Editing Albania (section)

=== Tertiary sector ===
{{see also|Banking in Albania|Telecommunications in Albania|Tourism in Albania|l1=Banking|l2=Telecommunications}}
[[File:Ksamil Albania . Albanian Riviera.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Islets of Ksamil]], in the south of the [[Albanian Ionian Sea Coast]]]]
The [[tertiary sector]] represents the fastest growing sector of the country's economy. 36% of the population work in the service sector which contributes to 65% of the country's GDP.<ref name="DSSA">{{cite web |first1=Oltiana|last1= Muharremi|first2= Filloreta|last2= Madani|first3= Erald|last3= Pelari |title=The Development of the Service Sector in Albania and Its Future |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271105196 |website=researchgate.net |pages=2–9}}</ref> Ever since the end of the 20th century, the [[banking industry]] is a major component of the tertiary sector and remains in good conditions overall due to [[privatisation]] and the commendable [[monetary policy]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Analysis of the Albanian Banking System in the Transition Years |url=https://www.ijbcnet.com/2-4/IJBC-12-2406.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.ijbcnet.com/2-4/IJBC-12-2406.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |website=ijbcnet.com}}</ref><ref name="DSSA"/>

Previously one of the most [[Isolationism|isolated]] and controlled countries in the world, [[telecommunication industry]] represents nowadays another major contributor to the sector. It developed largely through privatisation and subsequent investment by both domestic and foreign investors.<ref name="DSSA"/> [[Eagle Mobile|Eagle]], [[Vodafone Albania|Vodafone]] and [[Telekom Albania]] are the leading [[telecommunications service provider]]s in the country.

Tourism is recognised as an industry of national importance and has been steadily increasing since the beginnings of the 21st century.<ref>{{cite web |title=TOURISM AND EMPLOYMENT IN ALBANIA – IS THERE A STRONG CORRELATION? |url=http://www.asecu.gr/files/13th_conf_files/Tourism-and-Employment-in-Albania-Is-There-A-Strong-Correlation.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.asecu.gr/files/13th_conf_files/Tourism-and-Employment-in-Albania-Is-There-A-Strong-Correlation.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |website=asecu.gr |pages=1–9}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Eglantina Hysa – Epoka University |title=INFLUENCE OF TOURISM SECTOR IN ALBANIAN GDP: ESTIMATION USING MULTIPLE REGRESSION METHOD |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308111717 |website=researchgate.net |location=Tirana |pages=1–6}}</ref> It directly accounted for 8.4% of GDP in 2016 though including indirect contributions pushes the proportion to 26%.<ref>{{cite web|author1=World Travel & Tourism Council|title=Travel & Tourism: Economic Impact 2017: Albania|url=https://www.wttc.org/.../econo.../countries-2017/albania2017.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.wttc.org/.../econo.../countries-2017/albania2017.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live|website=wttc.org|location=London|page=12|author1-link=World Travel & Tourism Council}}{{dead link|date=November 2017}}</ref> In the same year, the country received approximately 4.74&nbsp;million visitors mostly from across Europe and the United States as well.<ref>{{cite web|title=Arrivals of foreign citizens by Lëvizjet e shtetasve shqiptarë dhe të huaj and Month|url=http://databaza.instat.gov.al/.../Tr.../table/tableViewLayout2/...|website=databaza.instat.gov.al}}{{dead link|date=November 2017}}</ref>

The increase of foreign visitors has been dramatic. Albania had only 500,000 visitors in 2005, and an estimated 4.2&nbsp;million in 2012, an increase of 740 percent. In 2015, summer tourism increased by 25 percent from 2014, according to the country's tourism agency.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.travel-gazette.com/.../number-of-tourists-to-alba.../
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311214704/http://www.travel-gazette.com/%E2%80%A6/number-of-tourists-to-alba%E2%80%A6/
|url-status=usurped
|archive-date=11 March 2021
|title=Number of tourists to Albania up 25 pct during summer 2015 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=4 October 2015 |website=Travel Gazette |access-date=9 February 2017}}</ref> In 2011, [[Lonely Planet]] named Albania as a top travel destination,<ref name="Lonely Planet's top 10">{{cite web |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/.../travel-tips-and-articles/76164 |title=Lonely Planet's top 10 countries for 2011&nbsp;– travel tips and articles&nbsp;– Lonely Planet |access-date=7 August 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>{{failed verification|date=November 2017|reason=How could a 2011 article talk about 2015? anyway link needs updating}} while ''[[The New York Times]]'' placed Albania as number 4 global tourist destination in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/.../01/10/tra.../2014-places-to-go.html...|title=52 Places to Go in 2014 |work=The New York Times|date=5 September 2014}}{{dead link|date=November 2017}}</ref>

The bulk of the tourist industry is concentrated along the [[Adriatic]] and [[Ionian Sea]] in the west of the country. But the [[Albanian Riviera]] in the southwest has the most scenic and pristine beaches; its coastline has a considerable length of {{convert|446|km|abbr=off}}.<ref>{{cite book|title=Sustainable Development of Sea-Corridors and Coastal Waters: The TEN ECOPORT project in South East Europe|publisher=Springer|isbn=9783319113852|page=85|edition=Chrysostomos Stylios, Tania Floqi, Jordan Marinski, Leonardo Damiani |date=7 April 2015}}</ref> The coast has a distinctive character, rich in varieties of virgin beaches, capes, coves, covered bays, lagoons, small gravel beaches, sea caves, and many landforms. Some parts of this seaside are very clean ecologically, including unexplored areas, which are very rare within the [[Mediterranean]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://albania.al/explore/natural-heritage/coast-line |title=Coastline &#124; The Official website of Albanian Tourism |publisher=Albania.al |access-date=15 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809003858/http://www.albania.al/explore/natural-heritage/coast-line |archive-date=9 August 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Other attractions include the mountainous areas such as the [[Albanian Alps]], [[Ceraunian Mountains]] and [[Korab]] Mountains but also the historical cities of [[Berat]], [[Durrës]], [[Gjirokastër]], [[Sarandë]], [[Shkodër]] and [[Korçë]].