When the new tourist season comes, media generously provide us with statistics, expert opinions, and interviews directly from the big resorts. Generally, official data on various Balkan countries look alike, aside from some national differences. In the Balkans, Greece and Turkey are the most preferred tourist destinations but interest towards other Balkan destinations has been increasing, either because of the abundance of information, or because of successful marketing strategies. The holiday in most neighbouring countries is also cheaper than that in richer Western countries. And we still have a lot to learn about our neighbours.

Statistics on the movement of tourists between Bulgaria and Albania are published rarely, but it is a fact that more and more Bulgarians have been visiting the Land of the Eagles.

"I went to Albania for the first time on the recommendation of my brother who is a professional diver and has travelled to many wonderful places in the world. He said that Albania is the only remaining wild and wonderful place that one should definitely visit," Irina Mihalkova says. “For the second consecutive year she chooses the beaches of southern Albania.”

“Most of all I like people's attitude towards tourists, as well as the stunning scenery with gorgeous, crystal clear water. The food is great and not everything is commercialised like in other places.”

And here is what Elona Dushallari - First Secretary at the Embassy of Albania in Sofia told us about the interest of Albanian tourists towards Bulgaria:

"Many people who know that I work here, ask me about Albanian seaside resorts. There are many Albanians who come to Bulgarian mountains in the winter in Bulgarian mountains. We have no ski resorts and it rarely snows in our cities. So the snow for us is something special. So far, Bansko is the most popular resort among Albanians. There are few people who choose the Black Sea coast in the summer; they prefer mainly the large cities - Varna and Burgas."

Albanian tourists are relatively conservative – the summer vacation is a time for sea. Maybe this is because of traditions. In the past when not every citizen had the right to leave the country, there was no alternative. Limited financial resources are also a factor. In recent years there have been more Albanians going on vacation abroad – mostly in Greece, but also in Turkey, Croatia, and Macedonia. However, most of Albanians spend their vacation on their coast.

"There are two options. One is the Adriatic Sea - from the city of Vlora to the north, the other is the Ionian coast from Vlora to Saranda, - explains Elyona Dushalari. Northern beaches are wide and sandy, more suitable for family vacations, while the southern beaches are rockier, extremely picturesque and younger people prefer them.”

Just a few years ago these small wild beaches were inaccessible for mass tourism because of lack of infrastructure. Today there are roads and the number of tourists has been growing. The Albanian coastline is 450 km long and 80-90% of the days in the year are sunny. The summer tourist season lasts for 4-5 months. The diversity of landscapes surprises the uninformed tourist – plains near the sea give way to high mountains, woodlands, large and small lakes, many caves (most of them studied by Bulgarian speleologists).

Mountain tourism in Albania is still underdeveloped. There are no traditions, but conditions exist. An increasing number of companies offer biking and adventure tourism, hiking, and horseback riding. There are no mountain resorts, but in villages there are small family hotels, which will welcome you with great warmth and most delicious food cooked entirely with fresh local products.

If you're still wondering whether to choose a new exciting adventure in exotic place I would add that prices in Albania are quite affordable for the majority of Eastern Europeans. There is enough time before the end of the summer season, so exploring the Balkans could start this year.

English: Alexander Markov