Public beaches to increase by 67% in 2026 - Minister Gonxhja: 1,689 public plots are available
The number of plots and beach stations with public function and administration has increased significantly during the 2026 tourist season. The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Blendi Gonxhja, announced that 1,689 public plots are available this year, compared to 1,014 registered in 2025. The increase is 67% or 675 more plots.
The public beach area has also expanded. From 2.88 million square meters in 2025, this season the total area reaches 3.18 million square meters, or about 303 thousand square meters more.
A novelty for this season are 124 public plots and stations under the administration of municipalities. This category offers a service equipped with umbrellas and sun loungers, with tariffs approved by municipal councils and with the aim of creating a more affordable alternative for vacationers. In total, these spaces occupy about 475 thousand square meters.
The largest number of plots administered by municipalities is in Lezha with 49, followed by Durrës with 38, Shkodra with 16, Himara with 11 and Vlora with 10. Meanwhile, in terms of surface area, Durrës leads with around 316 thousand square meters, followed by Lezha with 75 thousand, Himara with 51 thousand, Vlora with 21 thousand and Shkodra with 13 thousand square meters.
An important element is the return to public use of 665 plots that were previously managed by private individuals. According to Minister Gonxha, these plots were returned to public administration as a result of incorrect application or rejection of applications. This measure alone has added about 768 thousand square meters of surface area to the public beach.
Meanwhile, the network of exceptional beaches has also expanded. In 2026, there are 22 of them, up from only 2 last year, marking an increase of 20 stations or about 11 times more. This category includes 570 plots and about 1.42 million square meters of managed and formalized beach area.
According to the minister, the expansion of public alternatives aims to combat price abuse and guarantee wider access to the coast. The tariffs approved by municipalities, the formalization of beaches and the fiscalization of payments aim to create more transparency and reduce costs for citizens and vacationers.
Hygiene standards, safety at sea and ensuring affordable access for holidaymakers also remain priorities, emphasizes Minister Gonxha.
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