A New Era in Tourism, A New Edition of HOTCO, A New Platform for Albania

BY LÁSZLÓ BENE*

International tourism is currently in uncharted waters, as the economic impact of the global pandemic of 2020 is still considerable in most countries

across the globe. Even whilst fighting through the constantly reoccurring waves of lockdowns and restrictions, 2021 is the time to think about the future and recovery planning. Furthermore, the pause in global tourism represents a chance to reassess priorities and principles and focus on creating the “new-era” of tourism, that will likely depend on sustainable solutions and personal experiences.

The most significant hotel investment platform of the CEE, SEE & Caucasus regions, HOTCO, is back for the fifth consecutive year, to create a platform for the key stakeholders of the hotel industry who will contribute to helping the region’s hotel investors and operators to reopen and rebuild their businesses. HOTCO has always attracted 300 to 400 attendees from more than 30 countries with 50 speakers from four continents. Even in these extraordinary times, we believe in taking advantage of every opportunity that presents itself, therefore HOTCO 2021 will be the first hybrid edition. Although personal contact and networking are two of the most important pillars of the event, we would like to extend the possibility of participating - and therefore contributing to the bright future of the hotel industry, whilst possibly securing new businesses – for a wider audience who will join us online.

Turning our attention to Albania, we can conclude that the tourism industry - with 8.5% contribution to total GDP in 2018, while planning to reach 9.3% by 2028 – emerged as a substantial contributor to Albania’s economy. Needless to say, that the strategic position of the sector is expected to be a key factor in Albania’s sustainable longterm growth and competitiveness. Given the increasing tax incentives and the considerable increase in international tourist arrivals, the construction sector started to turn an eye towards the hospitality sector. Compared to 2016, 5 times more hotel building permits have been issued in Albania in 2017, which was followed by a further 22 permits in 2018. As a consequence of this growing tourism potential, there are more than 33,000 hotel rooms available in Albania today. International arrivals increased dramatically as well in recent years and reached more than 6 million in 2019, which is a remarkable 78% increase when compared to 2014. The above results speak for themselves and provide a solid foundation. Now it is time to showcase these achievements on the right platform in 2021.

* Consultant at Horwath HTL Hungary