Zvërnec protected zone sees approval for three new tourist resorts

The National Council of Territory and Water (KKTU) has approved development permits for three new tourist complexes in the Zvërnec area. These projects, covering a total area of over 190,000 square meters, are located within the Pishë Poro-Nartë protected environmental zone, a site currently a candidate for the European Emerald and Natura 2000 networks.

The developments are expected to be built on properties linked to businessman Artur Shehu, who is under investigation by SPAK for money laundering and alleged links to organized crime. The land in question is part of a long-standing ownership dispute known locally as the ‘10-hectare strip.’

Local residents previously rejected offers to settle the property dispute through informal means. While legal battles over the land ownership continue in court, the KKTU approved two permits for hotels and resorts on the contested land, along with a third permit located further south near the Vlorë thermal power plant.