Tourists have already started going to the beach in Durrës, regardless of the works being carried out on the coastal promenade.

Stacks of sand, large stones and heavy vehicles in the middle of the beach, are companions of the first tourists.

For vacationers coming from Kosovo as well as local ones, the condition of the beach is not great. The stones that are thrown on the shore endanger children.

“Conditions this year seem catastrophic. It has never been like this. My son hurt his leg on the large stones they’ve thrown in the sea,” says a vacationer from Kosovo.

“I wonder what kind of vacations people will to have, considering the ongoing works. They should have finished by now, they’re too late,” another vacationer tells Euronews Albania.

Seasonal businesses are getting ready to welcome the first influx of vacationers from Albanian speaking regions. However, delays in finishing the first phase of work for the promenade, have left a bad taste to them.

“The season has started, we’ve paid taxes, but nothing is working. 85% of the tourists in Durrës come from Kosovo. The promenade should have finished by now, as well as works done to our businesses. They shouldn’t have waited for May to come,” says Naim Kapiti, a citizen from Kosovo who owns a business in the coastal city.

The promenade stretches on a 3 km length and is an investment worth 285 million ALL, which is being funded by the Albanian Development Fund.