The rapid expansion of tourism is creating an ever larger market for food, but domestic production is not managing to capitalize on this demand to the same extent. The main beneficiaries are turning out to be importers.

In the first seven months of 2026, Albania imported about 606.4 thousand tons of food products, up from 537.4 thousand tons in the same period last year. The imported quantity expanded by about 69 thousand tons, or 12.8%, according to foreign trade data.

The increase was widespread across most product groups. Of the 20 main groups of food and agricultural products, 16 recorded growth in imported quantities.

The data show that the growth in demand from tourism, restaurants, and accommodation facilities is not being accompanied by a sufficient expansion of domestic production.

Instead of the new demand translating into more sales for Albanian farms, an increasingly larger share of it is being met from abroad.

This development is taking place at a time when tourism activity continues to expand. In June 2026, the number of visitors accommodated in tourist facilities increased by 17% compared to a year earlier.

Non-resident visitors rose by 20.6%, while their overnight stays increased by 9.2%, according to INSTAT.

In the first six months of the year, about 5.1 million foreign nationals entered Albania, 6.2% more than in the same period of 2025.

Although arrivals do not represent only tourists, they indicate the rise in the temporary population that consumes in the country, especially during the summer season.

Cereals accounted for 65% of the increase

Cereals made the main contribution to the expansion of food imports. In January–July 2026, around 239.3 thousand tons of cereals were imported, up from 194.4 thousand tons a year earlier.

The increase was around 44.9 thousand tons, or 23.1%. Cereals alone accounted for 39.5% of all imported food quantities and about 65% of the annual increase.

Partly, cereal imports are used as raw material for the food industry and animal feed, however, the import growth is not limited to cereals.

Vegetable imports rose by 4.5 thousand tons, or 11.1%, reaching 45.5 thousand tons. Imported fruit and nut quantities reached 64.7 thousand tons, an increase of 5.1%.

Imports of meat and edible offal rose by 4.9%, to 28.1 thousand tons, while dairy products, eggs, and honey increased by 6.8%, to 21.6 thousand tons.

Strong growth was also recorded in live animals, up 19%; products of the milling, malt, and starch industry, up 14.2%; prepared food from meat and fish, up 17.9%; preparations of cereals, flour, and milk, up 8.6%; and cocoa and cocoa preparations, up 19.6%.

In July alone, the group “Food, beverages, and tobacco” contributed 0.8 percentage points to the growth of the country’s total imports.

Domestic production is not keeping pace with demand

The latest annual data show that some of the main branches of agriculture and livestock are facing contraction or insufficient growth to cover demand.

In 2025, domestic wheat production fell by 10.1%, while potato production dropped by 7.2%. Vegetable production grew by only 1.5%, much less than the 11.1% increase in imported quantities during the 7-month period of 2026. Official agricultural data show that the domestic market is not expanding at the same pace as demand.

The situation is similar in livestock. During 2025, the number of sheep fell by 0.9%, goats by 7.4%, pigs by 28.2%, and poultry by 0.5%.

Milk production decreased, while egg production fell by 5.8%. Only meat production in live weight increased by 2.5%, according to livestock statistics.

These developments highlight the weakness of the link between tourism and agriculture. Hotels and restaurants require continuous supply, guaranteed quantities, consistent standards, and regular deliveries.

Albanian agriculture, fragmented into small farms and with deficiencies in collection, storage, and distribution, is failing to ensure this supply throughout the season.

Consequently, as tourism expands the consumer market, the impact on domestic agricultural production remains limited. The growth in demand is reflected more quickly at customs than on Albanian farms./Monitor.al

The post Tourism is feeding imports, food quantities rose 13% in January-July appeared first on Albeu.com.

Another record for border crossings was set at the Albania-Kosovo border during the summer tourist season.

The surge was recorded during the first weekend of August, a period when the highest number of holidaymakers traveling from Kosovo to the Albanian coast is also expected.

Data from the Regional Directorate for Border and Migration show that on August 1 and 2, 2026, 18,329 vehicles and 50,463 Kosovo citizens entered the Republic of Albania through the Morinë Border Police Station.

There was also heavy traffic in the opposite direction, with a large number of travelers leaving Albania for Kosovo through the Vërmicë Border Crossing Point.

The post More Than 50,000 Kosovo Citizens Entered Albania Over the Weekend, Setting a Border Traffic Record appeared first on Albeu.com.

Starting August 1, the Kosovo government has announced that it will begin implementing the Law on Tourism. The legislation provides for penalties against anyone working as a tour guide in Kosovo without the appropriate license.

The decision aims to raise standards in the tourism sector by ensuring that visitors are accompanied by professionals certified and licensed by the relevant institutions.

According to the authorities, formalizing the profession of official tour guide is expected to improve the quality of tourism services, help protect cultural heritage and guarantee accurate information for both domestic and foreign visitors.

Once the penalties take effect, the profession will no longer be permitted to operate without a license. The Ministry of Culture has asked everyone working as a tour guide to obtain the necessary documentation so they can continue their activities in compliance with the law.

The measures have prompted a reaction from the leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Miloš Vučević. He accused the Kosovo authorities of using provisions of the Law on Tourism, which he said are expected to be implemented from August 1, to pursue the “eradication of Serbian identity” in Kosovo.

Vučević, who also serves as the Serbian president’s adviser on regional affairs, described the measures announced by Kosovo institutions as an “open attempt to erase the Serbian name and identity in Kosovo.”

In a statement on Instagram, he claimed that Prime Minister Albin Kurti, “under the guise of regulating the market,” was acting against the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian believers.

The SNS leader also opposed the possibility of Serbian pilgrims being accompanied by tour guides during visits to the monasteries of Deçan, Gračanica and the Patriarchate of Peć. He claimed that these guides would promote the “theory of Albanian heritage.”

Vučević described such an approach as “historical falsification” and an “attempt to appropriate what was built by Serbian kings and emperors and preserved by Serbian monks over the centuries.”

For the second consecutive day, the Raška-Prizren Diocese also reacted to the new measures governing organized visits to religious sites. According to the diocese, Kosovo Police distributed leaflets to groups of pilgrims informing them that the Law on Tourism would be implemented from August 1.

The eparchy said that pilgrims’ religious journeys should not be treated in the same way as commercial tourism.

It stressed that the monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church are “living shrines” that believers visit for prayer and religious services, not as tourists.

The diocese called for any possible implementation of the provisions of the Law on Tourism to fully guarantee freedom of religion and pilgrims’ right to enter religious sites without hindrance.

Concluding its statement, it noted that these rights are guaranteed both by Kosovo’s legislation and by international agreements.

The post Implementation of Kosovo’s Tourism Law Draws Reactions from Serbian Politicians and Church in Belgrade appeared first on Albeu.com.