How did tourism start for 2026? The return of emigrants raises the figures
January 2026 has started with a significant intensity of movements at the country's border points. According to official data published by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), approximately 1.2 million Albanian and foreign citizens entered the territory of Albania, marking an increase of 3.3% compared to January 2025.
The increase was mainly driven by Albanian citizens, whose arrivals reached around 644 thousand people, or 7.8% more than a year earlier. The significant increase in arrivals of Albanian citizens during January is closely related to the increased movements due to the end-of-year holidays. The high flow of arrivals in the first days of January shows that many citizens have chosen to spend their holidays in Albania. In contrast, arrivals of foreign citizens suffered a slight decrease of 1.5%, falling to 552 thousand people.
Europe remains the main region of origin of foreign visitors, with almost half a million arrivals in January. Within this group, Southern Europe has the largest share, contributing 88% of arrivals from the continent, while Western Europe accounts for around 6%. Compared to a year ago, a slight decrease in arrivals from Central and Eastern Europe, as well as from Northern Europe, is noted.
Meanwhile, departures from Albanian territory reached nearly 1.3 million people, marking an annual decrease of 1.3%. Departures of Albanian citizens increased by 3.1%, while departures of foreigners decreased by approximately 6.2%.
Regarding the purpose of travel, 98% of foreign nationals' entries are for personal reasons, such as holidays, visits to relatives or transit trips. Entries for business and professional purposes have decreased by 5.7% compared to January of last year, reflecting a slowdown in economic movements at the beginning of the year.
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