"New York Times" report: Luxury tourism in the Narta Lagoon, ecological costs and government corruption

"The New York Times" has dedicated a report to Albania, and specifically, to the Narta Lagoon, which has been put at the center of projects by the government and foreigners.

This concerns the construction of the Vlora International Airport within the Vjosa-Nartë Protected Area, as this construction violates international agreements.

The article describes the Narta Lagoon as a place prized by birders for its rich diversity of fauna.

“Our destination was a hill that would offer us a view of the 59,000-hectare Vjosa River Delta, which includes the lagoon as well as sand dunes, forests, salt marshes and fishing villages. The delta is home to a myriad of plant and animal species, some of whose populations are dwindling, such as the Dalmatian pelican. When Lear made his painting of the bird, the species was already in decline due to hunting and habitat loss. Today it is listed as “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and in Albania specifically as “critically endangered” by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment – ​​which is why places like this delta are essential for its survival ,” the article says.

In December last year, the Standing Committee of the Berne Convention called on the Albanian government to halt the construction of the Vlora International Airport within the Vjosa-Narta Protected Area. During its annual meeting in Strasbourg, the Committee expressed its deep concern about the continuation of the works and called on the Albanian authorities to cooperate with civil society and other interested parties.

“It deeply regrets that the construction of the airport continued despite repeated calls from the Bureau to suspend construction until a new and sufficient Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Procedure and a proper assessment of environmental impacts are carried out ,” the Committee stated at the time.

The New York Times also refers to the project of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. In January of this year, the Committee on Strategic Investments granted strategic investor status to a company affiliated with Kushner for the construction of a tourist resort on the island of Sazan.

According to the decision, an investment of 1.4 billion euros is foreseen on the island and construction is expected to extend to 8 percent of the island or 45 hectares.

When the Vjosa River was declared a national park in March 2023, its delta was excluded from the park's boundaries. The delta and its lagoon were already protected from major developments at the time, by national laws and international conventions written to protect exceptionally biologically diverse areas.

But in February 2024, Albania’s parliament gave a commission headed by Rama the authority to approve major tourism infrastructure projects in protected areas. The law was passed three days after Kouchner announced his development plans. Officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment did not respond to requests for comment.

Describing it as 'luxury tourism', the NYT writes that the development of these projects in the Narta Lagoon could also be an economic boon for the Vjosa River Delta.

But Joni Vorpsi, an ornithologist who works for the non-governmental group Protection and Conservation of the Natural Environment in Albania, told the NYT that the cost would be huge, both ecologically and economically. His work includes pelican conservation, migration routes and research, and ecotourism initiatives.

"Rama is sacrificing treasures that could create a sustainable tourism economy here - an economy that works for everyone, not just a select few," he said.

Plus, he said, most of the revenue from the projects will likely go back to the corporations that own them, not to local people. "Locally owned, nature-based tourism will not only help the birds, but it will generate income that stays here," he said.

But most of the locals I spoke to during my week in the delta — waiters, fishermen, merchants, a founder of an adventure tourism company, our rental car agent — echoed the question: Who will benefit from the delta’s development? Some people expressed fears of overtourism and water shortages, or that they would lose land or access to the lagoon and beaches.

Others said more infrastructure would simply mean more government corruption. A woman sitting outside a market in Narta, who identified herself only as Dimitra, told me about her granddaughter who runs a roadside cafe near her village on the edge of Vjosa National Park. “She doesn’t need to lose her culture or her landscape to win over visitors.”

"We are not against tourism here, " she added. "We are against tourism that will destroy our land and our traditions."