Albania’s long, unspoiled coast has gone from relative anonymity to growing prominence, regionally and beyond. The latest saga over a luxury tourism development linked to Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has further highlighted its place on the map.

Alongside its undiscovered potential, however, our analysis shows that many problems dog Albania’s coastal areas. Among them, uncollected rubbish, untreated wastewater and construction debris threaten to undermine the country’s efforts to become the next big tourist destination on the Adriatic.

Read more: On Albania’s Adriatic Coast, Tourism Ambitions Put at Risk by Pollution (July 28, 2026)