New rules for the summer season 2025/ Kumbaro: Public beaches are a priority

2024-11-06 13:35:00, Aktualitet CNA

The Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro has convened the Tourist Season Management Committee following the work on the approval of updated maps for the exercise of the activity as "Beach Station", a meeting in which the date of the opening of the applications that will be announced be November 15.

Minister Kumbaro in her speech before members of KMST, announced the changes reflected in the new regulation for the management of beach stations, where she emphasized that only hotel accommodation structures can apply for beach stations and it will be the municipalities that will reorganize and manage the beach spaces.

"The government has approved the decision for the new regulation for the management of beach stations, giving a much greater role to coastal municipalities and reorganizing beach spaces with an absolute priority over public beaches.

Unlike previous years, the entities that will be able to apply for beach station management will only be entities that have an accommodation structure on the front line of the beach or close to the front line.

The principle of this new regulation is that the management of a beach station is not the main reason for doing business. It is an accessory, an additional attraction, an additional service for a consolidated business in the field of tourism where the main activity is accommodation.

We have some fundamental changes this year. Many more spaces, beach stations will be freed for the public, but which will be managed and maintained by the municipalities. Second, with the new regulation, the municipalities have the opportunity to make their own investments in the "furnishing" of the beaches if they want, i.e. the municipalities are the ones that offer service with umbrellas and sunbeds and of course at a much cheaper and accessible price for all social categories, than beaches managed by private entities.

Even where there will be beach stations managed by private entities, in terms of the space between the first line of umbrellas and sunbeds and the edge of the sea, on sandy beaches this space will be mandatorily free for the public at a distance of 10 meters , while on the rocky beaches, which have a much more variable relief, it will be 3 meters", Minister Kumbaro said.

During this meeting, Kumbaro announced that applications in eAlbania for subjects interested in the management of the beach station will be open from November 15, according to the maps determined by the municipalities subject to the new rules where for 1000 meters of coastline, 300 meters will be public.

"From November 15 to December 15 will be the period of applications of interested subjects, online in the system dedicated by ANKSI. For this, we will make continuous announcements through municipalities and the media. The maps are defined by the municipalities in accordance with the new rules. Another new rule that has been included is that where it has been possible and as much as possible, we have set a criterion where for every 1 kilometer of coastline, 300 meters are public," continued the Minister of Tourism and Environment.

Further, the minister warned of penalties for businesses in case of violation of regulations, but also for citizens who will occupy public spaces by setting up private tents. At the end of the meeting, the committee approved the maps prepared by the municipalities in accordance with the new VKM for the management of beach stations./ CNA