The number of foreign nationals who visited Albania in the first seven months of 2020 fell 64.7% year-on-year to 1.17 million, the country's statistical office said on Monday.

Foreign nationals who visited Albania for the purpose of recreation in January-July totalled 1.07 million, also down by 65.9%, INSTAT said in a statement.

The largest number of foreign visitors came from Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Italy. Visitors from Spain decreased the most on an annual comparison basis in the first seven months of the year, by 88.6%.

In July alone, Albania was visited by 387,716 foreign nationals, down 67.1% year-on-year. Of the total, 368,702 came for recreational purposes, also down by 67.3% compared to July 2019.

In July, the number of domestic tourists decreased by 49.5% on the year to 276,264.

Overall, the number of domestic and foreign tourists in Albania plunged 61.5% year-on-year to 663,980 in the month under review.

In July, Albania attracted 205,436 visitors from Kosovo, 46,717 from North Macedonia and 36,990 from Greece.

Albania confirmed its first two coronavirus cases in early March. Later that month, the country closed its land borders and suspended all commercial flights in an effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

The country has registered a total of 8,605 coronavirus cases, including 254 deaths, as of Monday, according to information posted by the country’s Health Ministry.

In 2019, total number of foreign visitors increased by 8.1% year-on-year to 6.41 million.

Kosovo gives a brighter note on the crisis

The coronavirus pandemic doesn’t seem to prevent Kosovo citizens from spending their vacations in Albania. Although the reduction in numbers is obvious compared to 2019 - some 50% less visitors – it’s not as drastic as the number of tourists from other destination.

Over 31,000 people and 11,000 vehicles entered Albania from Kosovo via Morina border crossing point during the weekend, with Saturday and Sunday marking the highest number of arrivals from Kosovo for the summer of 2020. The pleasure to visit the preferred spots of “mother country”, good prices and lack of Covid-19 restrictions such as tests for people traveling to Albania are the main reasons why people from Kosovo wish to spend their vacations on the Adriatic and Ionian coast.