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Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Tourism for the people or paradise for billionaires?
The name sounds “magical”: Sazan. But the small island opposite Vlora, once known only as a military base, could soon become the most expensive destination in the Mediterranean.
Currently, only three soldiers live on the island to guard it, while the Albanian navy uses the small port as a strategic point. But the plans for the future are completely different.
Since 2021, Ivanka Trump, daughter of former US President Donald Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner have shown interest in turning Sazan into a luxury resort for the world's super-rich. In a podcast, Ivanka enthusiastically expressed: "We will bring in the best architects, the most prestigious hotels, it will be an extraordinary project !"
At the end of 2024, the Albanian government gave the green light to American investors, favoring them with fiscal incentives and infrastructure support. The value of the project is estimated at around $1.4 billion. The plan is that within a few years, a fleet of luxury yachts will be anchored on the island, private helicopters will land, and five-star hotels and villas for the world's elite will be built.
"Trump Island"
In Albania, Sazani is already called “Trump Island.” Tourists can still reach the island by excursion boat from the port city of Vlora. The crossing takes about 30 minutes. It remains unclear whether day visitors will be welcome on Sazani in the future. In interviews, Kushner says he wants “an exclusive premier destination” for guests “who seek privacy.” That doesn’t mesh with the heavy tourist traffic. Sazani should not become the Mainau of the Mediterranean.
The island still belongs to lizards, snakes and seabirds. Several ruined buildings, over 3,000 concrete bunkers and tunnels testify to Sazan’s role as a military outpost during the era of Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha. He and his successor, Ramiz Alia, ruled the country with an iron fist from 1946 to 1991. At the time, Albania was considered the North Korea of Europe. The regime was overthrown in December 1990. The country initially fell into a deep economic crisis. Only since the 2000s has economic development stabilized, supported by organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The country wants to join the EU.
On the previously inaccessible southern coast, near the Llogora National Park, the "Green Coast", a tourist town for 10,000 inhabitants, is being built. The "Green Coast" includes seven five-star hotels, hundreds of villas and shopping centers. This gigantic project demonstrates the dynamism of Albanian tourism, but also its dark side: Residents of the surrounding mountain villages complain that the tourist town is depriving them of drinking water.
Outraged environmentalists
Environmental concerns also exist in Sazan. Critics see threats to a nearby nature reserve, the Kaburun-Sazan National Park. Current regulations prohibit beach use, marina construction, and ship traffic in the region. A new airport, the second largest in Albania, has been built near the port city of Vlora over the past three years. Tourists will no longer have to travel via the airport in the capital, Tirana, which is almost a three-hour drive away. The airport’s initial capacity is two million passengers per year and is expected to increase to ten million by 2035. The first charter flights landed this summer.
Environmentalists complain that the airport is located in a largely protected lagoon and bird sanctuary, home to flamingos, pelicans and migratory birds. Critics fear that the largely untouched region around Vlora could face an uncontrolled tourism boom in the coming years. / Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "Berliner Morgenpost"
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