Why Pristina and Prizren Are Skipped in Balkan Itineraris? Know The Reason Behind Kosovo’s Tourism Challenge

Thursday, July 17, 2025

On a balmy June morning, a 24-year-old international relations student from Naples, Giulia Marziale, got off a bus in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. She and a group of other E.U. students had been on holiday in North Macedonia, but tales from Albanian friends had persuaded them to stop in Kosovo — even if just for a few hours. They came that morning, left that evening, the surface of a country of history and culture and natural beauty barely scratched. “We had only one day,” Giulia said. “But I’d love to come back and stay longer. I’ve heard the best ones are outside Pristina, but we couldn’t find any information online.”

Giulia is not alone. Even if Kosovo has begun to pop on the radar of regional travelers, it still mainly exists as a layover — a handful of hours at best, a flash. For a country aspiring to develop a sustainable tourism economy, this is an own goal.

Visitors Come—but Rarely Stay Long

The Kosovo Agency of Statistics has reported a significant rise in the arrival of foreign citizens. There were nearly 358,000 international tourists in Kosovo in 2023 compared to around 298,000 in 2022. Non-residents spent about 747,000 overnight stays in the city, up from 545,000 in 2022.

But the statistical averages hide a deeper truth: Many tourists don’t stay very long. All in all, visitors to Kosovo stay just two nights on average. Many do not stay overnight at all, coming in for a couple of hours as part of a larger Balkan itinerary, particularly from neighboring Skopje in North Macedonia. For a country that aspires to brand itself the hub of Southeast Asian tourism, two nights doesn’t allow for a lasting onslaught of economic and cultural impact.

Key Challenges Behind Short Stays

Inaccessible Tourist Information

One of the biggest barriers to longer stays is that there isn’t a central, functional, and transparent online information hub. Tourists often complain that they can’t find reliable and current information on what to see and how to get around. Even the Kosovo Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade—the government department responsible for tourism—features a broken link to what is meant to be the official tourism site. Because they have no easy, efficient website to conduct research and plan trips, most woulbe visitors jump over them toward destinations where everything is simpler to figure out.

No Separate Ministry for Tourism

Tourism is the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade. Whilst this sector does have a Tourism Department, its reach is wide and suffers from conflicting concerns. In contrast to countries with separate tourism ministries or boards, Kosovo does not have a centralized, tightly managed organization to aggressively promote the development of its tourism. This administrative arrangement causes obstacles in the way of developing strategically and responding fast to projects that are more friendly to visitors.

Underdeveloped Infrastructure and Services

The facilities and cybernetworks that would support tourism are not yet in place. This is not the case in large cities such as Prizren and Peja, with attractive landscapes and historical importance, but many rural and natural sites are missing simple facilities, signs, places to stay there. Mountain and ecotourism, for instance, are full of potential but still underdeveloped because of few trail markings, transportation, and knowledgeable guides.

Reliance on Diaspora

Many of Kosovo’s “foreign” visitors are members of the diaspora coming back to visit for holidays or family trips. Worthwhile economically, diaspora tourism does little to broaden the country’s global profile or draw in first-time visitors. Such visitors usually have predetermined lodging and spend less on other forms of commercial tourism.

Absence of Packaged Experiences

But many visitors are uncertain about how to time their trip. There’s no ready-made “three-day Kosovo” itinerary that lumps Pristina together with Prizren, Peja and the natural parks, food and cultural sites in one fashionable package. Kosovo doesn’t inspire road trips, or a desire to visit more than one city, if the organized thematic tours (Ottoman heritage routes, hiking circuits, etc.) don’t exist.

A Land of Untapped Treasures

Kosovo has as many cultural and natural resources as some of the more famous spots of the Balkans:

Prizren- A beautifully preserved Ottoman town with cobblestone streets, the Sinan Pasha Mosque, and the panoramic Prizren Fortress

Peja: Entrance to the Rugovo Valley and the Accursed Mountains. Great for hiking and other mountain tourism.

Monasteries — A number of these have also been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Patriarchate of Peć and the Monastery of Dečani attract numerous culture and religious tourists.

National Parks: The Bjeshkët e Nemuna and the Sharr Mountains are a haven for outdoor enthusiasts with alpine lakes and virgin trails.

Despite these pearls, many remain undiscovered because of lack of promotion and low exposure in international travel press.

What the Government Has Done So Far

The Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, through the Department of Tourism, has formulated national plans for sustainable tourism, regional collaboration and promotion of investment. Different pilot projects have benefited from donor programs, in particular in mountain tourism, hospitality training and agritourism. For instance, small grants have helped rural communities spruce up guesthouses and farms to be used as tourist lodgings.

But execution is sluggish, and these projects have yet to reach the magnitude that might change Kosovo’s reputation worldwide….Without the wider support of tour and travel operators, destination marketing and digital booking platforms, such initiatives are limited in what effect they can have.

Lessons from the Region

Balkan neighbors Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro have rebranded themselves to engage their diasporas, by marketing themselves together and holding major tourism fairs to pull together more visitors. They were early adopters of online booking tools, multilingual guides and city passes that encourage travelers to stay longer and see more.

Kosovo, on the other hand, has yet to establish a single platform where travelers can book tours, places to stay, or experiences in several parts of the country. Instead, most foreign tourists opt to pass through – or return to – yet more swiftly arranged neighbors.

A Peek At What’s Cooking On The Ground

As Arta, a small café owner in central Pristina, put it: “We see a lot of tourists who come for a few hours and leave. They’re happy, they want to learn — but no one supports it after the first steps.” Her regulars are either locals or members of the diaspora, she says. “Sometimes, people hear about our place by word-of-mouth or from some blog post, but never of an official site or a map.”

In the same vein, most tourists stumble upon Kosovo’s outdoor possibilities, says Valdetë Collaku, a certified mountain guide from Peja. “Places they expected to be beautiful, they are beautiful, but they’re not ready for it. There’s no system that helps them find the next trail or book local guides. It’s all fragmented.”

Conclusion: A Country Worth Screwing, But Not Quite Ready For It

Kosovo has the makings of a major destination — it has diversity in culture, depth of history, hospitality of heart, and inspiring landscapes. What it seems to be missing, is a concerted effort to show the world what it has to offer. As young visitors like Giulia Marziale find, there’s plenty to discover — and not nearly enough guidance for discovering it. Until government institutions, local operators and international partners join forces to make it easier to extend a traveler’s stay, Kosovo will be a country people pass through, not stay and experience.

References:
Kosovo Statistical Agency, MIET Tourism Department.