Full of bunkers and tunnels and once used by the Soviet Union and communist Albania as a military base, Albania's largest island, Sazan, could become a luxury tourist destination in the future.
The former large military base is mostly abandoned today. The island was controlled by the Albanian army from the 40s and thousands of soldiers lived there with their families until the 90s. Sazan was a mystery for many Albanians, while the island was not open to tourists in 2017, from May to October, and in 2021 it attracted the attention of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump, writes Radio Free Europe.
As announced by the Government of Albania, Kushner's application for investment in this location is still in the initial phase at the Investment Development Agency of Albania and is not yet public. This agency told RFE/RL that they received expressions of interest from the American company "Atlantic Incubator Partners LLC" for the realization of a tourist settlement on the island of Sazan. According to them, the application is in the phase of collecting and submitting documentation.
This possible investment, however, has raised concerns about the damage it may cause to the marine area around the island, which is part of a protected marine national park in Albania.
Sazan Island, however, is not Kushner's only interest.
Right across the island is the area of Zvernec. Jared Kushner also mentioned this coastal area as an investment opportunity. Details about this project are not known. Even the Ministry of Tourism in Albania has not confirmed that it knows anything about it. However, international media announced that Kushner's company "Affinity" plans to build thousands of hotel rooms and villas in this area.
The coastal area of Zvernec is a protected area in Albania as a natural asset.
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