Ida Ismail
The Albanian coast is experiencing its golden tourist days, but beneath the brilliance of the sun and the blue water lies a frightening truth: our vacations are turning into a game of risk with life. In the first weeks of this summer season alone, four lives were lost at sea. While institutions boast of record numbers of visitors, promises of "maximum safety" are drowned as soon as they touch the water.
Where watchtowers stand as empty monuments to state irresponsibility and where Jet Skis openly challenge swimming areas, vacationers are left to their fate. Why is safety on our beaches still a missing luxury and who is responsible when the sea turns into a trap?
Empty towers, watchmen missing
Many public beaches, which this year are managed by municipalities, lack basic safety elements. On the public beaches of Vlora, observation towers exist, but for most of the day they are not used by observers.
For vacationers, this situation is worrying: "There should be lifeguards, people drown here every year. I don't know who it depends on, the municipality or the private sector. Here you have all age groups, women, children, elderly people who don't know how to swim. There should definitely be a lifeguard," says a vacationer.
On public beaches administered by the Municipality of Vlora, for which citizens pay a maintenance fee, signs have been placed warning: "Caution! This beach has no lifeguards."
Until the publication of this article, the Municipality of Vlora has not provided an answer as to why public beaches continue to be without lifeguards, although it has announced vacancies for this position on its official website since May.
Even the public beaches of Shëngjin and Durrës, administered by the respective municipalities, lack lifeguards.
According to Albanian legislation, for every 80 meters of linear beach line, a certified beach watcher must be on duty. However, monitoring shows that this standard is not respected on a large part of the coastline.
The President of the Federation of Beach Lifeguards and Water Rescuers, Erdit Gega, says that the problem remains mainly on public beaches:
"Safety is still not treated as a priority by some local governments. In many cases, the necessary signage to inform and warn vacationers is also missing."
According to Gege, the situation is better on private beaches, but even there there are cases where the watchmen are only formally contracted or do not stay on duty full time.
The Federation's monitoring results show that the problems are present almost along the entire coastline.
"In Lezha, the situation has improved, but standards are still not met on all public beaches. In Durrës and Golem, full coverage with lifeguards continues to be lacking, while in the south of the country their presence remains sporadic, leaving public beaches the segment most exposed to risk," says Gega.
While Spilleja is considered a positive model, where observers are present at all times.
Over 2 observers trained, but only half employed
The Albanian Federation of Beach Lifeguards and Water Rescue has called on all coastal municipalities to invest in the safety of public beaches and guarantee the presence of trained lifeguards in every swimming area.
The federation has certified about 2.100 lifeguards. But, according to the National Coastal Agency, only 1.012 of them are currently employed. This means that about 1 trained professionals are not engaged, while many beaches remain without coverage.
Erdit Gega says that the demand for beach lifeguards remains higher than the number of available professionals and calls for the profession to be more valued by institutions and employers, as it is a profession with great responsibility, whose mission is to prevent incidents and protect human life.
According to him, payments range from 800 to 1.200 euros per month, while in some cases they reach 1.500 euros.
The lack of beach lifeguards is also related to the emigration of some of them abroad.
Lucjano Marku, a beach lifeguard, says that in Lezha over 250 lifeguards are licensed, but not all of them work in the profession. According to him, many have left the country or have chosen other professions, as the work is seasonal and does not offer long-term security: "The interest of lifeguards is not high because the season is short. The payment varies according to the area covered by the lifeguard, while working conditions and equipment are essential to guarantee safety."
Municipalities and the Agency, ping-pong of responsibilities
Regarding the observers on public beaches, the list of beaches that are covered, and the estimated budget, the Municipality of Durrës informed "Sinjalizo" that the institution responsible for providing information is the National Coastal Agency.
But the National Coastal Agency gives a different interpretation. According to the AKB, public beaches are administered by municipalities, which are responsible for guaranteeing lifeguards, while private operators have the same obligation for the beaches they administer.
AKB also explains that it does not have a budget for hiring observers and that contracts with entities are concluded only after they submit a notarized agreement with a certified observer.
In practice, responsibilities are divided between municipalities, private operators and the AKB, while on the ground vacationers face beaches without lifeguards.
Safety expert Fatjon Softa says that the biggest problem is that on many beaches, coastguards only exist formally, do not constantly monitor the sea and often do not have basic rescue equipment, such as radios, life preservers, defibrillators or watchtowers.
"We practically have a uniform without a rescue system," he says.
According to Softa, European standards require certified lifeguards, watchtowers, radio communication with emergency Services, and full rescue equipment. He proposes the creation of a national monitoring system and the mandatory equipping of every beach with basic safety infrastructure.
Unlike Albania, where many public beaches continue to operate without lifeguards, in neighboring countries such as Greece, Croatia, and Montenegro, the presence of lifeguards is standard and required by law on public beaches.
Jet Ski, as a safety hazard
State Police data shows that accidents involving watercraft have increased from 2 in 2023 to 13 during 2025, while in the first months of the 2026 season, 1 accident with a victim was recorded.
Watercraft accidents
- 2023: 2 accidents, 5 injured
- 2024: 6 accidents, 8 injured, 2 fatalities
- 2025: 13 accidents, 17 injured, 3 fatalities
- May-June 2026: 2 accidents, 4 injured, 1 victim
The Border Police has blocked hundreds of watercraft for lack of license, documentation, entry into swimming areas and violation of navigation corridors. During 2026, maximum fines of up to 500 thousand lek have also been imposed for serious violations of the security perimeter.
Blocked/seized vehicles
- 2023: 224
- 2024: 265
- 2025: 305
- May-June 2026: 118
Leonidha Goro, a marine tourist operator for 14 years in Himara, who deals with tourist guides at sea, raises concerns about unlicensed activities:
"We pay taxes, invest in new equipment and meet every legal requirement. Meanwhile, unlicensed operators work without controls, are untrained, undercut prices and do not respect safety standards."
Legislation prohibits the entry of Jet Skis into areas where vacationers bathe and requires their movement only in signalized corridors. However, violations continue to be recorded every season.
According to expert Softa, the operation of Jet Skis by people without training or a license poses a serious risk to vacationers. He emphasizes that the most frequent violations are related to driving without a license, entering swimming areas, use by minors, and the lack of controls for alcohol or narcotics.
At the end of the day, vacationers don't need ironic signs warning them that they are vulnerable, but real security. While institutions continue the old game of "ping-pong" with competencies, blaming municipalities and agencies, the sea does not wait or ask about bureaucracy, nor does it forgive negligence. If measures are not taken, this summer's black balance will only get worse./ acqj.al
