Ask Google Trends about ‘Holidays in Albania’ and what will you find? The Trends tool measures the popularity of different search terms on Google. It shows that from July 2022 to July 2024 there was a 387% increase in searches – Albania is experiencing a tourism boom.
President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is developing the uninhabited island of Sazan into a luxury resort. There are objections, because of the potential impact on local wildlife, but this investment demonstrates the high level of international interest in Albania.
Albania has been experiencing this attention for many reasons. Social media influencers are always looking out for new and less-photographed locations – everyone has posted an image of the Eiffel Tower. Search for Albania on Instagram today and you will now find over 10 million photos.
There is also the Dua Lipa effect. The headliner from Glastonbury 2024 was born in London to Albanian parents and she often promotes the country to her millions of fans (over 88 million on Instagram alone). In 2022 she was awarded Albanian citizenship for her inspiring promotion of the nation.
Albania is located next to the heel in the ‘boot’ of Italy, just north of Greece. With a coastline along both the Adriatic and Ionian Seas stretching for around 476 kilometers (296 miles), the location is unrivaled.
But the surge in interest is not only from those seeking a new vacation destination in Europe. Many corporate leaders have noticed the opportunity in Albania. The local economy is strong and is projected to continue growing.
Many of the largest international business process outsourcing (BPO) companies have been operating from Albania for years, but they never shouted about it because their clients were not very familiar with the region. Services delivered from Albania were just grouped into services delivered from ‘Eastern Europe.’
The BPO interest makes sense. Around a quarter of the entire population are classified as young citizens aged 15-29. Almost 64% of young Albanians pursue an undergraduate degree – contrast this to around 36% of young British citizens entering university.
Many Albanians have worried about a brain drain, as young educated Albanians leave the country in search of opportunities across Europe, but there is strong evidence to suggest that as more businesses invest in creating opportunities in Albania, many people are returning home.
This is extremely useful for companies offering BPO services such as customer service. It means that Albania has talent with experience of other markets – usually within Europe. They speak multiple languages and they have experienced life in Germany, Greece, or the UK. They are not just educated, they are experienced too.
Albania is also an interesting location for BPO because it is very easy to visit from most major cities in Europe. Tirana is a 3 hour flight from London, or just 2 hours from Frankfurt. Compare this to a 16 hour flight from London to Manila, almost 10 hours to Mumbai, or almost 12 hours to Cape Town.
British companies that are considering BPO in South Africa, because they need to reduce costs back in the UK, should explore Albania. The service cost compares favorably with South Africa, yet it is possible to visit a team in Albania for meetings and get home the same evening. A trip from the UK to South Africa will wipe out most of a week.
Albania has sailed under the radar of European BPO for many years, but now is the time to learn more. This youthful and educated nation has the talent needed to deliver many different types of multilingual service. It’s also right here in Europe – not the other side of the world. By the end of this decade it is also very likely that Albania will be inside the European Union.
In the April edition of Wallpaper*, the British design and architecture journal, they called Albania ‘future-facing…’ Most journalists are focused on the development of tourism in Albania, but I think there is a quiet growth in BPO that will soon be noticed by the mainstream business media.
It’s time to visit now, before the airport gets busier.
