Since 2019, global travel has changed significantly, largely shaped by responses to the coronavirus pandemic. The event acted like a reset button for the travel industry, encouraging many travelers to discover destinations beyond familiar tourist hotspots in search of fewer crowds and lower prices.
In Europe, according to the OAG and Mastercard Economics Institute, flight bookings to Tirana, Albania have increased by 165% in recent years, attracting travelers to a coastline that rivals the French Riviera at a fraction of the price and with fewer crowds. This suggests that travellers are not always attracted by the allure of a specific name or location; many are there for the experience. If the Balearic Islands or Croatian coast experience can be emulated in Albania, then similar growth in destinations such as San Salvador and Riyadh indicates that Europe faces even stronger competition outside the continent.
Want more tourism insights like this? Sign up to Statista and Booking.com's monthly travel and tourism newsletter here!
