German media: How is Albania giving Ivanka Trump an island to the rich “ultra”

The intact nature and relics of Albania's past have dominated the small Saban island off Albania's coast. The Trump family wants to change that and create a destination for the rich “ultra”. So begins a long writing of the German newspaper “Reese Reporter” on theyaan island issue. In writing that the pencil.al brings down the fullest, it is highlighted how the Albanian government of Prime Minister Edi Rama has facilitated the procedures for the Kouchner couple ʹ Trump.

“Kritics say the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama has gone too far to accommodate the Trump family in an effort to win the US president's favour. The government in Tirana defends the project, arguing it will create jobs and increase Albania's profile as a top tourist destination” It says in writing.

Further emphasis is on environmentalists ' objections to this project.

The “Kritics see it as a threat to a nearby natural reserve, Kaburun-Sazan National Park. Current regulations prohibit the use of beaches, naval construction and shipping traffic in the region. A new airport, the second largest in Albania, has been built near the port city of Vlora in the last three years” ) It says in writing.

“Ivanka Trump wants to turn the uninhabited Albanian island into a luxury destination”

Hardly anyone knows the island near Albania's southern coast, but its name has a magic sound: Sahan. The Albanian navy uses the small port as a base. The island is uninhabited except for the three soldiers who are watching the Sahan.

Critics say Prime Minister Edi Rama's government has gone too far to accommodate the Trump family in an effort to win the US president's favour. The government in Tirana defends the project, arguing it will create jobs and increase Albania's profile as a top tourist destination. Prime Minister Rama sees the development of the island and the surrounding region as a strong “magnet for Albania”. Sazan was previously a destination for day tourists.

Albanians are already referring to Saban as “Trump attribute”, “. Tourists can still reach the island by boat from the port city of Vlora. The trip takes about 30 minutes. It remains unclear whether daily tourists will continue to be welcome in Saban in the future. In interviews, Kouchner says he wants to “a main exclusive destination” for humans “looking for privacy”. This does not match crowded tourist traffic. Saban is unlikely to become the Mediterranean's “Mainau”.

Saban is also a testimony to the Stalinist dictatorship in Albania.

The island still belongs to lizards, snakes, and sea birds. Several collapsed buildings, over 3,000 concrete bunkers and abandoned underground ammunition depots, testify to the role of Sanzani as a military post during the era of Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha. He and his successor Ramiz Alia ruled the iron fist country from 1946 to 1991.

At the time, Albania was Europe's North Korean. The regime was overturned in December 1990. The country initially fell into a deep economic and political crisis. Since the 2000s alone, economic development has stabilised, supported by organisations such as the International Monetary Fund (FMN) and the World Bank. The country wants to join the EU.

Tourism boom in Albania: number of tourists doubled

Tourism has now become a major driver of growth. Albania has experienced an unprecedented tourist boom for several years. The number of foreign tourists has doubled since 2021, from 5.52 million to 11.7 million last year.

One of the most famous and beautiful beaches is the beach of Gjipea near the small town of Himara. In Vlora and around it are long sandy beaches, such as Old Beach. Further growth is expected for 2025. According to Tourism Minister Mirela Godbarto, the number of foreign travelers increased by 5% in the first six months. Most tourists come from neighbouring Kosovo, followed by Italy. Albania is also becoming increasingly popular for German, British and French tourists.

The country is one of the fastest growing tourism markets in the world. Industry experts refer to Albania as Europe's best known hidden “x1>. This spring, Albania was the official guest country at the ITB tourism trade fair in Berlin. The Albanian government also sees promotion of tourism as a means to slow down the migration of young graduates and qualified workers abroad. Many Albanian doctors, in particular, have emigrated in recent years because they see better job opportunities and profits in other countries.

Critical of fast-growing tourism in Albania

But the state-sponsored tourism boom is not without controversy. On the south coast, formerly unattainable, near Llogora National Park, the GreenBregu “”, a tourist city for 10,000 people, is being built. “The GreenBreg” includes 7 five-star hotels, over 100 villas and shopping malls. This huge project demonstrates the dynamism of Albanian tourism, but also its dark side. Locals in nearby mountainous villages complain that the tourist city is cutting them off, literally by drinking water.

The bruz sea, rocks and untouched green nature are even more common in Albania. On the coast near Saban lies a natural reserve that can be threatened by thriving regional tourism.

Environmental concerns exist in Saban as well. Critics see threats to a nearby nature reserve, Kaburun-Sazan National Park. Current regulations prohibit the use of beaches, naval construction and shipping traffic in the region. A new airport, the second largest in Albania, has been built near the port city of Vlora in the last three years.

The invaders no longer need to travel through the airport in Tirana, which is nearly three hours away by car. The airport's initial capacity is 2 million travelers per year and is expected to grow to 10 million by 2035. The first charter flights were launched this summer. “This airport reflects our ambitions”, Prime Minister Rama said during a visit to the country in the spring.

Environmentalists complain that the airport is located in a largely protected lagoon and a protected bird shelter, where flamingo, pelica, and migratory birds live. Critics fear that the region around Vlora, which was previously untouched, may face an uncontrolled boom of tourism in the years to come, with catastrophic consequences to nature and the environment. / fit in Albanian post.al/ Periscopi/