50 British tourists have arrived this Wednesday morning at the port of Durrës with the “Monet” cruise ship. This is the second time this year that the luxury ship has come to the coastal city, and it was the one that opened the cruise season in the country’s largest port on May 5.

The early arrival of these luxury vessels is a good omen for this tourism sector, but the number of them touching Albanian shores is low.

Captain Tauland Allka explains why.

“These cruises coming in 2024 have been booked since 2021, which was a pandemic year, which is why we have these numbers today.”

“We expect in the coming days until the end of the season 10 more cruises, which come with a larger number of passengers.”

“These are returning cruises that have made the port of Durrës a permanent station, but also new lines which we will expect in the coming days.”

The good news is that through them Durrës is reaching elite tourism.

“In recent years, the port of Durrës has been hosting cruises that do not have a high number of passengers, that is, mass tourism, but they have quality tourism. So, there are cruises that have 500 crew members and the number of passengers is 300. The level of luxury on board is constantly increasing, so we are moving towards elite tourism.”

During the day, tourists who arrive in Albania through these luxury cruises visit museum, archaeological and historical centers in the cities of Durrës, Tirana and Kruja.