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Tourism among contrasts

Tourism among contrasts

Unlike Italy, Spain or Portugal – where residents are rising up in protest to curb the influx of tourists that is driving up rent prices, congesting cities and endangering the quality of life – Albania is still a country that enthusiastically opens its doors to tourists.

In fact, in a country where other economic sectors are slowing down, such as industry or agriculture, tourism has become one of the main sources of growth.

Thousands of small businesses live off the tourist season. The increase in the number of tourists over the years has directly impacted consumption, spurring investments in hotel structures, restaurant chains, transportation, local tourist offerings, and an increase in the number of apartments for daily rent.

Fairs abroad have turned attention to Albania, along with news of major development projects such as marinas, the entry of well-known hotel brands, and investments of over $1 billion in Sazan Island, which have attracted considerable attention from the world media.

In the first half of this year alone, Albania has welcomed over 3.5 million visitors, a number that continues the growth trend of recent years, although slowed compared to the boom seen in 2024.

International tour operators have included the country in their catalogs, while Albanian beaches are appearing in the rankings of foreign portals as the "hidden gem" of the Balkans.

However, beyond statistics and official propaganda, the reality that a tourist experiences during his stay in Albania is not as friendly as it should be.

The lack of drinking water has become a serious problem. In coastal areas such as Golemi, Dhërmi or Ksamil, some accommodation units and houses do not have a regular water supply.

Even more worrying is the situation with marine water pollution. According to the latest report by the European Environment Agency (EEA), Albania ranks at the bottom of Europe for beach water quality, with only 16% of them categorized as “excellent”.

The main culprits for this are untreated sewage discharges into the sea, the lack of functional treatment plants, and poor pollution control. This not only harms the holidaymaker's experience, but also directly affects public health and the country's image.

Furthermore, the supporting infrastructure continues to remain weak, although there have been investments and improvements, mainly in the South area, but traffic in the center continues to be a problem.

The garbage burning in Elbasan or Vlora is becoming a serious threat to the health of the population, but it is also creating a not-at-all-serious image for a country that is very active in international fairs, inviting foreigners to visit.

This situation has begun to be reflected.

Individual bookings are declining in coastal areas such as Vlora and Saranda, while tour operators report that foreign agencies have begun to show reservations about the Albanian offer due to these issues (see the article on the inside pages of the magazine).

Faced with this reality, the government's focus should not be solely on counting tourists entering the border. But neither numbers nor propaganda can hide the lack of sustainable policies for tourism development.

In an economy that is becoming increasingly dependent on this sector, the state cannot remain a spectator.

A serious investment is needed in basic infrastructure – drinking water, sewage, roads, lighting, waste treatment – ​​but also a long-term vision for managing the tourism offer, with a focus on quality and not just numbers.

If Italy is raising banners against tourists and Portugal and Spain are restricting short-term rentals, Albania still has a big advantage: hospitality and an unspoiled image of an authentic country.

But this capital could be lost very quickly if the state continues to treat tourism as spontaneous self-reliance.

Just as they came, lured by social networks, where Albania became a trend, anti-advertising from tourists themselves can drive them away just as quickly./ Monitor.al

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