Adventures in Albania - From paranoid dictatorship to dream travel destination, why the Balkan nation is ready for its moment in the sun

Over the past few years, tourism has shot up stratospherically; recent figures from the European Travel Commission show it's grown 86 per cent since 2019. Its GDP per capita has also been increasing, and last year stood at US$8,800, while the average monthly salary is now around 84,000 lek (£704). Foreign direct investment is also on the rise, with countries including Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands targeting sectors such as energy, mining, information and real estate to a value of around US$1.5 billion in 2022, according to UNCTAD's World Investment Report. Not bad for a country which used to depend on foreign food aid.

- By Laura Millar

You might have noticed headlines cropping up over the past 12 months, hailing "the Maldives of Europe". Or, if you're on social media, influencers going crazy for a scenic stretch of beach in a tiny seaside town called Ksamil. This coveted new hotspot can be found in the somewhat unlikely destination of... Albania.

Unlikely, because up until 1990, this staggeringly beautiful Balkan country, bordered by Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Greece was, to all intents and purposes, closed off to the rest of the world. Ruled for 40 years by dictator Enver Hoxha, it laboured under a Stalinist regime which foisted extreme poverty on its people; by the time of his death in 1985, the country was the poorest in Europe, and the third poorest globally, with a GDP per capita of US$640 and an average monthly income of around 5,000 lek (£41).

The Capital´s cityscape at sunset.

What a difference a few decades makes. Since emerging from the heavy mantle of communism, Albania has started to flourish under its new, free-market economy, and the leisure and business sectors are sitting up and taking notice.

Reasons to visit are manifold: firstly, the sparkling Adriatic and Ionian coastline, known as the Albanian Riviera, which stretches down from the bustling city of Vlorë, through smaller, prettier towns such as Dhërmi (popular with dance music fans thanks to annual beachside festivals such as Kala and Ion), Himarë, Sarandë and, of course, Ksamil (see page 43). It also offers mountainous landscapes, a plethora of hiking trails, fascinating UNESCO heritage sites, a delicious culinary scene and - currently, as it's still waiting to have its request to join the European Union fully approved - fantastic value for money. A pint of beer or glass of wine will set you back around £2, a cocktail around £6, with a restaurant meal nearing £12. What's not to love?