By EFE
Thousands of people are called to demonstrate this Wednesday in Tirana against two controversial tourism projects on the Albanian coast linked to President Donald Trump’s family, amid growing criticism over their environmental impact.
Albania is experiencing a growing wave of mobilizations against those luxury hotels on the Adriatic coast, and previous protests have brought together tens of thousands of people.
The center of the controversy is a planned tourism development in the protected Vjosa-Narta wetlandsnear the coastal region of Zvernec in the south of the country, as well as on the island of Sazan, home to military installations in the communist era.
The project is linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, son-in-law and daughter of Donald Trump, through his Miami-based investment firm, Affinity Companions.
His Qatari partners, businessmen Moutaz and Ramez Al-Khayyat, recently acquired beachfront land in the Zvernec area and, speaking to the Recent York Times, Moutaz Al-Khayyat confirmed that this is an initiative with Affinity Companions.
In 2024, the Albanian Government granted Affinity Companions the status of strategic investor for the development of Sazan Island, a project valued at approximately 1.63 billion dollars; The tourist complex in Zvernec would cost even more, estimated at more than 4.65 billion dollars.
In recent years, tourism in Albania has grown significantly, driven by interest in a still relatively unspoiled coast, with well-preserved natural landscapes and less crowded beaches.
The protests have gained strength in recent days and, according to several Albanian media, including High Channel and ABC Newsthousands of protesters have marched through Tirana under the slogan “Albania is not for sale” or chanting slogans such as “Ivanka, go home.”
Tension increased on May 31when private security guards confronted protesters in Zvernec, where they were trying to access a beach fenced with barbed wire.
Among the injured was a citizen with Albanian and Greek nationality, which provoked a reaction from the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which expressed its “deep concern” and asked the Albanian authorities for explanations.
The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, condemned what happened during a press conference held yesterday in Tirana, although strongly defended the Zvernec project and rejected the environmental criticism spread by various media.
The mobilizations have evolved into a broader political protest and, as reported today by the A2 network, the protesters are now demanding the resignation of both Edi Rama and the opposition leader Sali Berisha, the two dominant figures in Albanian politics for decades.
For its part, the Albanian Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into property title transfers which allowed construction in the Zvernec wetlands, currently in the hands of the Al-Khayyat brothers.
Tourism accounts for approximately 26% of Albania’s GDP, and in 2025, total tourism spending was around 6.61 billion dollars.
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