FLASH
Shkruar nga Avni Ponari*
SIGAL has adapted an insurance policy specifically designed for owners, administrators of hotels and restaurants to cover all liabilities arising from their activities.
The tourist season is approaching. The figures of recent years raise expectations for a dynamic summer, both on the coast and in our cities. The number of tourists, both new and returning, is expected to increase. Hotels, resorts and accommodation structures are preparing to cope with this influx of visitors. In the midst of these preparations, as one of the first entrepreneurs and pioneers in the insurance market, I feel obliged to kindly remind entrepreneurs in the hospitality and tourism industry of an often overlooked issue: safety. In tourism, as in any other industry, success and safety go hand in hand. Whoever aims for success must take care of safety.
Tourism development trend in the country
Success is possible: let's take a look at the numbers. Referring to the latest INSTAT data, accommodation and food service in 2023 accounted for 17,850 entities, 15.2% of enterprises in the country, 57,000 employees, 10.2% of the total and an increasing trend from year to year.
The figures show an increasing trend in investments in services, including hotels and similar structures.
The trend seems unstoppable, if I refer to the figures for March 2025, where the flow of tourists immediately increased, both compared to previous months and to those of the previous year for the same period.
According to these data, in March 2025, accommodation structures recorded a significant increase in visitors expressed as the number of visitors but also as the volume of nights of stay. The number of visitors increased by 21.9%. The number of nights of stay increased by 30.8%. The number of non-resident visitors to hotels and similar accommodations in coastal areas increased by 27.6%, 20.6% in non-coastal areas.
The figures give a positive signal for the future, but also invite reflection: they speak of the need for a major breakthrough, entrepreneurs in the hospitality and similar services in the service sector must embrace Western practices as soon as possible.
They need to invest in the security of their customers, staff, and business assets to prevent any potential risks. For greater success, more security is needed.
Insurance products for the hotel industry at SIGAL
SIGAL, for these investors, offers at least three well-thought-out products according to the needs of the international market: Public liability insurance in hotels and restaurants - which is also a legal obligation, insurance of property and other business assets, and insurance of employees against accidents.
Insurance certificates make customers feel more secure and at ease in the choices they make. Studies show that security is the key word in the process of choosing and planning vacations for families and individuals around the world today.
To obtain our three products, the scheme is simple: the benefits are clear. The costs are very minimal and easily affordable for hotel or similar structures.
Public liability insurance for hotels and restaurants
SIGAL has adapted an insurance policy specifically designed for owners, administrators of hotels and restaurants to cover all liabilities arising from their activities.
This insurance covers public liability arising from the exercise of hotel activities or similar structures.
A customer who slips down freshly washed stairs and gets injured, an ornament in the hotel's decor that accidentally falls and injures the vacationer, an accidental injury to a tourist playing in the pool, a broken glass that injures the customer, poisoning from a customer's drink or food in the hotel bar or restaurant, whatever the ultimate consequences, everything is covered within this insurance package.
Each of these accidental events carries the risk of not only legal but also financial complications if the business has not insured its liability. This burden comes as an obligation of the hotel to the client, who will legally require compensation, but at the same time can seriously damage the image, reputation, credibility, and brand of the hotel or restaurant.
Thanks to this liability insurance, SIGAL assumes the risk for you, up to the limit of the insured amount.
How much does it cost? The rates for this insurance depend on a number of factors including the limit of damages that will be provided.
The average fee is 0.2% of the total liability limit, put simply: 0.2% of the amount you want to insure, if it is 1 million euros, the premium is calculated as only 2 thousand euros.
Insuring their property and business assets
The second insurance product I would suggest to entrepreneurs in hospitality and similar structures is insurance for their business property and assets.
No tourist structure, for any occasion or possibility, is immune, invulnerable, or inaccessible from damage that may be caused by a natural disaster, accidental fire, or flood.
Dozens of cases in the media, in the last year alone, show that unsecured investments in hotel structures or similar services returned to zero in the blink of an eye.
The risk insurance would have returned to each of them, in record time, within 30 working days, the full value of the insured damage with only 0.1% as the premium price.
0.1% means that for a hotel investment of 1 million euros, for only 1 thousand euros per year the compensation could be full.
Property insurance guarantees financial security for tourism operators and continuity of activity in cases of damage or loss, protecting investments and long-term relationships with clients.
An earthquake, fire, or any natural disaster does not leave the business at zero after the damage, because the insurer, through compensation, helps it return to the market in record time.
Staff accident insurance
The employee himself is the foundation of an organization's sustainable success. In a field where the pace is intense and the unexpected is part of everyday life, accidents at work are possible and frequent.
Insuring employees against accidents at work not only guarantees financial protection and dignified recovery after an injury, but also increases commitment and quality of service, connecting them more strongly to the company. The employee feels respected.
Furthermore, this insurance avoids the risks of legal proceedings and damage to the business image. In a market aiming for European standards and international competitiveness, protecting human resources is no longer an option, but a necessity.
With minimal insurance premiums and significant benefits, employee insurance is a smart and long-lasting decision for any tourism facility.
How much are these premiums? Minimal.
An employee who is paid $10,000 per year can be insured against accidents at work for only $20 per year, which means 0.2% of his salary, and benefit from up to 24 salaries of coverage with SIGAL in the event of termination of employment as a result of the accident.
concluSIon
In conclusion, the continued growth of tourism in Albania must be accompanied by a well-structured security culture, where the protection of customers, staff, and business assets becomes a priority.
Investing in insurance is not just a preventive measure. This investment represents an intelligent strategy to guarantee the sustainability and reliability of hotel structures in an increasingly competitive market.
SIGAL offers European standard solutions for public liability, property and employee insurance, with minimal cost and maximum benefits. In this way, insurance is transformed from a potential risk into a concrete opportunity for growth, stability and long-term success in the tourism sector.
*Avni Ponari, CEO of SIGAL INSURANCE GROUP
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