Foreign tourists to Albania in the first five months of 2026 increased to 3.7 million, from 3.4 million in the same period of the previous year, the statistical office, INSTAT, said on Thursday.

Most tourists, 74% of the total, came from Southern Europe, followed by tourists from Western Europe with a 8.3% share, INSTAT said in a data release.

Official data from the Institute of Statistics shows that arrivals from Kosova reached 1,269,643 in the first five months of 2026, an increase of 9.9% compared to the same period a year earlier.

Italy ranks second with 464,465 arrivals, marking an increase of 16.3%. In addition to Albanians residing in Italy, the country is increasingly attracting Italian tourists who choose short visits. Cultural tourism, agro-tourism and culinary offers are among the segments that are gaining ground in this market.

Of the neighboring countries, North Macedonia fell by 3.2%, to 298,500 arrivals, Montenegro fell by 4.3%, to 284,520 arrivals, while Greece increased by 1.6%, to 290,764 arrivals.

The United Kingdom recorded 123,363 arrivals, or 15.5% more than a year earlier. France recorded a 14.2% increase, while arrivals from the United States increased by 28.2%, to 73,212.

The interest from the French market is also reflected in guarantee contracts with tour operators. Meanwhile, from the United States, the number of short-term tourists is increasing, but also retirees and digital nomads, who include Albania in their plans due to the competitive cost of living.

Poland recorded one of the highest growth rates, with 66,897 arrivals, or 55.8% more than in the first five months of 2025. Polish visitors, along with Czechs, remain among the most traditional groups of organized tourism, traveling for more than a decade with “all-inclusive” packages, mainly to the Golem area.

On the other hand, Germany recorded 109,592 arrivals, down 9.1%, while Turkey recorded a decrease of 6.7%. Serbia also recorded fewer arrivals compared to the same period last year.

In May alone, Albania welcomed 1,143,595 foreign tourists, up from 987,077 in the same month in 2025.

In 2025, the number of foreign tourists who visited Albania rose 6.6% to 12.47 million, INSTAT has said. The population of Albania was estimated at 2.4 million in 2023, according to the latest INSTAT data.