Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that the recent protests are negatively affecting the tourism sector, leading to cancellations of bookings by foreign tourists for the summer season.
Speaking on the podcast “Flasim,” Rama said he has received complaints and messages from tourism operators across different parts of the country, who report a decline in reservations. According to him, this situation is harming local businesses, family incomes, and the revenue the country generates from tourism.
The head of government emphasized that this year’s tourism season was expected to be one of the most successful ever, but warned that the continuation of protests and booking cancellations could significantly impact its overall performance.
“I have received many messages, but of course I cannot come out and use this to say: ‘Will you stop the protest because you suddenly care about hotels?!’ However, at the same time, I cannot remain silent about the fact that there have also been awareness protests by tourism operators in both Vlora and Durrës.
“In Vlora, around 95% of hotel, restaurant, and bar owners joined the awareness protest, asking for understanding so that the tourism season is not damaged, because this represents a direct blow to the family economy of many people connected to tourism, as well as to the local economy and the national economy as a whole.
In other words, if we prevent the money that would normally come into Albania during a peaceful tourism season from entering the country, then I do not know whose interests that serves.
If there is a protest agenda aimed at obstructing Albania from all sides and, through that obstruction, creating frustration in order to make people say, ‘Let’s get rid of this government, just leave us in peace,’ then this is not a new agenda. It is an agenda that has been used in other countries, and it has also been used here by the Molotov-throwers, but it will not succeed. The damage, however, will certainly be significant and, in my view, completely unnecessary,” Rama said.
Rama also criticized pressure campaigns and attacks on social media targeting public figures and citizens with differing opinions, describing such behavior as unacceptable in a democratic society.
“I was deeply saddened to see what happened to a singer like Ylli Limani, a beloved artist for many people. He is not my favorite singer—I belong to a different generation and have different musical preferences—but he is a highly respected and popular artist who recently held an extraordinary concert in Tirana. Yet he was ‘massacred’ with insults, pressure, and threats aimed at forcing him to cancel the concert and deprive people of the enjoyment of a beautiful musical event, simply because the focus was supposed to be on the protest.
And this is happening to many people, including those who merely express a different opinion in a social media post and are then met with insults and threats. This reflects what I have said from the very first day: within this conglomerate, within this mosaic of people from all walks of life—among whom there are certainly many with good intentions—there is also a fascist component, a fascist mentality.
A fascist mentality does not require uniforms or weapons. It is the mentality that says: ‘Albania belongs to Albanians,’ meaning that everyone else is not welcome. Just as Germany was once said to belong to Germans and later became Europe’s black sheep for many years. Or ‘Greece belongs to Greeks,’ as the extremists of Golden Dawn used to say, creating serious problems for Greece.
A fascist mentality is when you say: ‘I want to speak, I want to express my views, I want to protest, I want to stay on the boulevard,’ but at the same time refuse to accept that others may hold different opinions or positions.
Others should leave the cafés, others should not attend concerts, others should not go to the beach, others should not work, others should not earn material benefits from their labor, because they must all be part of this movement. That is a fascist mentality.
This is undoubtedly a very dangerous component of the protest. These symptoms are directly linked to two things that are non-negotiable for a democratic society, for Albanian society, and for the country as a whole: the need for economic growth and the need for higher incomes.
Tourism is such a major and important source of revenue, and this year is projected to be the most successful tourism season ever. However, if this situation continues and cancellations persist, this will not be a successful season. It will be a season sabotaged by ourselves—by ourselves. It is something almost unimaginable, yet it could actually happen, and the warning signs are already there,” Rama said.
The post Protests, Rama: Tourists Are Cancelling Bookings, There Is a Fascist Mentality That Does Not Accept Opposing Views appeared first on Euronews Albania.
