Prime Minister Edi Rama discussed Albania’s economic growth and tourism targets during a meeting with members of the Albanian community in Staten Island, New York.

Rama said Albania has undergone significant economic transformation over the past decades. He also linked this progress to the contribution of the Albanian diaspora.

“The country that the first emigrants left when they came to America more than 30 years ago had a per capita income of less than 200 dollars. Today, also thanks to you, it has grown 75-fold in 35 years, and my ambition is to increase it 100-fold by 2030,” Rama said.

Turning to tourism, Rama said Albania has reached 12 million foreign visitors and aims to increase that figure to 20 million.

However, he stressed that Albania must focus not only on the number of visitors but also on attracting quality investment and increasing tourism revenues.

“At this stage, what matters most for us is to attract more quality investors. In this way, we can welcome more tourists who generate higher value during their stay,” Rama said.

Meanwhile, Rama noted that a significant share of Albania’s tourism currently comes from visitors with medium and lower incomes.

Therefore, he said Albania aims to expand high-value tourism by attracting investments that bring tourists with greater spending power.

/a.c/