Tourism in Korçë has been completely paralyzed for a week, with the most affected area being the tourist village of Voskopojë

Tourism in Korçë has been completely paralyzed for about a week, with the tourist village of Voskopojë being the hardest hit. Around 80 percent of reservations have been canceled, while tour operators are urging authorities to announce the reopening date for the Librazhd road, as they are facing financial ruin. Meanwhile, visitors are reportedly going to Greece and North Macedonia instead.

Some guesthouses are closed, others have their doors open but without visitors. This is the sad picture of Voskopojë this Thursday.

For nearly a week, Voskopojë and the surrounding tourist villages in southeastern Albania have been experiencing an unusual emptiness for this time of year. The cause is the blockage of the Librazhd-Pogradec road, which has isolated the southeast and severely damaged tourism.

“This past week, almost all of our rooms and bookings were canceled because of the road. The Moglicë-Korçë route is very narrow and winding; I’ve seen it myself, and very few tourists came. We usually work with tourists coming from Tirana or Kavaja, not local visitors. Even on Sunday, bookings were canceled,” says Antoni Falo.

The alternative route via Maliq–Gramsh is mostly used by locals and not tourists, due to the long distance. According to tour operators, 70–80 percent of reservations were canceled immediately after the road closure. Visitors are now rare, and Voskopojë’s streets are almost empty. Guesthouses and hotels are facing serious financial difficulties, as personnel costs and other expenses remain the same despite the lack of income.

“We are keeping our employees because we have nowhere else to place them. God forbid this continues! If it does, our situation will be very bad,” adds Falo.

Tour operators hope for a quick solution, as each day of delay translates into significant losses.

“Eighty percent of weekend or advance bookings were canceled because competent authorities have not yet given a timeline for resolving the Librazhd-Korçë road issue. Many cancellations happen at the last minute because people don’t know how long the closure will last. Fixed costs for employees, building expenses, and taxes continue regardless,” says operator Elona Taçe.

Unlike previous years, when the days leading up to the March 7 holiday brought numerous bookings in Korçë and surrounding areas, this year demand is minimal.

“So far, for the March 7–8 holidays, no new bookings have come in because both the operators and the people are in collapse. Some tourists or locals have chosen to vacation in nearby regions, North Macedonia, or Greece,” adds Taçe.

The negative effects are being felt both in Korçë and in the lakeside city of Pogradec.

With around 6,000 beds in accommodation structures, Korçë saw a tourist boom during the New Year holidays. According to calculations, visitors spent about 2 million euros, including spending in restaurants, hotels, and guesthouses.

“KORÇA BOOM”