During an interview conducted in October 2025, Patrick Norén spoke with the Deputy Prime Minister of Albania and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, about her country’s efforts to embrace marine tourism with a network of marinas along its coastline.
During September’s Monaco Marina Rendezvous, you spoke of Albania’s desire to follow other European countries after being “kept in the cage of the communist system”. What does this desire mean for the development of Albania’s maritime infrastructure and marine industry?
Albania is finally free to look outwards again and we want to catch up with Europe, not just politically or economically, but also in how we use and protect our coastline. For decades, our ports were seen only as industrial zones and marinas were seen only as a luxury. But now, if we want to make our coastline accessible to high-end tourism, we need to give people instruments and infrastructure where they can enjoy their environment. Therefore marinas are absolutely a necessity for Albania.
Today, we’re transforming industrial, commercial ports into dynamic spaces that combine trade, tourism and community life. This desire to align with Europe means developing clean, modern and competitive maritime infrastructure that creates opportunities for both our people and visitors. It’s about opening our coast to the world and showing that Albania can stand proudly among other Mediterranean destinations.
Can you summarise the most important parts of this strategy? Which are the most significant projects and what is their current status and timeline?
After the fall of communism in Albania in the early 1990s, people had the freedom to move to the capital city, Tirana, as well as seaside cities such as Durrës and Vlora. This led to problems with infrastructure and put a lot of pressure on port areas that were often in the city centre, causing congestion and pollution.
Our national strategy, Vision 2030, is changing this for the better. A key part of this strategy is transferring large commercial ports away from population centres to create space for modern, full-service, international standard recreational marinas that will be the jewel at the heart of the city.
In short, our national strategy focuses on two main goals: building new ports and revitalising existing ones; and developing a network or ecosystem of marinas along the coast. Each unit will build on its strengths - commercial, passenger, fishing or recreational - so that they complement rather than compete with one another.
For example, the commercial Port of Durrës is being moved to Porto Romano, freeing the current city port to become a marina and waterfront area. In Vlora, cargo and passenger activity is being relocated to Triport, leaving the old port to become a tourism and marina hub. These projects are already underway and will unfold gradually through to 2030, creating a new backbone for Albania’s maritime economy.
Last month you said that Monaco is a “good example and great inspiration” for Albania as a small country with a coastline. What aspects in particular do you think that Albania can emulate?
Monaco shows how a small country can make the most of its coastline by combining luxury, innovation and sustainability. Monaco has built a full life cycle and culture around marinas, starting from young people and education. We admire how Monaco integrates marinas with urban life, creating spaces that serve both residents and visitors, while maintaining high environmental standards.
Visiting Monaco was an amazing experience demonstrating that marinas can be so much more than a car park for boats. Albania can learn from this model, adapting it to our own context: marinas that enhance cities like Durrës or Vlora should create jobs and showcase our culture, but without losing our authenticity.
What notable legislative changes are being made at the national government level to allow for Albania’s maritime development?
Albania has now fully signed its legal framework with the EU acquis, which is the collection of common rights and obligations that constitute the body of EU law. This includes the environment, which is one of the most tricky to align with. So in this regard we are on track to join the EU by our goal of 2030.
As far as maritime legislation is concerned, we are also currently drafting a new model of maritime governance that will enhance safety, security and services all around. This is a crucial component that goes hand in hand with growth as more vessels at sea means higher risk. On the other hand, we already have a framework that simplifies or streamlines procedures for investors, making Albania a very attractive investment destination.
We have started to see that a country’s sea can be just as useful as its land. Of course, that means that Albania must implement the legal framework to ensure that our coastline is used and enjoyed responsibly.
Albania has enormous, untapped tourist potential with six times more tourists visiting in 2024 compared to 2014. How do you envision marine tourism complementing the rest of the country’s tourist industry?
What is interesting is that Albania has become especially popular since the COVID-19 pandemic. We closed the country and started quarantine measures quite early, on 9 March. This kept victim numbers very low and we were the first country to reopen its borders on 31 May, but under strong measures. In my opinion, this is one of the best things that we did because while the rest of Europe was closed, Albania was open. Therefore, people came to Albania who had never considered visiting before, and once word started spreading about the country and what it has to offer, more and more tourists started coming. 2021 saw a tourist boom and since then the number of tourists visiting Albania has grown by about 20-30 percent per year.
Marine tourism is the natural next step in Albania’s tourism trajectory. Over the last decade, we’ve seen an incredible rise in visitors who come for our beaches, mountains and cultural sites. Now we want to connect all those experiences through the sea. The coast will serve not just as a destination, but as a gateway to the rest of the country. Imagine a traveller arriving by yacht in Vlora who can easily reach Berat or Gjirokastër for a day trip, or someone docking in Saranda and exploring Butrint National Park just a few kilometres away.
We’re developing marinas that integrate with local tourism routes, regional airports and cultural attractions, so that visitors have a full experience of Albania, from sailing and diving, to hiking, food and heritage. Our focus isn’t only on increasing numbers but on attracting quality tourism: longer stays, higher spending and visitors who respect the environment. Over the next 15 years, as we build a network of interconnected marinas, we expect Albania to become a new hub for yacht tourism in the Adriatic and Ionian seas, welcoming thousands of visiting vessels each year and extending the tourist season beyond summer months.
Albania offers what the rest of the Mediterranean is starting to lose: space, authenticity and untouched beauty. We’re close to established yachting routes in Greece and Montenegro, but our coast is still natural and peaceful. We can provide a fresh alternative: new marinas, unspoiled anchorages and a welcoming culture. With the “Yachting Ecosystem” project developed with Luca Dini, we want to connect our marinas in a coordinated way so that yachters can discover an entirely new corner of the Mediterranean.
How will Albania make sure that increased maritime tourism will instead preserve and strengthen the country’s history and culture? How will you balance preserving the old while embracing the new?
That balance is at the heart of our approach. We want modernisation but not at the cost of our identity. In practice, this means every marina project includes cultural and architectural guidelines that reflect the local character. It is important to recognise that people preserve history by giving or creating access to it, and this is what our marinas will do. For example, the future marina of Durrës will blend with the historic city’s Roman and Venetian heritage, turning the old port area into a public waterfront with cultural and recreational spaces, not a closed enclave.
In Vlora, the marina will connect directly with the Lungomare promenade, integrating the old city with new tourism facilities and bringing the city’s heritage to life. Vlora’s Jewish quarter, so called because it hosted Jews fleeing from the Holocaust, is one example of an old cultural site that will benefit from more tourists visiting the city via the marina.
Furthemore, marina designs will also include spaces for local fishermen, open markets and waterfront walks so tourism grows with the community, not against it. We’re also working with local municipalities to ensure that cultural events, food traditions and handicrafts are part of the marina experience. When visitors dock in an Albanian marina, we want them to feel the local spirit, from the architecture to the cuisine to the music. That’s how we grow tourism without losing our soul.
How will Albania work to preserve and protect untouched natural environments while also expanding invasive maritime infrastructure, such as marinas?
Sustainability is a non-negotiable principle for us. Albania is proud to be one of only a few countries in the world that generates all its electricity from renewable sources and we’re determined that our marinas reflect the same philosophy.
Every new port and marina goes through strict environmental assessment. We’re careful about where and how we build, focusing on areas that already have infrastructure and avoiding sensitive ecosystems. The concept is “smart growth”, not overdevelopment. We will integrate technology for cleaner energy, waste management and water treatment at marinas. The idea is that our marinas should enhance the coast, not harm it.
Every new project should include renewable energy systems: solar panels for lighting and facilities, smart grids for energy efficiency, etc. We’re also setting up strict environmental standards for marina operators, covering waste and water management, recycling and treatment of bilge and blackwater.
Through the partnership with Luca Dini on the Yachting Ecosystem project, we’re introducing the idea of “green marinas” that share resources and infrastructure to reduce carbon footprints. Instead of each marina working alone, they’ll operate as a network, optimising logistics, maintenance and transport connections. This model avoids congestion, spreads demand and protects sensitive areas along the coast.
We see sustainability not just as an obligation but as Albania’s competitive advantage. In a Mediterranean increasingly crowded and overbuilt, offering clean, smart and environmentally responsible marinas will set us apart.
What opportunities does an expanded marine sector offer local populations? Will there be any surprising benefits other than increased job opportunities?
Jobs are the obvious benefit, but the real impact goes much deeper. Marinas act as magnets for local development. Around each marina, new small businesses emerge: restaurants, repair workshops, diving schools, artisan markets, even cultural events. For coastal towns that once relied on seasonal tourism, this means year-round activity and income.
In Durrës, for example, the marina transformation will open the waterfront to residents, creating new public spaces and business opportunities. In Vlora, the relocation of cargo operations will free up space for a vibrant tourism and cultural zone that will benefit the entire city. Fishermen will gain access to better facilities and new markets, not be pushed aside. We’re also focusing on training programmes for young people, nautical services and marina management so that locals have the skills to take part in this new economy.
But beyond economics there’s something emotional. For decades, access to the coastline was restricted or neglected. Now, people are reconnecting with the sea to explore another world, a water world. Albania has a lot of young people that are curious and want to learn, so it is right that we develop a network of marinas not just for the economy, but to create a new way of living throughout generations. Marinas are becoming places of life, leisure and pride. That social renewal might be the most meaningful benefit of all.
