Visa 2024 – Where do the Kosovars want to go after liberalization?

A new study shows that Switzerland is the most popular travel destination for Kosovars:

• Switzerland is the most visited country (28.75%), followed by Germany (21.5%) and Sweden (4.82%).
• Most users (54.77%) prefer the German-speaking area.
• Surprisingly, Austria ranks 4th on the list, right behind Sweden, with a similar percentage to France in 5th place.

The issue of visa liberalization has been one of the most discussed topics in Kosovo over the years, and the study conducted by dua.com has revealed some interesting data on the most popular destinations for Kosovars – at a time when visa liberalization has not yet come into effect.

Users of the Swiss dating app dua.com can use the flight feature to change location from Kosovo to another country so that they can meet other Kosovars.

The study analyzed data from more than 160’000 users from Kosovo within the app, where several hundred thousand flights were made, to determine the most popular destinations for Kosovars.

The results of this study not only come at the right time – with the negotiation of a visa-free regime on January 1, 2024 – but also provide insight into Kosovars’ interest in the countries they want to visit across Europe.

A surprising percentage – about 54.77% of Kosovar users – prefer German-speaking countries, which makes it very popular.

Out of 183 countries analyzed, Switzerland ranked first on the list.

Isabelle Moret – the president of Switzerland’s National Council – stated in a press release, “Switzerland has a diaspora of 180,000 to 250,000 Kosovars.”

This was also reflected in the results, which ranked Switzerland as the first choice, showing the close ties between Kosovars and Switzerland.

In addition, the top 10 included countries such as Germany, Sweden, Austria, Great Britain, France, the United States of America (the only non-European country in the top 10), Italy, Norway, and Belgium.

The study also revealed that the age group that travels most often is between 25 and 34. This outcome provides information about the preferences of Kosovar youth.

Eduard Luta, a representative of dua.com, commented on the findings with the following words:

“The study provides valuable insights into the preferences of Kosovars for their preferred destinations after visa liberalization. In addition, the data collected and analyzed will be useful for others who have not yet decided which countries they would like to visit in 2024 and beyond.”

Based on this data, it is possible to predict where most young people of Kosovo will travel after visa liberalization, which could trigger another wave of migration to Central European countries, as affinity also comes from the relatives they have.

We remind you that on April 18, the European Parliament will vote on visa liberalization and Kosovo citizens will be able to travel to the 26 countries of the Schengen area from January 1, 2024.

Data analysis: the methodology behind the study.

The study included 163,629 Kosovar users of the dua.com app, analyzing their use of the flight option.

This study analyzed 183 countries, including 3’141 cities visited outside of Kosovo. From this, the top 10 most preferred countries by Kosovars were identified.

It is important to note that Albania and Northern Macedonia were intentionally not included in the top 10 ranking – as Kosovars can visit these countries without a visa.