Pogradec has been known for years for tourism with cheap prices and high attendance, mainly of the third age, but in recent years young people also prefer it.

The high demand to book in Pogradec this year has caused most operators to raise prices up to 15%.

They justify this increase with the fact that hostels, hotels and guest houses have increased the quality of service and accommodation. This is what one of the hotel managers in the area says himself.

“In the last 2-3 years, young people have started frequenting Pogradec a lot, so we don’t have a quiet city that welcomes only the elderly or families, but also welcomes young people. There is a variety of activities, since, unlike other years, many beach bars and venues with live music have been added, so there are some services that tourists really need and they can find them here. The standard of service has increased, the standard of accommodation has increased, it offers more options than it offered before, and at the end of the day tourists don’t look at the price as long as we can offer a higher standard in service, cuisine and everything else. These are prices that are already suitable for the elevated service of Pogradec”, says Krios Hymeti, hotel manager.

While the culinary sector has experienced an increase in prices due to the increase in the salaries of service employees.

“But the increase in costs, wages and service has also led to an increase in prices, the increase in the standard of service is also related to the prices as you cannot guarantee a high standard without having a rich menu, the best quality of ingredients and staff so that necessarily Pogradec has increased the prices and this is not a bad thing. If we compare quality-service with prices, I think they have a good balance. People’s opinion is quite positive about Pogradec and about the cuisine, since every time they come back they see new changes and this makes them more satisfied”, says Eduart Likollari, restaurant manager.

This year, unlike other years, Pogradec was visited mostly by foreign tourists, most of whom were from Northern Europe, tourists who, more than the lake shore, are interested in the history and cultural heritage of Pogradec, tourist villages and the Mokre area.