Albania opens up visa-free travel to tourists from India, Russia, Egypt, others in attempt to save season
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- Russians will be able to continue to get visa-free access despite the war in Ukraine.
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TIRANA, April 22 - In an attempt to get as many foreign tourists as possible this year, the Albanian government has extended its seasonal visa-free travel to new countries in Asia – India and Thailand.
The two populous Asian countries join several Middle Eastern states that had been in the program before, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrein, Qatar and Oman
Russia also features again in this year’s list, despite Albania having joined all EU sanctions on Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine, which has also had seasonal visa-free access to Albania for several years. Ukrainians fleeing the war were recently given the right to stay and work in Albania for a year without any visa or other permits.
Seasonal visa-free access means from April 20 to Dec. 31 this year, except for Russia and Egypt, which are limited to May 1 to Sept. 30. All the travelers need is a normal passport to enter Albania.
Albanian tourist operators say they welcome the move as they try to save another tourist season hampered by the conflict in Ukraine, inflation and increasing local labor shortages.
Albania is trying to balance health concerns with economic realities as it mulls lifting the few remaining requirements for entry for foreigners related to the pandemic, as other countries in the region have already done, said Tourism Minister Mirela Kumbaro.
“We are discussing removing the obligation to show a Covid-19 vaccination card. We have made the request to the committee of experts, and they will make a decision in the coming days. We hope to remove that obligation at the start of May,” Kumbaro said.
India is the big novelty in this year’s list. While per capita it remains poor, India’s population of 1.4 billion is massive and with a rising middle class looking to travel to new destinations, there could soon be a lot more Indians on Albanian beaches and tourist streets.
During the height of the pandemic, Albania was an unusual transit point for many Indians as many routes were shut off due to quarantine requirements.
Albanians are now used to seeing new tourists from the Gulf roaming its tourist areas as direct flights from Tirana to Dubai and other cities in the area have made travel easier in both directions.
In previous years, Albanian beaches had seen an influx of central and eastern Europeans attracted by the country's natural beauty and affordable prices.
