"Voice of America" ??sounds the alarm: Protected areas are being threatened by politics and unstable economic activity

In Albania, natural tourism has recently seen an increase as a result of the increase in visitors, especially from abroad. Through an article, "Voice of America" ??says that only the Divjak-Karavasta National Park was visited last year by about 500 thousand tourists. But environmental organizations and researchers are increasingly expressing concern that protected natural areas are threatened by politics and unsustainable economic activity, and especially by construction. The Divjakë-Karavasta National Park is one of Albania's greatest natural assets that year after year sees an increase in visitors, both local and foreign. Large areas of temperate pine forests, with a wealth of flora and fauna, are combined with lagoon landscapes and the possibility of beaches in the coastal area. The director of the park Ardian Koçi says that last year about half a million visitors were in Divjak. Koçi says that the aim is for tourists to stay a few days in the park and this through the addition of tourist attractions. The Ministry of Tourism and Environment estimates that over 7.5 million foreigners entered Albania last year, mainly for tourism purposes. A large part of the visitors have been to the natural destinations of the country. Albania has not had this opportunity before, says Mirjan Topi, a bird and environmental researcher. In the conditions where Albania is today, says Mr. Topi, natural tourism should be strongly supported instead of mass tourism. But along with the growing interest in natural tourism in Albania, there is growing concern about its development models.