Albania is burning! And no, it's not just fire, it's a warning. I don't live here, I'm a passerby. I stopped! I watched! And my heart broke.
"This is because Albania is a beautiful country, but this beauty is covered in garbage. Everywhere! Under bridges, along roads, in canals, in bushes. Bottles, plastic, glasses, thrown everywhere and no one does anything. Now it has caught fire and don't say it's just the heat, the weather or the climate. Yes, these affect it, but the real reason is your negligence."
This is a comment that Iwona Alex Gray posted on the first day of August on the Visit Albania page, a page that has about 600 thousand followers who want to know about Albania, ask questions, get informed, are curious. The status is accompanied by a photo that probably catches the eyes of foreigners more than we Albanians, who see it often and our reaction has faded. Such posts on social networks, travel or destination rating platforms are becoming increasingly frequent.
This situation seems inconceivable to foreigners. To understand it, one only needs to look at the thousands of comments posted every day on Google Reviews, just as the post that the foreign tourist made in the Visit Albania group was flooded with comments.
Michael T commented: “You are so right. We see so many villages, especially in mountainous areas, where behind the houses there are mountains of garbage. There is a lack of waste infrastructure in this country. But more than that, there is little or no awareness of nature and its protection. It is usually disgusting to wander through car parks if you need to rest. The country is beautiful and would be even more so if it didn't have this 'ugly side' of Albania.”
Veronica W also confirms that this is true. “In these years people are throwing things on the streets, beaches, mountains. But there is no infrastructure in Albania, except in the big cities. Most people in the countryside have to take care of their own waste and in some cases they even burn it. People are trying to take responsibility, but more needs to be done. But I can say that the same thing applies to the United Kingdom,” she says.
Aida H claims that this is typical of Balkan countries and does not understand why people hate their countries, while another foreign commentator states that more than hatred, it is a matter of lack of awareness.
Although waste does not seem to be the biggest problem facing Albania, for foreigners it seems to be the main issue. Tourism and the growing interest in Albania have brought foreigners to every corner of it and most, as they are fascinated by the natural beauties, raise their voices on online platforms to raise awareness. Beyond the good that this can bring in terms of increased attention, it also comes at the cost of “negative marketing”, where Albania is identified as a country covered in garbage./ Monitor
