Albania's summer tourism faces traffic jams, polluted beaches and pricey private resorts

Tourist traffic on the Tirana‑Durrës highway, Albania’s main coastal artery, is worsening as summer demand surges. Drivers report frequent bottlenecks, especially near the capital and the port city, despite ongoing road‑expansion works that have not yet eased congestion.

At Durrës’s Shkëmbi i Kavajës beach, a long‑standing canal discharges untreated sewage into the sea, creating health hazards for the many locals and visitors who gather there each day. Holidaymakers demand immediate action from authorities to close the canal and clean the shoreline.

In Vlorë, steep fees for sunbeds and umbrellas on private beaches are driving residents, pensioners and foreign tourists to free public beaches. The municipality has set up several public zones with hundreds of free sunbeds, yet these remain limited compared with the expansive private beachfronts.