Abstract: Sustainable tourism and ecotourism play an important role in areas where nature and people coexist together, like Durrës Beach in Albania. The main idea here is to find a balance between tourism and the environment. People should be able to identify how many tourists should be entertained and the type of fun activities that can be carried out at the destination, and all this could be achieved by knowing the carrying capacity. The method follows the carrying capacity concept and tests it by verifying different factors such as carrying capacity, environmental quality, and tourists’ perceptions. The estimated carrying capacity for the three beaches in the Durrës coast in Albania is 50,661 tourists per day, while for Durrës city beach the figure is 6,985 tourists per day. It is very important to monitor the carrying capacity for tourism in such a way that sustainability is achieved in all aspects. The study’s multidisciplinary approach and assessment method make useful recommendations a reality for the sustainable development of the Albanian coastlines. Furthermore, by using a multi-criteria analysis method, the opinions of the stakeholders for Durrës Beach can be obtained. Following the recommendations given by very prominent and early thinkers in the subject and carrying out the recommendations given by such renowned researchers can help Albania maintain its high ecosystems while improving the quality of life for its citizens.

Keywords: carrying capacity assessment, Durrës coastline, Albania, environmental factors, stakeholders, sustainable tourism

Pages: 531-541