanian dishes like roasted lamb, stuffed peppers, tavë kosi (yogurt casserole), etc.
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As for Albanian beverages, raki is preferred the most.
There are some who seek elegant dinners, but also those who want qofte," says Enri Jahja.
Regarding restaurant expenses, it seems that tourists this year are spending less compared to last year. "This year we have more foreign tourists frequenting our restaurant than last year.
But compared to last year, an individual spends less on food. Last year, restaurant expenses per person were higher. This year, backpackers dominate, mainly young people who tend to save," says the staff at the "Era" restaurant in the former Blloku area, speaking to "Monitor."
If there is one product that tourists do not skimp on, it's alcohol. Sources from the largest supermarket chains in the country told "Monitor" that the product with the highest increase in sales in tourist cities is alcoholic beverages, while there is no noticeable trend for other foods.
There is high demand not only for typical Albanian cuisine but also for Albanian wines and brandy. "At any given time, they look for Albanian drinks, both in bars and restaurants," emphasizes Denis Zhilla, director of sales at the "Skënderbeu" alcoholic beverage store.
Regarding expensive alcoholic beverages of foreign brands, foreign tourists prefer to buy them at supermarkets and consume them at home, according to foreign distributors.
Bruno Selviaj, manager of the "New Irish Pub," says that the biggest customers in his club are the Dutch, who consume twice as much as other tourists.
Rigers Kaçori, from Kantina Arbëri, notes the same trend, stating that tourists from Western Europe are more interested in Albanian wine, but in recent years, Balkan tourists have also increased.
This is also happening in accommodation facilities where the biggest consumers of alcohol are Balkan tourists.
Unlike alcoholic beverages, the arrival of tourists has not increased the consumption of local beer but has managed to reduce operators' losses due to the high increase in production costs after doubling the excise tax.
"At the beginning of this year, the consumption of local beer was 50% less than last year. With the arrival of tourists, losses have decreased by 20%. Despite the improvement, consumption remains lower than last season," says one of the beer factory managers.
Operators say that the reason for the decline in consumption and the limited impact of the arrival of tourists are the high prices of local beer compared to some foreign brands, which are sold cheaper during the summer season.
Foreigners have also shown interest in buying children's toys and seasonal accessories in shopping centers. Sokol Kondi, from the BALFIN group, previously told "Monitor" that sales for the "Jumbo" company have increased by 11.4% due to tourists.
"If we compare it to a year ago, the number of tourists in Albania has increased, and based on sales results, 'Jumbo' has marked an 11.4% increase. In areas like Vlora and Durres, where the number of tourists is high during the summer, stores are frequented by tourists from neighboring countries (about 40%) and other European tourists," emphasized Kondi.
There has also been a high interest, especially from tourists from Kosovo and Montenegro, in buying vintage porcelain sets of plates and tea cups.
"There has been high interest this year from tourists from the region for porcelain accessories, which have withstood the test of time and always convey elegance to the home environment. Compared to last year, demand is higher," says Najada Selmani, the owner of the "My Antique Space" store.
However, when it comes to purchases of used clothing this summer, buyers seem to be not interested at all. Julinda, the owner of a used clothing store at the entrance to the Paris Commune, said that during the entire month of August, sales were almost zero.
The drastic drop in sales compared to last year, Julinda links to the departure of Albanians for immigration.
Record sales for local wine and Albanian brandy in the bars of Ksamil and Saranda
While local beer is suffering, the opposite is happening with wine and alcoholic beverages, which are seeing an increase in sales this tourist season.
This year, there has been a growing trend among foreign tourists for Albanian drinks. Domestic producers of alcoholic beverages and Albanian wines claim they have seen an increase in sales during the summer season.
Denis Zhilla, director of sales at the "Skënderbeu" beverage store, claims that compared to last year, sales of alcoholic beverages and Albanian wines have increased by 30%.
According to Mr. Zhilla, there has been a higher increase in the consumption of Albanian wines this year (sales of Albanian wines by this operator have increased by 30%), while brandy consumption has increased by 10% compared to last year.
"During this season, we have had record sales of local wine in restaurants, bars, and supermarkets. The consumption increase has been particularly high in the southern coastal areas, such as Saranda and Ksamil, due to the high number of tourists.
While in the northern regions, sales have been low since the number of tourists is also low," says Mr. Zhilla. He adds that the lower prices of local dairy products compared to imported ones have not led to a greater focus on foreign tourists.
"Marketing and Distribution," one of the leading distributors of beverages, chocolates, and detergents in the country, states that during this period, it has been found that tourism has increased the sales of expensive alcoholic beverages and foreign beers in supermarkets, while there is no increase in sales in local bars.
As for service structures, the highest increase in the consumption of alcoholic beverages this year has been observed in nightclubs.
The manager of the nightclub "Folie Marinë" in Jal states to "Monitor" that compared to last year, the increase in the consumption of alcoholic beverages is 20% more, influenced by the high influx of foreign tourists.
The forecasts are optimistic until the end of the tourist season for this operator.
Imports of the "Beverages, Alcohols, and Vinegars" group also increased by 9% in the months of January-July 2023 compared to last year, according to INSTAT data.
Cigarette Imports Decline
According to Customs data, cigarette imports decreased by 4.5% in the months of January to July. Representatives of the AGNA company, which imports the "Karela" brand among others, told "Monitor" that compared to the previous year, sales have decreased by 15%.
According to them, the decline continues to be influenced by the implementation of measures to place illustrative photographs on packages depicting health consequences, as well as the use of flavored tobacco and electronic cigarettes. Regarding the arrival of tourists, their impact is more noticeable on the "Marlboro" cigarette brands, according to importers.
Enri Jahja, from the Association of Bars and Restaurants, emphasizes that the "discrimination" against smoking outside the premises of bars and restaurants is affecting their consumption.
Meanwhile, coffee imports in the January-July period are on the rise. Compared to the previous year, according to data from the Ministry of Finance, imports increased by around 4%.
The use of detergents and shampoos is increasing
According to INSTAT, imports for the group "Soap, Preparations, Lubricants, and Waxes" in January-July 2023 increased by 4% compared to the previous year.
Companies involved in sales also report an increase in the consumption of cleaning products. According to "Marketing and Distribution," sales have increased during this period, which are considered normal due to the summer season.