The city of one-on-one windows, on the banks of the River Osum, of an history of over 2400 years, more than before is drawing the attention of thousands tourists, local and foreign ones with its history and architecture and hospitality infrasctructure.

According to the Albanian News Agency, there are about 400,000 tourists so far this year, which is 50% more that the previous one.

Nearly 80% of tourists coming to the city are from foreign countries, mainly Europe, but also US, Canada, Asia, and Australia. Germans, Poles, Spaniards, French, Austrians, Italians are on the top list of foreign tourists.

Berat has a number of tourist spots of major interest of tourists, like historical city’s center, the Castle, characteristic neighborhoods of Mangalem and Gorica on the other bank, which are UNESCO assets, the Onufri Iconographic Museum, the Medieval Center, The orthodox churches and the old mosque of the Ottoman period.

In recent years, tourists are also preferring eco-tourism, the tourist villages of Roshnik, Sinja, Drobonik, the wineries there, and also rafting activities along the River Osum, climbing Mount Tomor, parachuting from Mount Shpirag, canoeing in the lakes of Mount Tomor, mountain biking in the surroundings of Berat, visiting the River Osum canyons, participating in the gastronomy tours in the agribusinesses in tourist villages, and much more.

In terms of services, the city’s municipality has improved by significantly promoting Berat as an important international tourism destination, preparing a complete branding package and marketing of the city, a website, social networks, mobile applications, informative brochures, and information provided in the tourist office info point, alongside with a wide promotion campaign of tourist businesses, encouraging the creation of a network of local stakeholders in the field, for destination management and coordination for the improvement of tourist services too, to add the measures taken by the municipality for the smooth running of the tourist season, which foresee also increased services in the museum quarters and in the entire area that is frequented by tourists.

Together with arranging transport through the buses terminal on the outskirts of the city, the provision of underground parking in the city center, with a capacity of 200 vehicles, and additional parking built in the Gorica neighborhood, the municipality has offered all its capacities for the season, promoting cultural events, concerts, fairs, and shows, which have increased the interest of visitors.

According to Albanian News Agency, among the most important festivals is the Summer Festival, which first edition of which was held last year and it was a real success with about 20,000 visitors and will be organized again this year in the last days of September and the beginning of October, with the participation of the best wineries of Albania and Berat, which is the county with the most wineries and from the best wineries in Albania. There are 12 wineries in Berat. While there will also be the Winter Festival too with events, fairs, gastronomy parties and the event “Mangalem’s Shade” a light projection, with Onufri’s paintings, frescoes from the churches, on houses of Mangalem.

/a.p./