The tourism sector recorded positive performance again during May, with a significant increase in the number of visitors accommodated in tourist structures throughout the country.

INSTAT confirms in data published on Friday that during May, the number of visitors who stayed in hotels and other accommodation structures increased by 12.4% compared to the same period last year.

This increase, according to INSTAT, was supported by both domestic and foreign tourists. The number of resident visitors increased by 11.4%, while that of non-resident visitors marked an even higher increase, of 12.7%, confirming not only the interest in Albania as a tourist destination, but also that they are also choosing to stay for longer periods.

Even in terms of overnight stays, the figures for May are positive, with the total number of nights spent in accommodation facilities increasing by 8%. The overnight stays of resident visitors increased by 6%, while those of non-resident visitors increased by 8.6%.

Italian tourists lead the flow of foreign visitors to our country, with 19% of them coming from the neighboring country. After Italy, visitors from Kosova rank with 11%, Germany with 10%, visitors from France with 9% and from Poland with 6%. The rest, or 45%, are tourists from other countries.

The indicators of hotel capacity utilization have also improved. The occupancy rate of hotel rooms reached 29.8% during May, up from 28.7% in the same period last year.

According to the data, the central region leads in the number of people accommodated in tourist structures, with over 143 thousand, both domestic and foreign visitors, the southern region with over 121 thousand, and the northern region with over 96 thousand.