Europe's fastest-growing tourist destination

Business Daily

BBC

News, Business

4.4 • 796 Ratings

🗓️ 2 September 2024

⏱️ 17 minutes

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Summary

As many countries and cities around the world rally against over tourism, we're in Albania which is investing huge sums in growing its infrastructure to welcome visitors in.

The UN ranks Albania 4th globally for tourism growth and it places top spot in the European list of countries. Around 14 million visitors are expected in 2024 but with a tourism boom comes huge investment, construction and a changing economy, but at what cost to the environment? We hear about plans to build a luxury resort - funded by Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner - and travel to a construction site for a new airport serving the coastal resorts.

Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney

(Image: Aerial view of a crowded sand beach with umbrellas and lots of people at sunset in Ksamil, southern Albania. Credit: Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Daniel Rosni on the Albanian Riviera for this edition of Business Daily.
0:08.7	And today I'm going to be finding out how this southern European country is trying to grapple with capitalizing on its tourism boom,
0:15.8	while also trying to protect its stunning landscape, with global investors pumping hundreds of millions of
0:22.7	dollars into building hotels, airports and luxury resorts, including plans by Donald Trump's
0:29.5	son-in-law Jared Kushner, is what some call the Maldives of Europe, at risk of losing its
0:35.5	hidden gem status to become a heavily populated travel hotspot.
0:40.4	Tell me only one city in Europe that doesn't have an airport. It is a must to have it.
0:45.4	So we see a lot of money flowing into Albania that we cannot explain where is this money coming from.
0:50.4	We have seen 13-fold growth in Albania in 2023 compared to when we started.
1:01.0	That's all coming up on the BBC World Service. Right now, as you can hear, I'm enjoying
1:06.5	the crystal clear water on a beach in Vlour, the country's third largest city that sits out on the
1:12.1	Adriatic Sea looking out to Italy. There's a significant fishing and industrial sector here,
1:18.4	but in recent years it's become the must-stop holiday destination for millions. After videos on
1:24.3	social media platforms like TikTok highlight the rugged and untouched environment that Albania has to offer.
1:31.1	We haven't been here before. We heard a lot of good things about Albania.
1:35.3	Several friends have been here and recommended it. So we thought, well, let's go.
1:39.7	Especially now before we think that the tourism will take off really soon, like big time. So it would be nice to go now before we think that the tourism will take off really soon like big time so it would be
1:46.9	nice to go now before well before it's ruined why did you come here why because it's cheap for us
1:54.5	and i am a mother alone with three children so it's the best option to go to the beach and vacation
2:04.3	and have fun. And have you been here before? No, it's the first time. And what do you think of it?
2:10.5	It's our second day here, so it's very hot. But it's nice and I like all that we see. The United Nations ranks Albania
2:24.9	first in Europe and fourth globally for tourism growth. This year, around 14 million are expected
	...

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