Albania has been named the fastest-growing tourist destination in the world for 2024, beating Saudi Arabia and Colombia, according to UN Tourism.
The country saw an 80% increase in visitors compared to 2019, far ahead of Saudi Arabia’s 69% and Colombia’s 37%.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, responding to skeptics in his live chat series “Sy m’Sy,” urged Albanians to take pride in the achievement.
“This isn’t about absolute numbers,” he said. “Of course, we don’t compare to countries like France or Turkey in total visitors. But when it comes to who’s growing the fastest, Albania is leading the way!”
Some commenters dismissed the ranking as inevitable, arguing Albania had been lagging behind for too long. Rama pushed back, crediting years of investment in tourism, infrastructure, and city revitalization.
“Would we see this kind of growth if our airport was still one of the most expensive in Europe? If Tirana was still asleep like 10 years ago? If our cities were still rundown, making it impossible to even take a decent photo?” he asked.
With elections coming up on May 11, Rama took a parting shot at his critics. “The winds of May will blow away a lot of empty talk – just wait and see.”
