The latest data on the profile of businesses by county for 2022 show that Vlora, Durrës and Kukësi had the highest percentages of growth of hotels and restaurants compared to 2021.
INSTAT data show that in the region of Vlora, the number of hotels and restaurants increased by 11.5 percent. In this district, there are 2188 units, ranking second after Tirana, where 6183 restaurants and hotels with 2022 are officially reported.
The second district with the largest increase in the number of service units, restaurants and hotels in 2022 was Durres with 7.8%. 1596 hotels and restaurants are officially reported in this city, ranking third in the country's 12 districts.
Although Kukës County has the lowest number of restaurants and hotels in the country, there was a significant increase of these units by 7% in 2022.
In all three of these counties, the opening of service units was driven by positive developments in tourism.
The regions of Durres and Vlora are major summer tourism destinations. Investments in bars, restaurants and hotels in these counties have continued with high intensity even in 2023. In the county of
Kukes, visitors are increasing year by year, but mountain tourism still presents high potential for further development. The Alps always remain the most visited and this has reached the interest for new hotels and restaurants in the valley of Valbona and in the mountains of Kukës.
The increase of these units has also occurred in the Districts of Gjirokastra, Berat and Lezha, but a decrease has been reported in the capital, Fier, Elbasan and Dibër.
Tirana has the highest number of hotels and restaurants in the country with 6183 units, but in 2022 55 activities or 1% of the total will be closed in relation to 2021.
The biggest decrease was in the district of Elbasan, where 2.8% or 40 restaurants and hotels were closed by 2022.
In Fier, 21 hotels and restaurants are closed with 2022 or 1.4% of the total, while in Dibër 5 units are closed or 1.4% of the total.
The growing trend of service businesses is following tourism, while the decline is occurring in those counties where tourism development is not significant as the local population is shrinking.