Tourism, where do we get our main products? From straw to boats. Albania, in the "hands" of Italy and China
The tourist season is rapidly approaching and Albania is preparing to be supplied with various goods and services that are essential for this period. “Scan Intel” has analyzed the data published by INSTAT, related to the imports made by our country over the last five years for products that support the tourism industry, as well as their origin.
One of the most special and necessary products is straw, wicker products and reeds, which are widely used in tourist structures, such as sun loungers or natural umbrellas. For this category alone, Albania has spent about 79 million lek. The main partners for importing straw and reeds have been China, Germany and Italy. The novelty of 2024 is the inclusion of new countries such as the Netherlands, South Africa, Portugal and several other countries in the list of exporters to Albania for this category.
Another important product for tourism are sun umbrellas, which are also a group with the import of canes. During 2024, their import cost Albania about 410 million lek. The main suppliers were China, Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while for the first time in the last five years, Albania has also imported umbrellas from Egypt.
Also, a significant share in the structure of tourist imports is occupied by ships and boats, vehicles highly sought after by vacationers for walks or marine entertainment.
For 2024 alone, this import has cost the state budget about 1.3 billion lek. The main partners in this regard have been: Italy, Greece, China, the United States and Turkey. Meanwhile, for the first time, Albania has also imported ships and boats from Romania and the Czech Republic.
From foreign trade data, it is noticeable that, in general, China and Italy remain among Albania's most important partners in supporting the tourism sector.
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