We traveled along the winding Albanian coast, through forested hills – almost eclipsed by the shiny shopping malls and apartment blocks – for a five-hour drive to Saranda, a tourist town – billed in TikTok videos as the 'Maldives of Europe', writes Alice Murphy in an article published in the British daily "Metro".

But – as we approach this famous piece of paradise, the buildings become more frequent – ​​mushrooming – in a cluster of high-rise hotels on Saranda's horseshoe-shaped bay shore.

Having recently visited the Maldives, I can confirm that Albania's southern coast boasts a similar view of the bright blue ocean.

But what does a sudden increase in popularity mean for Albania and its visitors?

How can its natural beauty be protected from the scourge of mass tourism?

A knife with two presses 

Travel expert Nausheen Farishta said that the tourism boom in Albania is a double-edged sword.

"On the one hand, it brings much-needed opportunities to local communities. But - we cannot turn a blind eye to the challenges that come with this rapid growth," said the founder of Globe Gazers.

"Albania welcomed 7,5 million international visitors in 2022 and 10,1 million in 2023," according to data from the World Tourism Organization. And this trend is only growing.

At the beginning of this month, the news site "Kosova Press" published an article with the title "Albania has been invaded by foreign tourists".

She reported that Prime Minister Edi Rama had announced that 4,5 million foreign visitors had visited the country in the first six months of 2024 – an increase of 34% compared to the same period last year.

It's a remarkable turnaround for a country that was once one of Europe's most isolated nations; a country that opened its doors to foreign visitors – when communism fell after four decades of dictatorship – in 1991.

An affordable paradise

We were on a girls trip, lured by the fascinating story and viral videos of the turquoise waters and pristine white sands.

A host of online travel sites gave us reason enough to book a vacation to the southern European country that borders Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Greece; with a coastline of about 400 kilometers filled with beautiful beaches; UNESCO world heritage sites, warm hospitality and sunny weather.

Like many other visitors, we were put off by the price. Beachfront apartments in popular resort towns can be rented for less than €25 a night – and it's not unusual to find a full meal with drinks (octopus and mojito) for around €20.

Flights are also extremely affordable, with Wizz Air offering fares from London to Tirana starting from €68 one-way.

Albania has many tourist attractions. It was exciting to explore the museums and trendy bars of Tirana, and definitely enjoyable to stay in cabana beds along the Albanian Riviera.

"Everywhere we went there were idyllic beaches, hilltop wine bars, restaurants serving world-class seafood," writes Jenoa Matthes, a travel expert.

"We think that we are complementary in this tourism map between Croatia, Italy and Greece", said in an interview for "The Independent" at the beginning of this year, the Minister of Tourism, Mirela Kumbaro.

Tourism boom

The fallout from years of mass tourism is rocking Europe this summer, as anti-tourism protests fill the streets of major Spanish cities - while demonstrations are forcing ships to alter their course.

In Barcelona, ​​locals have taken it upon themselves to drench tourists with water guns. Earlier this year, demonstrators in the Canary Islands staged a hunger strike to protest the increase in holidaymakers.

Cities including Vienna, Berlin and Barcelona have imposed rental restrictions, meaning landlords can rent out premises to tourists – only for a limited period of the year.

But - while many destinations are withdrawing from tourism, Albania is moving forward towards its development.

It is clear that the recent boom in tourism has offered Albania tremendous opportunities to generate economic development and troubling challenges. /ATSH/