Officials say the pollution situation is alarming at the peak of the tourist season
TIRANA TIMES
TIRANA, Aug. 12 – Police say they are working to support the Ministry of Environment in its efforts to demolish private sewage pipes that pollute the coastline without the proper permits.
The action started in the Golem Beach area a few days ago. Golem topped the list as the most polluted beach in Albania, according to a report by the Ministry of Environment and the Public Health Institute.
Health officials noted that the bacterial load on some beaches of the Adriatic and Ionian seas was several times higher than standards set by the World Health Organization.
Officials say the situation is alarming at the peak of the tourist season.
Albania’s tourism industry is currently experiencing its annual peak as hundreds of thousands of visitors enter the country to spend a few days at the beach and domestic tourists are staying closer to home due to higher prices outside Albania.
Although things improve with each year that goes by, tourism infrastructure in Albania has yet to meet full European standards. A recent study by the World Economic Forum on tourism in 42 European countries placed Albania near the bottom, in 39th place, leaving behind only former Soviet states like Armenia and Moldova and neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina.
One of the biggest problems Albania faces is continues to remain a problem issue of property titles, which when it comes to developing tourism can make the country really unattractive, ranking Albania at the 126th place in the international level.
Nonetheless, Albania can overcome these pitfalls if it manages to offer genuine hospitality with affordable prices – and improve infrastructure over time.
