After the Tourist: Time to Restore the Dignity of Our Communities

 Development policies must not be built on the logic of the tourist season, but on the daily life of citizens. Sustainable tourism begins when the community is placed at the center.

By: Luiza Hoxhaj

Date: July 12, 2025

On a July morning, while tourists take photos in Theth or wait in line in Ksamil to find a spot on the beach, the local resident worries about water shortages, pollution, unaffordable prices, and a voice that is no longer heard. We are trading peace for influx, and with it, we are giving more space to the one who stays temporarily than to the one who remains and contributes every day.

In institutional statements, reports, and even in everyday language, it has become common to say: “these measures benefit both tourists and citizens,” or “the project serves both visitors and the local community” – but why is the tourist always mentioned first?

This is not just a matter of linguistic order. It is a symptom of a deeper trend: decision-making and development planning are increasingly oriented toward the needs of visitors, pushing the local citizen to the margins. This symbolic order of words mirrors a real order of priorities: policies that favor the season, fast business, and tourist marketing, while neglecting the quality of life for residents, basic services, and the preservation of the community as a living social and cultural organism.

We are forgetting a fundamental principle: tourism must serve the host communities, not the other way around. It should be a tool, a source of income, an opportunity for development – not an end in itself that justifies every compromise at the expense of local life.

When the citizen is pushed to the background, the following happens:

·         Increased prices for rent and food drive young people away from their hometowns.

·         Public services (such as sanitation, water supply, access to public spaces) become inadequate or selectively distributed.

·         The community loses its identity and turns into a mere backdrop for temporary consumption.

Sustainable development is not one that simply brings tourists, but one that strengthens the community, maintains balance, and generates income that is redistributed for the benefit of locals. That’s why it is vital to change the discourse and the order of priorities.

We must say: “This policy serves citizens and visitors.” And we must think this way in every investment, project, or strategy. Only when a community is healthy, welcoming, and empowered can tourism be successful – for everyone.

The citizen can no longer be a secondary figure on development maps. They must be restored to where they belong: at the center of policymaking and governance. Policies, investments, and decisions cannot be built on the logic of the tourist season but on the foundations of everyday life. The citizen must be not only the main beneficiary but also the co-creator of development. They must be heard, represented, and actively involved in every process. Meanwhile, policymakers must have the courage to reconsider their priorities and return to their core mission: the long-term well-being of communities.

Because a place where the citizen feels heard, protected, and valued is a place that also offers the best experience for any visitor. Only in this way can every season be sustainable, and every development truly meaningful.

This article is the first in the series: “Citizens at the Spotlight.”