80% of the tourists who visited Gjirokastra last year are foreigners, while the largest number of them are Italians. There are about 100 thousand tourists from Italy who during 2023 included Gjirokastra in the tours of their travels in the South of Albania.

“Over 50% of the foreign tourists who have visited Gjirokastra are Italian, the fact is that this Italian tourism in Gjirokastra has been a diversified tourism, a tourism that has come to Gjirokastra and the south of Albania through Albanian and Italian tourist agencies, but also in an individual private way, it has been a diversified tourism industry, with tourist groups but also through private groups or private elements who have come directly to Albania with their programs or having the position of Gjirokastra near the Greek border, have been on vacation in Greece and have also come to Gjirokastra”,- said Teodor Bilushi, the Italian honorary consul in Gjirokastra.

The interest of tourists from Italy is expected to be high throughout the year 2024 to see closely the historical and architectural values ​​of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Italian tourist agencies are expressing a growing interest in promoting and bringing more visitors to Gjirokastra.

“The interest continues to be high regarding the south of Albania and Gjirokastra as the basic element of tourism, I would say the capital of tourism for the south of Albania, as there is a tourism that is not limited to two months but a tourism that extends to one season from April to October-November. Italian tourism this year will also be one of the highest presences in terms of foreign tourists”, said Teodor Bilushi, the Italian honorary consul in Gjirokastra.

During the last year, the stone city was visited by more than 300 thousand local and foreign tourists.