Rama: Albania is investing in luxury tourism, major brands are ready to come

Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke in Brussels about the future of tourism, investments, and Albania’s potential during his participation in the 2026 Tourism Summit.

Rama focused on the need for a new tourism development model, arguing that Albania should increasingly target high-income tourists and luxury tourism.

“We are also aware of the not-so-positive sides, and one of them is that, with tourism built on low- and middle-income tourists, we risk not getting back what we could. Meanwhile, if we invest so that it is built on high incomes, on luxury tourism, we reduce the pressure on the country and get more back,” Rama said.

The prime minister stressed that the government is steering investments toward creating a luxury tourism offer, also mentioning the interest of major international hotel brands in investing in Albania.

“That is why we are investing to create luxury tourism. We have every hotel brand ready to invest. In the big project we expect to push forward, there are a number of major brands ready to come. Among them is Atlantis, which will be the first to come invest on our continent, and it will do so in Albania,” Rama said.

He praised the change in Albania’s image on the international stage, describing the country as a destination gaining ever more attention.

“We are no longer in people’s perception the black hole of Europe; we are a small pearl of Europe that shines,” Rama said.

Rama said the goal is to find a balance between tourism development and the capacities of a small country like Albania, linking this to the strategy of attracting luxury tourism.

“We aim for a balance and to invest to attract luxury tourism. We are a small country and we cannot afford the luxury of imploring a fortress that resists the world. We want to be a small piece that shines across the whole mosaic of Europe,” Rama said.