Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has plans to build a tourist resort in the area near the town of Vlora, Albania. The project may boost local economies, but it has come up against opposition from locals who fear it will harm the environment.

Vlorë

Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has announced plans to construct a tourist resort near the town of Vlora in Albania. This proposed project is anticipated to potentially bolster the local economies by attracting more tourists and creating new job opportunities. However, it has sparked controversy among some local residents. 

These opposing locals are worried about the potential environmental impact that the construction and operation of such a resort could have on the area. They express fears that the development might lead to the degradation of the local environment, which is a concern that stands in contrast to the economic benefits anticipated by others.



Jared Kushner's Albania resort plans bring fear and hope

This small island in Albania could soon be turned into a tourist resort. Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, recently announced the plans as part of a wider investment by his firm Affinity Partners in the Balkans. The projects may boost local economies by enticing visitors. But Kushner's plans, which locals call the Trump Villas, are already making waves, as some fear they will harm the environment. The area near the town of Vlora is loved by locals for its quiet pine forests, olive trees and walking trails. Flamingos and pelicans pause here along their migration routes on a hook of protected land on Albania's southern coast. Ornithologist John Vopsi works for the local environmental NGO PPNEA. We are constantly getting requests from visitors to visit these zones. But if this zone is turned into another urban area, there will be nothing special here, but just another area turned into concrete. It is a great sadness to know that this zone will not serve the next generations anymore. It will not serve students of natural sciences anymore. It will not serve humans anymore. Kushner and Affinity Partners did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Since communism fell in 1990, Albania has struggled with economic and political instability and widespread immigration. But its alpine lakes and untouched coastline have attracted growing numbers of tourists. The country welcomed more than 10 million tourists in 2023. Kushner submitted the plans weeks after Albania's parliament changed a law to allow the government to grant construction permits in protected areas for hotels or resorts rated five stars or more. Vlora's mayor, Ermol Dreda, welcomed Kushner's project and vowed not to harm the environment. We want Vlora to be a high touristic destination, a top touristic destination. Without investments, how are we going to attract all these people coming here, choosing Vlora? So we have also to have something good, something unique in terms of quality. And the quality starts also with building something, but not destroying. Building something, let's say, in a sustainable way.

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