TIRANA, April 20/ATA/ During the weekend, a small tourist plane landed at the Gjirokastra aerodrome after a direct flight from Bari, Italy.

This moment marks the start of the new avia-tourism season for 2025.

The pilot of this flight was the president of Aeroclub Bari by himself, who came together with a group of Italian tourists to discover the beauties of Gjirokastra.

After the first landing at Gjirokastra aerodrome, the Italians evaluated the runway parameters, while the good weather favored the flight.

“We enjoyed the scenery of Vlora, Tepelena and of course Gjirokastra, which is a very special and beautiful city. The runway is in considerable parameters, but what we would like easy document procedures. This would bring more visitors from the air and Italy to your city. This is the second time I come to Gjirokastra and again I am delighted,” said Alessandro Carducci, head of Aeroclub Bari.

Other Italian tourists from Venice were also present at the aerodrome. They are working on concrete projects for the promotion and development of tourism in Gjirokastra.

“It is the first time I have come to Gjirokastra. I would describe as a miracle what I saw from the air. We will visit the city and the historical area, as I have heard a lot about it. We are five friends who have come from Italy and will stay here until Tuesday,” said a tourist from Italy.

This was the first international tourist flight this year and represents a major step towards the development of air tourism in southern Albania.

Gjirokastra continues to be a favorite of Italian tourists. For years, they have been at the top of the list of foreigners visiting the historic city.

Gjirokastra has the advantage of year-round tourism. Since January, the UNESCO-protected city and its surrounding areas have welcomed around 35,000 tourists, mostly foreigners. /a.f/p.s./