JALË, Albania — Three and a half hours south of the capital Tirana, a winding road leads down to a 300-meter beach with crystal blue waters and pebbly sand. Here, on the edge of the Ionian Sea, visitors can rent a sunbed for €10, assuming they find parking along the dirt road and don’t mind being within arm’s length of their neighbor.  Ten years ago, the spot was a hidden gem for locals who would camp on the beach — for free. Now, both sides of the road are lined with construction sites, and a big developer promises to make the once-sleepy village a luxury hideaway for the world’s elites. Jalë’s stark shift from a natural and somewhat undiscovered paradise to a hot tourist destination is a microcosm of Albania’s surge in popularity — and the accompanying social and environmental issues the country is facing.  A PROMISING START While much of the world was still in lockdown from the Covid pandemic, Albania opened its doors to visitors in July 2020. Tourists eager to look at something other than their own four walls quickly answered the call, with over 5.6 million traveling to Albania in 2021 — a 114 percent increase over 2020.  But it wasn’t just the open borders that drew people in.  Other European hotspots, such as Italy, Spain and Portugal, were becoming increasingly expensive; Albania offered nature and world-class beaches at a fraction of the cost. Back in 2020, a night in a beachfront hotel with breakfast in August could cost as little as €30, and sunbeds started from €3. While some travelers found their way to Tirana and the beaches through word of mouth, social media lit a fire under the idea of holidaying in Albania. In 2024 Albania had more than 3.8 million posts on Instagram with over 106 billion views, catching up with neighboring and long-established destinations like Italy and Greece. What had been a steady flow of visitors became a flood. In 2023, a record 10 million tourists came — a 35 percent year-on-year increase, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics. In 2024, 11.7 million visited — another record representing a 15 percent increase, according to Tourism Minister Mirela Kumbaro. This year, the government hopes for more than 15 million — all in a country with a population of only 2.7 million. With visitors now generating about 8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and creating tens of thousands of jobs, one of the poorest countries in Europe can’t easily kick the tourism habit. Europeans comprise the majority of visitors, with Germans, Italians, Poles and French topping the list, local media reported. Unlike other European destinations such as Italy or France, Albania is a smaller country where visitors can explore mountains and beaches in a single day. It also lives in people’s minds as “wild and free and something that you don’t have in Europe,” said Denada Jushi, an Albanian journalist who has covered the country’s rise as a tourist destination.   CONSTRUCTION BONANZA  Government officials seeking to propel Albania into a prime tourist destination have exempted international hoteliers from corporate income tax for 10 years if they build four-star or five-star hotels. The tax initiative was introduced in 2019 but was extended earlier this year until 2027.  “These are major investments,” Blendi Klosi, the member of parliament who proposed the extension, told Albanian media. “This initiative benefits only a specific segment of the sector—those aiming to raise the industry to higher standards.”  The scheme has worked well. Several international brands, such as Marriott International, Meliá Hotels International and Radisson Hotel Group, have opened up, while U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is set to turn an Albanian island into a luxury retreat. Critics warn, however, that the beaches lack sufficient space to accommodate the visitors that such resorts would bring to the area, and that nature is being destroyed in the name of tourism. Already, Vlora Airport, which is set to open soon in the south of the country, has caused controversy over its proximity to a protected area. At the same time, funneling water from inland to the coastal resorts to meet demand has irked activists and locals alike, sparking protests. “Greed has replaced sensible planning — and, for that matter, love of the land, nature, and the homeland,” said Alfred Lela, spokesperson for the opposition Democratic Party.  TOO BIG, TOO FAST  Thrill-seekers can still find less developed parts of Albania to explore, but the days of dirt-cheap trips to the country are largely over.   The average spend per visitor increased 20 percent year-on-year in 2024, with tourists spending €5 billion in the country that year. Experts and businesses argue that more demand means more pressure on supply chains and increased costs from importing goods. And as costs rise, the locals who once frequented the beaches and nature are being pushed out. But it’s not just the higher prices that are giving people pause. “Trash is becoming a big, big problem everywhere. None of the municipalities are able to keep up or do recycling,” said Arben Kola, a tour guide and environmentalist.  Several Facebook groups dedicated to tourism in Albania feature posts from visitors complaining about trash along roadsides or on shorelines, along with laments about construction and high prices. Albania was once “something wild — just camping, youth, fun and nature,” said Jushi, the journalist. “It’s like Monaco now. There’s no space for locals.”