A record number of more than 550,000 overseas visitors came to Albania in the past summer, an Albanian official said on Monday.

 

Eris Hozha, director of the National Tourism Organization, said that international visitors are increasingly attracted to Albania because of its well preserved cultural heritage.

 

"Albania is home to the internationally renowned archeological sites, such as the Butrint National Park, the country's Stone City of Gjirokastra and its 2,500-year-old city of Berati," he said, adding that Berati is expected to be granted the status of a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2007.

 

He said that after the new terminal at the Tirana International Airport is completed in early 2007, more visitors are expected.

 

Albania is a small mountainous country boasting of having some of the wildest mountain sceneries in Europe.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2006)