On the shores of the Ionian Sea, from Vlora to Saranda to Cape Stillo, tourist cruises have become an inseparable part of the summer season.
Every morning, dozens of boats and dinghies depart from ports, piers and beaches to take tourists to Karaburun, Sazan, sea caves or hidden bays along the riviera.
But this picture of Albanian tourism changes if you move to the Adriatic. Unlike in the south, Durrës and along the Adriatic coast have yet to develop a sustainable cruise industry, and the few attempts to organize cruises have quickly failed.
"The movement of vessels in the Adriatic is more difficult than on the Ionian coast due to the lack of depth," says port pilot Zef Mazi, adding that to establish a tourist cruise offer in the Adriatic similar to Vlora and Saranda, specialized ships are needed.
"Of course, maritime registry checks on vessels, as well as those of the border police, must be respected," he added.
According to tour operators and cruise experts, the main problem remains the lack of bridges and pontoons for mooring ships.
Attempts to offer tourist cruises in the city of Durres date back to 1999, when a regular line was established for a few weeks with the city of Ulcinj in Montenegro. But tourists who experienced this line many years ago recall that it was not successful and, as a result, short-lived.
“Bad weather, rough seas and a defect in the ship interrupted our sailing, forcing the vessel's personnel to transfer us to another boat opposite Ulcinj,” says Diana, one of the passengers, who also recalls that the agency discontinued sea trips very quickly.
Vasil Bedinaj, a well-known entrepreneur from Vlora, tried to restore sailing in the Bay of Durrës in 2019, offering tours from Mali i Robi to the beaches north of the city.
"The first problem was the departure of tourists by boat from the hotels in Golem, where they were accommodated," said Vasili, who explained that the sandy shallows in front of the hotel did not allow for a normal departure.
"Navigation was made difficult by sea conditions, but above all, arrival was added to the troubles," added Bedinaj, who 2-3 weeks after the inauguration of the Durrës - Cape Rodonit tourist sea line withdrew from this business built with passion.
Even cooperation in this sector between the ports of Durres and Rijeka in Croatia did not yield results.
Specialists believe that installing wooden bridges in the Bay of Durres could facilitate the movement of tourists by boat. This investment would also serve sport fishing or underwater tourism.
“Durres must be innovative for underwater tourism,” Artur Meçollari, captain first rank and one of the former leaders of the Naval Fleet, told BIRN.
The panorama of the coast north of the city of Durrës is quite diverse and exploring the coast from the sea is an interesting attraction for tourists. Although the sandy coasts are generally shallow, there is no shortage of depths where diving can be applied.
"At Cape Pal, which the locals call Bishti i Palës, an underwater hole of more than 14 meters was identified years ago, in which the sinking of the military ship M-111, which had long been out of service, was calculated," said Meçollari.
According to him, this would enable tourist dives to get to know the large floating vehicle, a type of dive that is highly sought after by foreigners.
“The delays led to the ship sinking in the port of Shëngjin, before it reached Durrës,” Meçollari recalled.
The first captain said that another maritime element missing in Durrës is sport fishing.
"Wooden bridges on the coastal promenade or on Golem beach are a good solution, which also brings experience from European countries and the USA," says Artur Meçollari.
Despite the failure of a few years ago, Bedinaj remains optimistic and emphasizes that tourist cruising in the Adriatic is not a closed chapter.
"I believe that another agency from Vlora could once again try tourist cruises on the Adriatic coast, returning to our attempt from years ago," he concluded./reporter.al
